It is a common complaint of many commuters who take public transport, when they can’t find a seat because there are too many fellow commuters.
However, one man in China found a solution to his public transport seating problems, albeit it being a rather unorthodox one.
He brought his own sofa into the subway.
He was seen carrying a single seater sofa on his back like a backpack and going into a train station, and the station authorities were seemingly fine with it and let him go about his business.
The man and his friends filmed a video of him chilling on the sofa inside the train at Hangzhou Metro Line 2 and posted the video online, and it went supremely viral on Chinese social media platforms.
He told the media that he wanted to customise a “portable” sofa and reached out to a designer to bring his ideas to fruition.
They attached a couple of straps to the back of the sofa, allowing it to be carried like a backpack by the user.
The man posted several photos showcasing the different ways one can use and enjoy the unorthodox invention; he was seen sitting on the sofa beside the train doors while the other commuters remained standing, as well as sitting on the sofa at the train platform, seemingly waiting comfortably for his train to arrive.
According to Tianmu News, the man had reportedly sought permission first and asked the staff members at the train station if he was allowed to carry his large sofa backpack.
He was given permission after his bulky sofa passed the security check, although it almost exceeded the maximum carryable limit of 30kg as dictated by the Hangzhou Municipal Transportation Bureau.
He also made it a point to only travel with his sofa backpack during off-peak hours so as not to trouble and cause inconvenience to other commuters.