Tall Big Men

Why is it that really large men (tall, big -- both in bones and weight) want to squeeze themselves into the smallest seat available on the BART train, even when there are better places for them to rest their large bodies?

I was so lucky today while going home. I need to thank my lucky stars. (Thank you, thank you.) There were more people than normal on the train, and the only easily accessible window seat was the last bench in the car. Normally I don't sit on the last bench unless I really have to, because 9 times out of 10, when I do, a VERY large person will choose the aisle seat, next to me, to sit down on. Tonight I took my chances because the only other available window seat was next to some girl who was trying to hog up the whole bench while her perfectly handicapable friend tried to hog up the handicap bench. I just didn't want to deal with it. So I resigned myself to my fate and hoped for the best, and sat in the back.

No one else getting on wanted to sit next to me (oh, yes, I'm terribly broken up about it), so I had to wait until Embarcadero to see who would make way for the back of the car. I don't even know why weirdos, creepies, homeless people and really LARGE people want to sit back there. If the bench isn't totally scummed up with food, gum, garbage and greasy hair splotches, then it usually just plain stinks of b.o. and other unidentifiable smells.

We hit Embarcadero, and the girl in front of me who was trying to hog up the whole bench tilted towards the aisle to let someone sit next to her. I looked up. I thought, there is no way that man is going to get into that space without crushing her. He visibly sucked himself in, tucked his arms in as much as possible and slowly slid downward to land his large butt onto the seat.

Phew! I thought. Normally, that man would be next to me. That's just how it usually goes. And he was really big. I could just imagine how that girl was feeling. But at the same time I figured it was her payback for trying to hog up the whole bench.

A bit into our commute, she and her friend had moved away to sit next to each other. Now, if they had done that from the beginning....

So who sat next to me? Some guy who smelled too much of starch with a hint of b.o., and who was very tired and kept falling asleep, waking up, falling asleep, and swaying all over the place. And even though he wasn't really gross and definitely not large, he did decide that sitting next to me the whole way to Union City was far better an idea than sitting by himself on one of the completely vacant benches that surrounded us.

And yes, I still don't understand why people don't want to move to a bench by themselves. It is truly baffling.