It’s a Monday morning and you’re half asleep on the District Line heading into the office.
Amidst a sea of rucksacks and travel mugs, people sit and read their books or doomscroll on their phones, avoiding eye contact by whatever means necessary.
There are plenty of irritating commuter types out there who disrupt this almost zombie-like journey to our desk.
But one subset of London Underground passengers have been labelled the worst of them all: the ‘barebackers’.
Get your mind out of the gutter – it’s a perfectly innocent term coined by Curtis Morton, co-host of the Behind the Screens podcast, in a TikTok that’s racked up nearly 100,000 views.
Essentially, barebackers – also known as rawdoggers – are people who sit without any form of entertainment and people-watch, staring at other passengers to pass the time.
‘Barebackers are number one,’ Curtis says in the clip ranking the most annoying train travel habits.
‘You’ve commuted enough times – why are you sitting there without a phone, without a book, just looking at me, looking at what’s going on? Keep yourself to yourself. Read a book – just do something.’
It might sound a little harsh, given that a mere 25 years ago this was likely considered perfectly acceptable behaviour. Heaven forbid, people may have even stuck up conversation with their fellow passengers.
According to Curtis though, it’s still not an excuse for someone to stare into your soul.
He tells Metro: ‘I’m honoured to be the unofficial spokesperson in the important fight to eradicate all barebackers from our transport network.
‘I get that 20 or 25 years ago people commuted without TikTok, Tinder and a podcast for every possible niche. They might’ve had ten songs on a Walkman and pure vibes.
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‘Even then, we didn’t have a nation of dirty barebackers! People read books, did crosswords, even flipped through the Metro.
‘But now, at least once a day I seem to encounter someone just sitting there, no headphones, no phone, no distractions, not even pretending to scroll – just staring through me.’
The podcaster says this unwanted attention makes him suspicious of other travellers, and a little paranoid, joking: ‘I think, what are you plotting? Or are my flies undone? Have I accidentally turned the flash on my phone?’
And while Curtis commends people who find the time to keep up with their correspondence outside their daily commute, he adds: ‘I think it’s completely reasonable to ask: pull out your phone. Buy a book. God, even fall asleep.
‘Just leave the barebacking to the privacy of your own home, and not while making eye contact with me on the 7.48am to London Bridge.’
On TikTok, there was a general consensus Curtis was speaking some hard truths, with one comment reading: ‘Every point got me nodding my head ferociously.’
Not everyone agreed though, including Mark Joseph who wrote: ‘Anyone who doesn’t need constant stimulation from a book/phone/iPad, and can just exist in peace for five mins, is awesome.’
Barebackers weren’t the only commuter type under fire either. Curtis’s list of the worst passenger behaviours also featured playing music out loud or having loudspeaker phone conversations, which he ranked at number five.
Not letting people off the train before you get on sat at number four, while prematurely getting ready to alight took the number three spot. People who sit with their legs spread were his second most hated commuter stereotype, just behind barebackers.
Curtis’s co-host James had a couple of honourable mention too, from people who won’t remove their rucksack on a crowded train to those who hog the space on the platform where the train doors will open.
Among the comments, many shared their own additions to the list of commuting no-nos, with @Julian nominating ‘people putting their bag on the window seat and sitting on the aisle seat (especially when the train is busy).’
‘Eating on a train – put that McDonald’s cheeseburger away!’ added @aaron_pacey, while a third user said: ‘People who get on and then stop right in front of the door, so they block anyone else trying to get on.’
So, are you guilty of any of the above commuting offences?
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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