As any introverted person will understand, there's nothing better than finishing a day at work and spending your commute home listening to your favourite songs, reading a book, or catching up on your TV shows.
But those plans can be dashed in an instant if you have a colleague who takes the same modes of public transport as you, as you might feel forced to interact with them, even if you want to be left alone.
That's the exact issue one woman is facing after she recently discovered her new co-worker has the same commute to the office as her, and now wants to be her travel buddy.
The woman said she loves spending her 45-minute commute by herself as it gives her time to prepare for her shift in the morning, and to "decompress" before going home in the evenings.
But when her new colleague came into the office this week and the pair got onto the topic of commuting, her "worst fears" were realised - as he expressed an interest in travelling to work with her.
In a post on Reddit, she said: "There's a new guy in the office - it's his second day and we've just found out we have identical commutes. Same start and finish times too.
"I am an introvert who values her 45 minutes of peace in the morning to watch Netflix, listen to music or stare into space, before a mentally draining eight hours in the office. Similarly, the 45-minute journey home is my time to decompress from the work day.
"I don't know much about him yet but he seems very friendly and outgoing, i.e. the kind of person who would chat to me for the entire journey. He's already asked me what time I get to the station in the mornings, and I think he's probably going to try and travel back with me today unless I literally run out of the office at finish time.
"I hope some of you understand my pain - I don't want a travel buddy!"
The woman later updated her post at the end of her work day as she confessed she did indeed "rush out" of the office at bang on 5 pm, but was horrified when her co-worker caught up with her despite her efforts to avoid him.
She added: "I'm sure some are waiting for an update on what happened at finish time today. I rushed out of the office on the dot of 5 pm, walked to the station so fast that I gave myself shin splints, and somehow he CAUGHT UP WITH ME?!?! My worst fears are confirmed - he wants us to be travel pals. Send help."
And the woman's pain over her ruined commute was shared by many people in the comments too, with some joking she would have to quit her job just to avoid travelling to work with her colleague.
One person said: "I feel your pain. You've already been around them for hours, so why the continuation of the same conversations?"
While another added: "I'm so sorry to hear you have to quit your job."
But some said she should give her colleague a chance, as they shared their own stories of sharing commutes.
Someone wrote: "I had a similar thing happen but the best thing happened. We both enjoyed the quiet. And we became good friends. We would get the train together and barely speak the whole way. We would listen to music, play with our phones, and nod off. It was great. I feel your pain. I've had it that way too. It's awful."
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at yourmirror@trinitymirror.com.
