This ‘commuter buddy’ tale is a peak British problem and we’ve never sympathised with someone more

We don’t commute to the office as much as we used to for reasons we presumably won’t need to go into now

We don’t miss much of it – especially the cost of the season ticket – but we do miss the chance to be alone with a book or your own thoughts for half an hour or so every journey.

The very worst thing that could happen was being spotted by someone you know on the platform, when that precious moment of calm would be snatched from your fingers.

And it was precisely this happening – not just once, but every day – that was the concern of this most British problem shared on Reddit and we’ve never sympathised with someone more …

It was later shared on Twitter by @JackTindale and prompted lots of very funny (and occasionally helpful) responses. Here are our favourites.

‘I’m so sorry to hear you have to quit your job.’
littlebluecoat

‘And go into hiding.’
mimeycat

‘VR goggles. No need to spend a lot of money, you can go as cheap as Google Cardboard and your phone.

‘You will look like an absolute plonker but your only other option is to have a frank and earnest conversation with the chap so … plonker it is.’
jamescoxall

‘Depriving your own senses instead of confrontation. Makes me proud to be British.’
big_beats

‘Always let him board the train first, when he does….LEG IT!’
spvcxghxztpvrp

‘I had a similar thing happen but the best thing happened. We both enjoyed the quiet. And we became good friends.

‘We would get the train together and barely speak the whole way. We would listen to music, play with our phones, nod off. It was great. I feel your pain. I’ve had it that way too. It’s awful.’
GobiasACupOfCoffee

“Sorry bud, I need this 45 minutes to watch Netflix, it’s the only sanity I get all day, hope you don’t think I’m rude.”
Equivalent_Parking_8

‘Had this exact issue!

‘I just said to the guy “mate, we are both on the same train, so please don’t feel obliged to speak everyday. I quite like my alone time on the train, and on the walk to work anyway.” He was really cool about it, and completely got it. And we have been walking to and from work for a year, near each other, but not with each other, without us feeling awkward about it. And we get on great in work. He’s a good guy.

‘So maybe just tell him, and see how he reacts. I suspect if he takes it really personally he’s probably an arse anyway. If he’s cool, then, you can be cool and not worry about it.

‘In other news I had to change my walk to the train route because this random guy started saying hello to me. And every single morning we would be walking towards each other and could see each other from a great distance.

‘It got really awkward trying to work out when to make eye contact and when to launch off the nod. Do it too early and it’s a horror show. Don’t do it at all and everyone is suddenly offended. So I was left with no alternative than to either murder him, or change my route.’
loobricated

‘There is always the option of allowing your personal hygiene standards to slip …’
Spottswoodeforgod

‘I know someone once that became friends with a travel buddy, they don’t even work together, they just get the same train from the same stop every day.

‘They go out for Christmas meals together. Horrifying.’
cbren88

‘Honesty is the best policy. Just tell him what you just wrote (you are an introvert and need your 90 minutes of “me” time) And you would say the same thing to Brad Pitt etc.’
Make_the_music_stop

‘Tell him your last travel buddy died in an horrific accident and you don’t need no Damn partner!’
aliens_stole_my_bike

‘Kill him and eat him.’
mindlessenthusiast

Source Reddit u/PersonalYesterday865Twitter @JackTindale Image Unsplash Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona