Turns Out There’s A Gross Reason Train Seats Have That Fuggo Pattern & I Feel Stupid And Unclean

train seat patterns tiktok gross explainer

Have you ever been on public transport and stared into the garish abyss that is the seat pattern? It’s such a seductively chaotic assortment of yellow blotches, dark, gaudy shades and specks of white — but why is it absolutely everywhere? Turns out there’s a reason, and you’re not gonna like what it is.

TikToker Erica Mallett (@erica_mallett) made a video discussing these mysteriously coloured seats and I have not known peace since watching it.

“Have you ever wondered why bus and train seat patterns are always so fugly?” said Mallett in her vid.

“Turns out there’s a very specific reason they’ve been designed to look like a smurf who had a bad flu vomited everywhere.”

According to Mallett, this wicked mix of colours has been purposely chosen to mask the stains of a human’s most ungodly excretions and dirt. Fun!

Although her example uses the blue seats on Sydney trains and buses, the same reasoning applies to the other fugly seats across the country.

@erica_mallett

Today on things i know so now you have to know them too #facts #grossfacts #didyouknow #publictransport

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“They’ve been designed to look this horrible to hide something even more horrible — the grit and dirt of hundreds of thousands of public butts,” she said.

“These colours and this pattern disguise dirt, wear and tear and public graffiti and anything that might be really gross.”

The comments section of the TikTok was filled with a heap of shook Aussies. I for one had no idea that’s why the bus seats looked that way. I thought someone many years ago designed it and just had no taste.

Of course, some party poopers came into the comments with the “how could you not know this? I’m no fun and walk around every day with the knowledge of bus seat patterns swimming around my no-fun head.” Okay, friend. Sure thing.

“That’s why they always look so clean! I just try not to think about it,” wrote one TikTok user.

“If you’ve ever got a wet wipe or a KFC moist towelette wipe it on the seat and watch the colour of the wipe change,” wrote a second. This comment in particular is so visual… I hate it. I also want to try it.

“This is why I don’t wear outside clothes in my home,” wrote a third TikTok user.

Honestly, I don’t think I’ll be able to look at a bus or a train the same way. I knew they were filthy but I didn’t need to know how filthy they were. Ignorance is bliss! Disgusting, disgusting bliss.


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