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Nightmare Commutes: True Tales of Public Transport Horrors

Darren February 8, 2024

Many people out there believe it’s best to use public transport because it’s simply better for the environment. That’s why governments are trying to encourage citizens to use trains and buses instead of cars when possible. However, there’s one massive flaw with this problem. Public transport can be downright horrible because we’re forced to be around other random people when we use it.

So today we’ll look at some real-life accounts of people who had nightmare public transport stories. They have everything from weird encounters with other passengers to horrific experiences on a Greyhound bus. The stories are wild but relatable because we’ve all had a crazy experience or two if we’ve used public transport. Check them out right here.

Bad Driver

Almost everyone has a Greyhound bus horror story. Many of them seem unbelievable but the reality is that many of them are unfortunately true. It’s one of the most notorious public transport services on the planet because the company doesn’t care. Meanwhile, many of the passengers are also terrible so it’s one big nightmare melting pot.

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This person’s account shows Greyhound’s general attitude towards their patrons. Typically, they come from lower-income groups so they have no respect for them. These passengers were lucky that they had a driver because there are many stories of them not showing up at all (via Reddit).

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Projectile Vomit

One problem with public transport is that there’s no accounting for anybody else’s condition. The L.A. Metro system is a breeding ground for crazy behavior as this unwitting passenger discovered. They were very unlucky because they encountered two people who were unfit to travel.

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This is a horrible story that shows the dangers of traveling with random strangers. Luckily, they didn’t receive any of the vomit themselves so it could have been worse. Nonetheless, it was still a disturbing experience and something they’ll never forget. Often these homeless people need help but that doesn’t make life easier for everyone else (via Reddit).

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The Creepy Sleeper

Personal space is a premium on public transport, especially during rush hour. One plane passenger discovered this in a horrifying moment when they were flying home for the holidays. They experienced another person falling asleep on their shoulder. This can happen on the metro too but is obviously an invasion of privacy.

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It’s probably not the worst thing in the world and is even understandable if they were exhausted after a long day at the office. But this individual was being a creep and there’s no excuse for that. Let’s hope that the flight attendants did the right thing and moved the victim to a safer place. They should have booted the weirdo off the plane without a parachute (via Reddit).

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Cling Wrap Thong

One Redditor explained their nightmare experience on the L Train in New York City, one of the most densely populated urban centers in the world. Millions of people use the subway every day including a few crazies. Most of them are harmless but there are also some massive creeps.

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This is beyond sick because it makes other passengers incredibly uncomfortable. Maybe they’re mentally ill or they don’t care about what anybody else thinks. Imagine if a child saw this horrible sight because it would scar them for life. This person had the correct reaction because they didn’t provoke the disgusting situation.

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Rotting Crustaceans

Everybody knows what it’s like when somebody brings something smelly onto a train or bus. They eat a tuna or egg sandwich and it fills the entire public space. This is poor etiquette but it’s nothing compared to what this passenger experienced. Check out this example because it’s vile.

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Boston is famous for fresh seafood but it doesn’t seem like this person got to the market in time. Once again, the question begs what they were thinking when they decided to bring this on the bus. There’s no occasion when this is acceptable but they didn’t care. It’s a strange world and we’re all living in it (via Reddit).

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Something Stupid

Another person had a very profound moment when they were on the Greyhound in California. A young girl provided them with enlightenment after she spoke some wise words. They came after another passenger behaved crazily and attempted to kick down the bus door. Finally, the driver left him in the middle of the desert.

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She was correct because the Greyhound is the most notorious form of transport in the United States today. This poor girl had some traumatic experiences because she knew what she was talking about. There’s always at least one crazy person on every journey and that’s just the driver (via Reddit).

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56 Hours Late

Public transport is fine when it works but sometimes it goes disastrously wrong. One passenger had a horrible experience when they took an Amtrak train from San Francisco to Pittsburgh. Their route suffered ridiculous delays that made the journey a living nightmare. They endured endless days before they finally reached their destination.

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This meant that they arrived almost three days later than their original arrival time. Knowing Amtrak, they probably didn’t get an apology and lived off cold pizza the entire time. The U.S. is a developed country but it has a dinosaur attitude toward public transport and should do better.

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Desert Travel

Many people have romantic notions of international travel. They think that journeying across borders on buses is the best way to see the real side of a country. That’s true but sometimes a place doesn’t want us to see it without its makeup on. One traveler had a horrible experience of crossing the desert in a rickety bus.

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There was no air-con or entertainment and there were also too many people. It was an awful journey but at least they had a story at the end of it. The bus was probably still more reliable than the Greyhound in the U.S. Meanwhile, they’ll be dreaming of Divergent for the rest of their lives (via Reddit).

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Big Boned

Another Internet user revealed that they are a little overweight. This made them slightly too big for an average bus seat. However, they didn’t expect that this would create one of the most confusing public transport stories ever. They were on the New York City bus when they had a weird experience.

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Imagine a random person sitting on their knee without a care in the world. It’s also strange that it was a well-dressed woman who seemed completely normal. This was a gross invasion of privacy but because it was a woman the OP didn’t freak out instantly. Welcome to the wacky world of public transport horror stories.

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Bus Molester

Sadly, there are many stories of women having unwanted meetings with creepy men on public transport. This poor victim experienced a random male attempting to touch her against her will. She managed to escape his clutches but then he became aggressive. However, that’s not the worst part of this story.

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The police officers deserve to face disciplinary charges for their part in this story because this was disgraceful. They don’t know this woman’s situation and the late hour doesn’t justify someone assaulting her. Hopefully, she never deals with anything like this again because it was traumatic (via Reddit).

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Winter Storm

Sometimes accidents happen when we’re traveling on public transport. This can be very frustrating for passengers, especially if it doesn’t seem to be serious. A passenger explained how their bus went off the road during a blizzard. Unfortunately, this forced them outdoors into the winter storm.

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To be fair to the driver, it may have been the company’s policy to offload the bus for passenger safety. Usually, they will keep them on board because highways are dangerous. The driver may have done the right thing but that doesn’t make life easier for the people standing outside in the cold for ages (via Reddit).

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The Rabbit

Many forms of public transport don’t allow animals on board. Pet owners often find this unfair and inconvenient but there’s a good reason. Some crazy freaks in society make it their life mission to create weird and uncomfortable situations. Check out the following horror story because it’s shocking.

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This is so disturbing for several reasons. Firstly, it’s animal cruelty because the rabbit probably doesn’t want to be down his pants. Meanwhile, it’s extremely creepy because he’s getting some weird joy out of this unsettling behavior. Let’s hope the bus driver kicked him off but he doesn’t get paid enough for this (via Reddit).

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Mortal Metro

The Parisian Metro is one of the oldest in the world but that doesn’t mean that it’s better than anywhere else. It’s also a nightmare for commuters with many homeless people sleeping in the stations. One passenger said that they saw someone die during a journey and it haunted them.

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Everything about this story is tragic and disgusting. Firstly, it’s horrible that someone could be in this situation. What happened in her life to make her so beyond hope? Meanwhile, it was a nightmare for everybody else in the carriage because they witnessed a fatal incident. This is a trauma that will stay with them forever (via Reddit).

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Diarrhea Time

There are many stories about homeless people defecating on public transport. But what happens when a regular person needs to go but there isn’t an available restroom? One unfortunate passenger found themselves in this position when they were traveling on the New York subway.

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They were very fortunate that the fast food chain allowed them to use their facilities. Many of them won’t because they’d be wary of people taking drugs in their restrooms. However, they had a respectable and genuine appearance so this convinced the Applebees’ staff to show common sense.

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Kiddy Fight Club

Children can be a nightmare on public transport for other passengers. Nobody wants to hear crying babies or screaming toddlers but it’s something we generally accept. One bus user recounted how a journey in Queens took it to the next level. An irresponsible mother created a kiddie’s fight club.

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This may seem like something from a Chuck Palahniuk novel but it’s not something we expect to see on public transport. Meanwhile, this woman won’t be winning any mother-of-the-year awards because this is beyond irresponsible. It’s cruel and ridiculous, but that’s the New York Subway.

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CrossFit King

Sometimes we encounter annoying passengers on public transport. They might not be creepy or dangerous but they can be extremely annoying. It doesn’t matter if they’re the most harmless people in the world because we don’t want to deal with them. However, they don’t get the memo and keep talking.

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This CrossFit obsessive was extremely irritating and refused to take the hint. Unfortunately, some people are like this and won’t give up. Maybe they have social anxiety and they fail to understand certain cues. But that doesn’t make it easier for the people on the receiving end (via Reddit).

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The Brown Line

It’s a running joke that people will defecate on subway trains. This doesn’t make it right but it’s unfortunately an all-too-common reality. A Chicago-based subway user witnessed a pooper in action. They said it was the worst thing that they ever saw on public transport because it was disgusting.

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Imagine someone doing this without warning. They pull down their pants and let it all fall out right there. The shamelessness of this is beyond imagination because it’s impossible to think about reaching this low point. Unfortunately, many folks suffer from mental illness and drug abuse so it affects their rational thoughts (via Reddit).

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Want Some Meat?

There are so many creepy freaks on public transport who expose themselves in public. Many women experience this and they find it incredibly uncomfortable and violating. This disgusting behavior is unforgivable but one man took it to another level. Before opening his coat at a bus stop, he asked a fellow passenger if they wanted some meat.

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It’s wild they would almost have felt more comfortable if he had flashed them instead. This was a level of weirdness they weren’t ready for. In the end, they did the right thing by going to a brightly lit convenience store. It’s best to be in a public space when there are strange people around (via Reddit).

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Bomb Alert

Sometimes things happen on public transport that are beyond our control. We think that everything is progressing smoothly and then the U.S. Marshals arrive packing guns. That’s what this person experienced when they were traveling from Alabama. There was a bomb scare that stalled their travel plans.

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Nobody wants to spend the night in a Greyhound Bus Station because they’re horrible places. There are always weird, dangerous people around the place. This young man received a harsh life lesson but it could have been worse. It can always be worse when Greyhound is in the picture (via Reddit).

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Clipping Toe Nails

Another bus passenger had a horrible experience in San Francisco. They encountered a strange woman who decided that a bus was a good place for some personal grooming. She thought that it was the perfect time to clip her toenails and she didn’t care who witnessed her.

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This is a horrible story but these things happen too frequently on public transport. Many people will point to the severe homeless and drug problem in the Bay Area. This makes bus travel increasingly dangerous because there are many erratic passengers. Everybody should be careful because it can be risky.

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Empty Row

We’ve already said that the worst aspect of public transport is other passengers. It’s an unwritten rule that people should sit far from each other when possible. This creates a more comfortable experience for everybody because they have more space. But one person didn’t get the memo.

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First, she broke the etiquette of picking a row for herself. Then she dared to ask the other traveler to move. It’s a tricky situation because there are crazy weirdos on the Greyhound Bus. Sometimes moving is the best option and then don’t engage with them in conversation again.

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Disappearing Drivers

There are many Greyhound horror stories of late replacement drivers. Passengers wait forever because the company forgot to book someone to take them to their destination. But what happens when an active driver is there but suddenly vanishes? That’s what happened in this traveler’s story.

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Maybe aliens abducted or more likely, he couldn’t face the prospect of another minute on the bus. We’re positive that the new driver drove away without telling the passengers that he was leaving in a classic Greyhound move. Everybody says that it can’t be that bad but then they do it (via Reddit).

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Missed Stop

It’s horrible how women find themselves in vulnerable situations on public transport. This lady had a nightmare experience when a man made her fear for her life. We don’t know why some men think that it’s acceptable to act this way. In the end, she escaped because she did the right thing.

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It was very smart to wait until he disembarked because he could have stalked her. We imagine that it affected her badly and that she felt paranoid when she went on the train again. Nobody should feel unsafe when they’re traveling but sadly this man didn’t respect her. It’s an all-too-common reality for so many women today.

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Open Doors

We complain about Amtrak and Greyhound but at least they usually have working doors. Some countries don’t enjoy this luxury as one passenger revealed. This may seem thrilling but it’s not safe for a few reasons. First, there’s the risk of falling out of the train but there’s another external threat.

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Most U.S. travelers don’t endure people throwing rocks at them. However, not everywhere is as safe as the U.S. Some developing countries have very dangerous communities where people have no hope. They don’t care about the consequences of committing violent acts.

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The Shoelicker

Every town has a neighborhood weirdo. Usually, they’re harmless eccentrics who add a little bit of color to the area. But some people cross the line into disturbing creep territory. This person encountered one on Chicago’s Red Line as they shared their public transport horror story.

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We don’t want to kink-shame because it’s 2024 and licking shoes isn’t inherently harmful. But it is incredibly creepy to go up to random people and ask to lick their shoes. There is something very unsettling and violating about this because it’s abnormal behavior. Why do people behave this way on public transport?

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Naked Lady

Sadly, many mentally ill people live in our societies. We shouldn’t make jokes but at the same time, it’s not easy to deal with them. One bus passenger explained their uncomfortable encounter with an inebriated lady. This public transport story haunted them because it was very disturbing.

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It’s impossible to know how we’d react in this situation. Many people would simply stare with their mouths open in disbelief because they wouldn’t expect it. They also wouldn’t want to aggravate the naked traveler in case they became aggressive. That could end very badly for both of them.

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Blind Drunk Lunatic

Bus journeys can be horrific in any country. One Finnish public transport user told a crazy story about their bus journey to Russia. The two countries share a land border so it was common for people to travel back-and-forth. However, this traveler recounted a crazy tale of drunk drivers and passengers.

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He feared for his life because the driver was going too quickly in his inebriated state. It didn’t help that his fellow passenger defecated himself and the stink pervaded the bus. It was a horrible situation and we hope that he made it out of the Finnish countryside. Imagine being a local and coming across this drunk Russian man.

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Pretty Feet

Women often have the worst public transport horror stories because men act in a sleazy way toward them. This Internet user revealed how one experience motivated her to get a car. She had a horrible encounter with an old man after a gross invasion of her privacy. Sadly this happens too often on buses and trains.

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Some old men think that their age is an excuse for them to do and say what they want. They don’t realize that it doesn’t make them charming and that women don’t want to deal with them. Not everybody has the option of buying a car like this woman but we don’t blame her for doing it.

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The Trunk Guy

Usually, nobody wants to talk to anybody else on public transport and this is fine. We want to put on our headphones and listen to music or a podcast without people bothering us. Unfortunately, some commuters don’t get the memo and think this is a great time for creepy human interaction.

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This is such a weird thing to say and it naturally unsettled the passenger. She automatically feared for her safety because he almost threatened to kidnap her. Nobody expects this when they’re on the way home at night. It would almost have been better if he acted drunk and dumb because at least that’s predictable (via Reddit).

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Creepy Jailbird

When we travel on public transport we don’t know who we are sharing a space with. Some people may have very intense backgrounds and commit horrific acts. It’s one of the risks of taking a bus or a train because it puts us near potentially dangerous psychopaths.

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The story above shows how risky this can be. Maybe they shouldn’t have got off the bus in case he followed her. However, we don’t blame her for wanting to escape quickly. It’s crucial to be alert when we’re around strangers because we don’t know their motivations or history (via Reddit).

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The Korean Clown

Every country has horrible public transport stories. Another train passenger explained their situation in South Korea. Clowns can be unsettling at the best of times but nobody wants to encounter one on the subway. Unfortunately, that’s the situation the passengers found themselves in.

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This is a ridiculous scenario that the traveler never expected. They could never have guessed that a Korean clown would attempt to force him into his weird vaudeville act on the train. It’s a surreal sequence of events that they didn’t want to deal with. Let’s hope that they escaped from the clown’s clutches.

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Two Stabbings

When people take public transport they usually want to save money and get to their destination efficiently. They don’t expect to see other passengers attempt to kill each other in front of them. However, that’s the situation that one Greyhound user encountered on two separate occasions.

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Interestingly, the traveler emphasized that they were Canadian. This shows that U.S. society is crazier than in the Great White North. Everybody thought that they knew it already but this confirmed it for the poor passenger who witnessed these crazy moments. They’ll avoid Greyhound like the plague in the future.

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Creepy Recordings

The following story is a combination of two creepy situations. First, a couple was getting a little bit too intimate on public transport. Their PDA was too much for this passenger who didn’t want to see it. There’s a time and a place for this type of behavior but it’s not on the Amtrak.

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However, the man recording them also deserves a slap because this is wrong. Maybe he did have permissions but that doesn’t make the situation right. The best-case scenario is that they were all freaks. But it’s more likely that he was filming because he was a voyeur (via Reddit).

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One Eye Lady

There are some very strange people on public transport but most of them won’t bother their fellow passengers. However, this doesn’t mean that they won’t create an unsettling atmosphere. One person was riding the bus in Los Angeles when a strange old lady boarded it and sat beside them.

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This doesn’t seem like the most hygienic thing in the world. But at least she didn’t ask him to hold his gouged-out eye because that would have been a bridge too far. It could have been worse but it was still disgusting and a haunting experience for the commuter. That woman remains in his thoughts forever.

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Bald Patch

Nobody wants anybody to touch them when they’re using public transport. However, a bus passenger had an unwanted encounter with another person that left them with missing hair. Check out this violent story because it’s the stuff of nightmares for any Greyhound user.

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Shockingly, someone can act this way and assault someone like this. Some people have no respect for their fellow travelers and don’t know how to behave. Maybe everybody should take a test before they can travel on public transport because there are too many weirdos out there.

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