Some of my friends insist their girlfriends always sit in the front, whilst others don’t believe where someone sits matters. Here’s what sitting in the front passenger seat is really about.
Whomever sits in the front seat should be in order of importance to you. Girlfriends, partners, boyfriends, whomever you dedicate yourself to the majority of the time should be in the front seat because it’s a sign of respect. Showing that you want to be closest to them all the time.
But what if your friend jumps into your front seat before your girlfriend can? Let’s look into what you can do to diffuse the situation or prevent that from happening.
Why is car etiquette important?
Intended or not, psychologically where someone seats in the car says a lot about the relationship between them and the driver.
For example, when you get into a taxi, it’s not usually seen as rude if you sit in the backseat and the front seat is empty. Why is this? Customers and drivers feel comfortable with this seating because they are essentially strangers, and they do not have to keep each other company in any way. If customers sit in the front, this often leads to chatting, small talk and learning about each other.
However, if you are getting into a friend’s car, it would be rude to let the front seat be empty. If you sat in the back, it would be implying that they are your chauffeur, afterall, it’s harder to have a conversation from the back seat. You might have trouble hearing them because of acoustics, and it’s more impersonal because you can’t glance or look at each other at all.
Why is it that couples sit next to each other at a restaurant? It’s the same principle, because they are the closest to each other. It would be odd if you let a friend sit in between you and your partner. So remember that seating
Why is the front passenger seat so meaningful?
Generally most of us think of the front passenger seat as the most comfortable. In a small car, it has the most leg room, you don’t need to share the seat with anyone and you get the best view on road trips.
It has the best access to the air-conditioning or heating of the car. And, it’s the best place to control the music everyone is listening to. They might even be helping you navigate the roads.
It’s the best seat in the car, with the most responsibility to help the driver as well.
Why would my girlfriend (or boyfriend) be upset if they didn’t sit in the front?
Your girlfriend could be upset because she felt disrespected. Healthy couples enjoy being with each other the most, you should always want to be spending the most quality time and space with each other.
We understand, as girls you might not have thought much about it, and did not want to intentionally hurt us. However, by letting your friend sit in the front seat instead of your girlfriend, it implies, psychologically, that at that moment you want to spend more time with your friend instead of her.
What to say to ensure your girlfriend gets the front seat.
Having a quick conversation just before you enter the car can be very useful. My boyfriend and I usually have a quick conversation with our passengers just before they get into the car. Something as simple as, “Let me make sure the back seat is clear for you,” implies that you expect them to sit in the back.
Or, “my girlfriend always gets shotgun just so you know,” in a light hearted way is a great way to avoid any misunderstandings. (Shotgun is car slang for sitting in the front seat.)
Social Car Etiquette Tips
Keep in mind there are special circumstances where your girlfriend might not always sit in the front seat.
2 couples in the Car
For example, if you and your girlfriend are hosting another couple, it is acceptable and actually good socially if the two men sit in front, provided one of them is driving and the ladies sit in the back. This encourages relationship building between the men, and between the girls during the car ride because it’s a time where you are in a small enclosed space together.
Older Passenger and Partner
Since the front passenger seat has the most leg room, out of respect, older passengers should take the front seat because they are less flexible.
If you and your girlfriend or boyfriend are the passengers
Initiate a conversation with the driver. If the driver is a male, out of respect, I usually let my boyfriend sit in the front with the driver. If the driver is female, I would sit in the front seat.
Usually before I get into a friend’s car with my boyfriend, there is a short discussion on where to sit. My boyfriend is particularly tall and in small cars, I offer him the front seat, even when the driver is a girl. However, some of my girl friends request for me to sit in the front because they feel more comfortable with me or socially are closer to me.
Remember, talking things out always prevents misunderstandings.
Summary
Car seating is important whether you think about it or not. The way you seat yourselves and your passengers in the car can lead to conversations between different people just because of the ease of access you might have to one person over the other.
Car etiquette is all about being respectful so just be mindful and ensure that everyone is able to sit in a seat that makes them and the relationship feel comfortable.
