Social anxiety on public transport

[roopzie]

I would like to know people's experiences on public transport, and how difficult it can potentially be for us. Being a very busy and people heavy environment, I often feel the fear in such situations.

When I'm on a train or bus, people often squeeze next to me. It's quite weird and uncomfortable. If someone is sitting on my bag, I can't speak out to tell them...just too scared dammit. And when I want to leave, and say excuse me I need to get out, it comes out really fast and croaky. I find it so difficult to speak out in front of strangers.
I'm also petrified if I miss my stop in case the driver gets angry at me.
Paying to use the transport itself can be terrible, I'm often fumbling through change to pay the driver, and feel him/her and the passengers are getting angry and impatient as I stand there awkrawdly.

 

[Noca]

I have so much anxiety on public transport that I cant travel on it. Instead I bought myself an Audi and get around in that

 

[SalemEdgerton1]

It was so bad for me that I'd literally walk 20 minutes to campus just to avoid it, though I forced myself to use it since it was ridiculous to walk in cold snow and get really sick. It was awkward at first, especially when the only seats available were next to girls, but I got use to it and just had to make myself realize that they're just trying to get to the stadium parking lot as quickly as I am too.

 

[lys]

That sounds like me roopzie!

I drive now, so I'm lucky because I find public transport really scary.


I worry I'm waiting at the wrong stop. Or I'll get on the bus and be told it isn't going where I want - which would be so embarrassing. Or I don't have enough money or I'm holding people up. I check timetables over and over, worry about missing my stop. All just like you said.

I'm even worse on the train because there isn't that much of a train service around here so I don't use it often. I'll even go to the station an hour early to sort of check everything out and run through it all in my head.

I can't relax until I get back home.