Girls propping feet on bus seats spark online backlash

A photo of two schoolgirls resting their feet on the seatbacks in front of them aboard a city bus has drawn widespread criticism online.

The image was posted Tuesday to the Instagram account of the online community Bobaedream, showing the two girls seated on a bus with both feet propped up on the seatbacks ahead of them.

According to the tip, the scene was captured on a city bus running between Jamsil in Seoul and Byeollae in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. The girls had removed their shoes but were wearing socks.

Online commenters reacted with near-universal disapproval. "It's unpleasant just to look at," wrote one user. Others called it "thoughtless behavior," argued that "wearing socks doesn't make it acceptable," and warned that "they could have been seriously hurt if the bus had stopped suddenly." Several also said parents should be teaching basic manners.

This is not the first time such inconsiderate behavior on public transit has caused a stir. Last August, a female passenger on an express bus headed to Pohang drew similar outrage after propping her feet — shoes still on — against the headrest of the seat in front of her, soiling the upholstery.

That incident also prompted online users to voice frustration over the safety risks of such behavior during sudden stops, as well as the discomfort it causes other passengers.