I was going back home from a long trip. I was tired. I would reach home in about 20 mins.
I was riding a tram. It was pretty quiet, not too many people (but all 4 seats were taken by a person or two). It was a little smelly but I could stand that. I found a nice seat - one of 4 empty seats, facing forward, with a big, clear window.
Then a guy took the seat behind me.
In trams we have phone charging sockets, with some covers. They make a funny noise when you close them. Similar to the clicking of a pen.
The guy started opening and closing it right behind me! Click, click, silence, click, silence, click, click, click, silence, silence, silence, click...
It was making me frustrated. So I turned around and looked at him. He ignored that.
I waited a little more, got more frustrated, turned around again, looked at him, at the sockets and at him. He ignored me. He kept clicking it even when I was staring at him!
I waited some more. Got pissed off. Turned around and said "Excuse me, can you stop doing that? It bothers me".
"That's weird. Because it doesn't bother me." - he said.
"Of course it doesn't - you are the one making the sound, for me it is uncontrollable one, you have full control over it, it's pleasant for you." - I wanted to say but I said - "Well. I am overly sensitive to sound. So please stop that." instead.
- "Then switch seats." - he said. And kept going.
I waited a little more hoping he thinks about it and stops but he didn't so I went to another part of tram, angrily. I had to take a seat with a decoration covering half of the window so I couldn't see the outside which is my distraction from all the smells and sounds in a tram. Fortunately I was leaving in 2 stops so I could stand it but if it lasted longer I would experience a meltdown.
I don't know if the guy was autistic but I am really pissed. Even if he was autistic he should stop when I was asking him! He could clearly speak and understand speech. So he was being an as*hole! He wasn't a kid that doesn't understand he is bothering others or lacks the ability to come up with some different stim (I look out through the window or suck my tongue - both don't bother anyone), especially if someone specifically tells him to stop! He was about 30-40 yo, wore fashionable, well fitting clothes and glasses and was travelling on his own so he clearly wasn't low functioning. Why was I the one forced to switch seats? Why wouldn't he stop? It's so unfair!
22 Apr 2019, 1:12 pm
