Why meh????

I really don't like people being near me.

Partly due to the germophobe in me, and partly because it's just blech! Sometimes people just smell - whether it is BO, that wet towel smell of washing not drying properly, or what I think of as "sick breath".

This is a problem on public transport. Especially during rush hour tubing, so I really have no choice but to sit next to the smelly/coughing/sneezing/filthy/chavvy weirdo on the Northern line.

But on less busy bus routes, I sometimes find a bus that is more than half empty. Hurrah! A place to sit! And to deter someone from sitting next to me, I place my bag on the seat next to me. Of course, being a good would-be citizen, if the bus suddenly became full, I would move my bag onto my lap to make space. I certainly would not choose to sit next to somebody when there are other spaces available where I could have a free seat next to me.

So WHY do people always INSIST on sitting next to me when there are double seats totally free???? WHY? Do I give off some strange pheremone enticing strangers to plonk their buttocks on the seat that my bag is clearly occupying?

I once tried ignoring the woman who wanted the seat next to me by pretending to be engrossed by the song title scrolling across my ipod screen. She steadfastly stood and stared at me until I took notice of her and grudgingly moved my bag. I could have just told her that there are plenty of other seats on the bus and I would feel much better if she just sat somewhere else, but she seemed to have a fixation on the seat next to me. Plus that would be impolite wouldn't it? I mean, would that be socially acceptable? I'm basically telling her to go away, and only sit next to me as a last resort. What is the correct etiquette? And how do I get people to sit far away from me without making myself smell like a tramp?