Train users have adapted to silence on their commute. Passengers say they would talk, but are wary of making the wrong move.

It was Aristotle who said man is a social animal by nature and, if he isn't, he's either a beast or a god.

The great philosopher clearly never took a bus or train on any given morning in Wellington.

If he had, he'd have seen his fellow passengers with their headphones in, gaze fixed firmly on a screen or out the window, and levels of consciousness dialled up just enough to make sure their elbow aren't grazing those of a stranger.

ALISTAIR HUGHES/STUFF The muted faces of smartphone-clutching passengers are a familiar sight on public transport.

So why, if we're hard-wired for social interaction, are we so allergic to speaking to others on public transport?

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The phenomena was raised in a recent Reddit Wellington thread, on which many bluntly said they valued their commutes as time for themselves, with a podcast or music.

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF Mary Snowden, of Brooklyn, with grandchildren Ryan Stembridge, 9, and sister Emily Stembridge, 11. Snowden says because trains are confined spaces, it can be hard to avoid someone if you make an approach and it isn't welcomed.

"I don't know who you are and I don't want to find out. I just want to get from A to B," one commenter said.

Another wrote: "Every true Wellingtonian knows that the only acceptable way to communicate your need to get off at the next stop is to pick up your bag from the floor, grab your wallet, and look out the window expectantly."

Opus behavioural sciences research manager Jared Thomas has done a whole thesis on the issue.

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF Cantabrian Alan Cooper says it's an indictment on society that many people automatically reach for their smartphones in social situations.

Published in 2009, it was the culmination of three years spent studying "the delicate balance between the need for privacy and the need for social interaction" through watching the behaviour of 1703 passengers.

He found that kindness from other passengers played a significant role in how pleasant a person's journey was.

Back then, a quarter of passengers would communicate, but expected this number would have dropped over time.

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF Elizabeth Scott, from Plimmerton, says people are wary of saying the wrong thing to strangers on trains.

Victoria University psychology Professor Marc Wilson said not everyone wanted peace.

"Extroverts are typically more comfortable initiating and responding to conversation on public transport, but introverts may avoid it."

Then there's the loud-talkers on phonecalls, which Wilson said came down to grey areas of social etiquette.

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF Mark Bridger of Porirua says the train is his time for "me, myself and outside".

We all know not to talk loudly in libraries, but on buses or trains, it's ambiguous, he said.

Or as a Reddit user put it: "I don't want to listen to your idiotic life."

Passengers interviewed on an off-peak train from Wellington to Pukerua Bay said they often used their journey to relax or mentally plan their days.

"My train time is for me, myself and outside," Mark Bridger, of Porirua, said.

Elizabeth Scott, from Plimmerton, said people were wary of saying the wrong thing to strangers, so it could be easier not to say anything.

Mary Snowden said: "You can't get off, and if you are making a contact with a person and they don't want you to do that, you're stuck."

Cantabrian Alan Cooper thought the social awkwardness pointed to much wider issues and rattled off two examples of recent events – a wedding and a teen dance – where smartphones replaced real conversation.

When there's a degree of commonality – say everyone's dressed in black and gold to go and watch the Hurricanes – the mood is generally more social.

But usually, Thomas said: "Where social environments are crowded, people tend to minimise their social interactions to avoid mental overload."

In less-friendly cities, a breakdown in social niceties could spiral into all manner of horrors such as queue-jumping and pushiness, which could clog doorways and even cause delays.

"We still come from a culture of thanking the driver. What would be great is to reinforce the positive social rules we already have and reinforce what good behaviour looks like."

The night of October 19, when kingmaker Winston Peters announced who he'd chosen to lead the country for the next three years, Helen Gray was on the train to Pukerua Bay.

The train manager asked passengers if they wanted to hear the live broadcast. They did.

Everyone reacted together, she said.

"Some whooped, some might have whooped more loudly but realised their neighbour might not be whooping.

"It was one of those real shared community moments that was precious."

Greater Wellington Regional Council rail operation manager Angus Gabara said there has been more of an effort to get train managers communicating with passengers.

"It's part of the human touch. Some trains around the world don't have people on board and all you will get is robotic announcements."

Thomas said human interaction could be influenced by the designs of trains and buses.

L-shaped seat designs were considered the best, as they allowed for easy eye contact without people having to stare at each other directly – which could be intimidating.

Gabara said, in reality, social needs were not a priority.

Trains were "quite bespoke" and the focus was on designs that met capacity and access requirements – particularly with designs that worked for people with disabilities.