"We all glared at her. She could have gone into the vestibule but she didn't and when she got to Central station she actually kicked my chair on the way out."
People talking loudly on their mobiles is just one of a string of pet peeves revealed in a new survey.
The annual Real Insurance Australian Commuter Survey asked 1000 people about their daily struggles getting to and from work.
Almost 90 per cent of motorists thought far too many other road users were rude or even unsafe drivers.
For those commuting by car, the biggest annoyance, cited by 95 per cent of respondents was tailgaters and motorists who didn't indicate. Lane hoggers were the next biggest motorist moan. Slow drivers were more frustrating than those speeding.
On trains, two thirds of commuters said chatty strangers should button it.
Loudmouths talking on their phones were a turn off for 93 per cent while nine out of 10 people despised someone who put their bag on the seat despite the train being full.
But the biggest bug bear for commuters was the everyday heroes, shuffling and sniffling into work, under a cloud of contagion.
Ill people were also Ms Boyle's number one annoyance. "I don't like sick people. Trains are the biggest spreaders of germs, if you're fluey don't sit on the train.
"Also what annoys me is was when people eat something really strong. And masticating is so bad."
Bursting the technological bubble
Real Insurance's Phillip Anderson said: "It's not much of a stretch to suggest that the car, and public transport, have already become an extension of the home.
"This is particularly true in light of technological advancements that encourage multi-tasking and on-the road behaviours that traditionally might only have been seen in the home."
Dr David Bissell, a senior lecturer in sociology at Australian National University and an expert in commuting, said technology had rendered a classic peeve - the crinkling newspaper taking up heaps of space - almost obsolete.
But we'd replaced one peeve with a multitude of others.
"You might expect people to be annoyed by things like lack of investment in infrastructure or fares but one of the most interesting things is our most common pet peeve is overwhelmingly other people and what they do," he told news.com.au.
"It's easy to laugh off such grievances as first world problems but it's the build-up of little events that can lead to significant tipping points.
"It might only be something annoying on the train one day but imagine if you have that over and over again for decades. It's cumulative and has a real impact."
Dr Bissell said mobile devices had created a technology "bubble" where we read the news or caught up on TV box sets. When people broke that bubble is when things got bad.
He said commuters should find ways of making what can be a frustrating time into a productive experience. They should consider driving a different route to mix things up or use the trip as a way to prepare for the day.
"We're trying to squeeze more and more tasks into our day so the commute is valuable time out. It may be the only time we get to spend with ourselves."
Ms Boyle described her ideal commute. "My perfect journey is getting the one single seat in the quiet carriage; there will be no one around me, no one talking and no delays."
Dr Bissell's ideal commute, he said, would be to chill out on the tram with podcasts and audio books. And perhaps a bit of people watching, wondering where everyone is going and what their day will hold for them.
Many of the people he had spoken to for his research absolutely love their commute.
"I spoke to one woman who said 'I don't want my commute to be shorter because I process the day and all of my gripes and when I get home I'm ready to relax'."
