Crowded public spaces tend to bring out everyone’s worst instincts, especially when patience is already running low.

So when two train riders stood in front of the doors on a nearly empty train, another passenger decided it was the perfect moment to start a heated confrontation.

Before long, all three of them were snapping back and proving that etiquette wasn’t exactly anyone’s strong suit that night.

Read on for the full story.

AITA for “blocking the path” on the train?

I was so my friend and I were coming back late from the downtown area of my city and decided to take the train back.

Fast forward to us getting on the train and deciding not to sit down because we felt like standing and just felt that if there were other people who wanted to sit, they should be sitting first since we were able-bodied enough to stand.

Here’s where things got a bit dramatic.

A couple stops later this woman gets on and is eyeing us down. After the doors closed she walked up to us and casually pushes my friend and me and went to sit down.

I was honestly a bit annoyed that she didn’t say sorry but just moved on from it until she looked at me and said, “Sit down, you’re creating a fire hazard.”

I was confused and asked her how I was creating a fire hazard when there was so much space around me.

The woman stated her case, but the train riders didn’t see eye-to-eye.

She said that in the case there’s more people it would create a larger open path so that people could exit quickly.

I told her that there were no people around and that the train was basically empty, but she stood firm and said that we were being rude and inconsiderate.

I then lost it and told her that if anyone was “inconsiderate,” it was her for purposefully barging into us without saying sorry just because she had her “feelings hurt.”

Things only escalated from there.

She proceeded to call the emergency line on the train and had the conductor come over, who then waved her off and basically told her that it didn’t matter.

She got off the train in a huff and was unhappy with everything.

AITAH for creating a “fire hazard”?

Public transportation isn’t exactly the happiest place on earth.

What did Reddit make of all this?

According to this commenter, no one in this situation really handled it well.

This user thinks the stranger was right to criticize them.

They were blocking the exit, but this curt stranger could have been a bit nicer about it.

Pride, frustration and poor communication rarely leads anywhere productive.

If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.