SINGAPORE: Touching on the topic of public transport etiquette, one Singaporean Redditor recently asked others “if it’s acceptable for someone to sleep on another person’s shoulder during the commute.”
“Just curious how everyone feels about this, and are you okay with both genders sleeping on you or just same gender or none?”
The Redditor also shared his experience of unintentionally dozing off on a fellow passenger’s shoulder due to exhaustion from a long day.
“…..not fully resting on their shoulder but like the half asleep kinda fall and then slight wake up and fall again.
Personally, I’m fine with people sleeping on me on the train and I’ve had instances where they fully just fall asleep on my shoulders the whole ride.”
“But when I’m the one falling asleep, I just feel like an inconvenience and that I’m probably making the stranger feel annoyed and uncomfortable…”
“If you’re tired, lean your head back. Don’t lean on other people.”
Many Singaporean Redditors admitted they despised it when others slept or rested on their shoulders. One Redditor said, “I will shrug very hard and your head will bounce.”
While another commented, “Don’t la. If you’re tired, lean your head back. Don’t lean on other people. Only children have fallen asleep on me and I was still uncomfortable.”
Some were more straightforward, saying it all depended on whether the person resting on their shoulder was “good looking.”
One Redditor stated, “Depends a lot on how the person looks and whether i sort of get a creepy vibe from him/her. if person is fat and/or smelly that’s a huge no i’m sorry.”
Others also mentioned that their unease stemmed from the fact that they were uncomfortable with being drooled on, smelling another person’s body odor, or simply having their personal space invaded.
Another reason they mentioned was that they were afraid of being accused of something untoward, such as molestation.
They were concerned that if they let a stranger sleep on their shoulder, it could be misunderstood or lead to uncomfortable accusations. However, some expressed empathy and willingness to lend their shoulders to tired commuters.
One Redditor added, “I don’t care too much as long as they aren’t doing it intentionally. I know how hard it is to stay awake sometimes.”
Featured image by Depositphotos