When you’re traveling solo, you hear this question a lot. It’s usually asked for three reasons.
1) The seat taker needs an extra seat to be with their party so if you answer no, the seat will be upended from you and you’re left by yourself.
2) The seat asker wants a place to sit but doesn’t have many alternatives. If you answer in the affirmative, you’ve got a new seat buddy, but it’s for convenience purpose only.
3) The seat requester wants to sit next to you. It could be an impromptu chat, the first sparks of a romantic relationship, or the start of a friendship.
It’s a simple question that can change the course of your dinner, ride or journey, or like many things in life, it can leave you feeling even more alone. I started this website, as a way to connect with all the other travelers out there. Let’s change the script so that every time “Is this seat taken?” is asked, it’s an opportunity. And if you don’t like the answer, maybe it’s your turn to ask the question.
