People who don't move need to be pushed

My biggest, hugest, most gigantic pet peeve about BART riders is this situation (and this happens to me way too frequently, otherwise I might be able to overlook it):

I get on at Montgomery. The train is fairly empty. I pick an empty bench to sit on, and of course, I sit by the window. Yes, this is an open invitation for anyone to sit next to me, but I hate the riders who purposely sit in the aisle seat of an empty bench. That's just plain annoying, and I refuse to play that game.

So I usually make a big and very slow production of situating myself, which in most cases detracts people from trying to sit next to me. I usually plop my work bag on the aisle seat and then sit down in the window seat. And there's always something really important I need to do, either re-situating my iPod or brushing my hair or checking my cell phone to see if anyone's called me (like anyone does...but only I know that!) -- anything that gives off the appearance of actually needing the seat next to me. If the train's packed, I really can't do this. I actually feel bad, but then soon regret not at least attempting it because some stinky man will inevitably sit next to me.

So by the time I get to Embarcadero, the seat next to me is fair game. I have a 50/50 chance of someone choosing me to sit next to, and there are some weeks where no one wants to be near me at all. Fine with me. Makes you wonder, though.

Today a lady sat next to me, and I was kinda scrunched in because I was given flowers at work since today was my last day in my department. She started her head bobbing and weaving and there was a kid in the seat in front of her and he kept turning around and staring at her, and I was really hoping she'd wake up and freak out. Didn't happen, but oh well. She did wake up every so often cause her head bobbing got to be too much.

At one point, I realized that there were tons of empty benches.

This is the thing I hate.

Why would you want to continue to sit next to someone when you can easily move somewhere else, be by yourself, have some room, and bob and weave all you want (and, in her case, not have a kid staring at her)??? Why must these people continue to sit next to someone until their stop? I've actually had people sit next to me all the way to Fremont. Sometimes I get crazed, and I loudly say, "Excuse me!" and make them move so I can sit by myself. It's some freaky herding instinct -- stick with the pack and everything will be a-okay.

Heck no. Leave me be!

This lady in particular stuck with me until her stop, which was somewhere around Bayfair, but by then I was snoozing and probably being stared at by that kid now. Hope I wasn't drooling.