Published on 12, July, 2020
Went to the cinema last night, I’m the easy one to spot, I’m the one who sits turned away from the person next to them, I sort of sit on one side of me, can manage my wife sitting on my other side. Having a stranger sitting next to me for three hours has left me drained. I haven’t been able to talk yet, We came home last night, my wife went to bed, I had to sit on my own with my arms wrapped around the sides of my head. I feel like my ‘ spidey senses’ are in overdrive.
Its always been the same, trains and theatre cause the same affect. The underground is worse, I struggle to understand how having people near to me is so draining. It’s like they are radioactive and pulling the energy out of me, I know I’m going to have to mask heavily this morning so not to cause an argument with my wife and make it all about me. Is this something that anyone else relates to, or is it just weird me?
It's not just you. If I ever have to sit next to a stranger I'm leaning over to one side as far away from them as possible. If I find myself sandwiched between strangers it is a complete nightmare, one which I'll do anything to avoid. Last time I was on a plane I ended up sandwiched between strangers for 8 hours
I haven't been to the cinema for years but I used to try and go at quiet times. If you wait until the film has been showing for a while and most people have already seen it then it's more likely there'll be plenty of empty seats.
Public transport is the same. When I used to travel with my mum it was ok. I would get the window seat and she would sit next to me 'shielding' me from other people. When I have to travel alone that's not possible. I try putting my bag on the adjoining seat but if it's reserved seats that won't work.
Thanks for your reply, I just realised what has changed, an old art deco cinema has recently reopened near to us, it’s just had a massive restoration. We have started using at as it’s really nice, problem is it’s always full, my wife books tickets months ahead. The same film will only be shown twice. Before we always went to the big multi screen cinema, I never bothered going until a film had been released for ages, normally pretty well had the place to ourselves. I wonder what it is with us, I can actually feel the presence of someone near to me. By the end of the film I’m like a hedgehog in a ball. Our multi screen has started doing screenings once a month for autistic people, I would just feel a bit odd as it mainly attracts autistic children. Public transport I tend to not use if I can help it.
Thanks, that’s very similar to our evening, we got into the cinema an hour before the film started, it gradually filled apart from the 4 seats to the side of me, I kept looking and they were still empty, I thought I had won, you can guess the rest, 30 seconds before the film started the seats were filled. I think by then, I had already wound myself up. If we go again, we will book an isle seat and one next to it so my wife is a barrier.
You've reminded me of the time when a small cinema opened up near me...
I plucked up the courage to go on my own. I arrived early and chose a seat that I figured would be as far away from other people as possible. The cinema began to fill quickly and a group seemed to be taking an interest in the seats surrounding me, then they left. Next thing they are back with a member of staff, who asks for my ticket and points out I am in the wrong seat I had no idea that the numbers on my ticket meant that I was supposed to sit in a specific seat. Nobody had told me or even asked where I wanted to sit.
I moved to where I was directed but soon realised that the cinema was going to be completely full, without an empty seat anywhere. I was surrounded by noisy people in close proximity on all sides and I became very overwhelmed. I panicked and left before the film even started. All I managed to see was a couple of adverts!
Unsurprisingly that experience completely put me off ever going back again.