text: what's the deal with strangers sitting next to you in public places? it has happened from the beginning and it'll happen in the end. yes, it's extremely irritating. regardless of the comments of those who say "enter public spaces at your own risk", in the name of civility and social order we owe each other some adherence to social norms. how would your detractors feel if someone decided to take a leak next to them at the bus stop? hey-- if you're that uncomfortable around people, then maybe you shouldn't be taking public transit-- right? where do we draw the line? disregard for social space and reasonable social norms brings us to the level of pigs in a pen. many people, as we know, are pigs.