How Seating Choices Reduce Threats in Restaurants, Buses, Trains and the Subway
- william demuth
- Sep 9
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 15
Personal safety is not just about knowing self-defense techniques it begins long before any physical confrontation. One of the simplest yet most effective ways to reduce your risk is by choosing where and how you position yourself in public spaces.
The way you sit in a restaurant, or where you choose to stand or sit on public transit, can dramatically affect both your awareness and your ability to respond if danger arises.
1. Restaurants: Control Your View and Your Exit
When dining out, your seat can influence your sense of security.
Face the room: Position yourself so you can observe entrances, exits, and general foot traffic. This allows you to see potential issues developing before they reach you.
Avoid being boxed in: Sitting with your back to the wall, but near an exit route, provides both awareness and a clear escape path.
Balance comfort with readiness: Sitting deep inside a booth or couch may feel cozy but slows down your ability to move quickly if needed. A chair closer to an aisle or exit is safer.
Tip: Law enforcement professionals often choose “command seats” facing the entrance for a reason it maximizes visibility while reducing surprise.
2. Buses: Stay Visible and Strategic
Buses create unique challenges since movement is confined and exits are limited.
Sit near the driver or exit door: These areas are better lit, more visible, and closer to authority figures or escape options.
Avoid the very back row: While it may feel discreet, it often leaves you surrounded with no quick exit path.
Maintain situational awareness: Sitting on the aisle rather than the window gives you more freedom to move if needed.
3. Trains and Subways: Mobility Matters
High-traffic public transit can be unpredictable, so your positioning is key.
Choose well-populated cars: An empty car may feel safer, but it often isolates you. A moderately busy car provides witnesses and support.
Stay near exits: Standing or sitting close to doors gives you more control over when and how you leave if the environment becomes unsafe.
Watch your back: Avoid seats with blind spots directly behind you. If possible, choose a seat that gives a full view of the car.
4. Universal Positioning Principles
Across all environments restaurants, buses, trains, or subways the following rules apply:
See and Be Seen: Position yourself to observe others while ensuring you’re not isolated.
Keep Escape Routes in Mind: Always know your nearest exit and avoid seats that trap you.
Choose Awareness Over Convenience: Comfort (like the back booth or window seat) can sometimes sacrifice safety.
Trust Your Gut: If a seat or environment feels off, move without hesitation.
Avoid Distractions: Do not look distracted on the phone or with ear buds. Look alert and aware. Aggressors typical choose easy targets.
Keep Hands At Chest Level: The higher you hands are the quicker your response if a threat emerges. Find a comfortable non threating posture like crossing your arms. if you have a backpack take it off and holding front. This can be used as a shield.
5. Who’s Behind You? The Overlooked Safety Factor
No matter where you sit, it’s critical to know who is directly behind you. Attackers often exploit blind spots, approaching from behind because it limits your reaction time.
Choose seating that minimizes blind spots: If you can sit with your back against a wall or angle it, do it.
Use reflections: Mirrors, windows, or even your phone screen can give subtle glimpses of activity behind you.
Build the habit of checking: On public transit, a simple glance over the shoulder every few minutes can deter someone considering you as a target.
Trust your instincts: If someone behind you makes you uncomfortable, change your seat. It’s better to be proactive than second-guess yourself later.
Your seating choices may seem minor, but they can drastically influence how vulnerable or how prepared you are in public spaces. By simply positioning yourself with visibility, access to exits, and freedom of movement, you lower the chances of being targeted and increase your ability to respond effectively if a threat arises.
At the Center for Violence Prevention and Self Defense (CVPSD), we teach that violence prevention begins with everyday decisions. Something as simple as where you sit could be the first step toward staying safe.
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The Center for Violence Prevention and Self-Defense Training (CVPSD) is a non-profit organization dedicated to research and providing evidence-based training in violence prevention and self-defense.
Through a combination of online and in-person training, workshops, and seminars, CVPSD provides practical self-defense skills, violence prevention strategies, risk assessment tools, and guidance on setting personal and relationship boundaries.
Partnering with public and private organizations, schools, nonprofits, community groups, and government agencies including those under the General Services Administration (GSA) CVPSD works to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize, avoid, and respond effectively to threats.