Train rage

Today on the train, I ran into one of my friends. We talked happily for several minutes, and then a very old woman turned around and yelled at me that she can hear my whole conversation, she doesn't care about soccer, and she's trying to read, so why don't I go sit on the other side of the train. She was very angry and mean.

I think if she had been my age, I would have told her to fuck off, but I was shocked so I just stared at her with my mouth open.

I don't understand why some people snap at strangers out of nowhere. If she had said, "Excuse me, but I'm trying to concentrate on something and I'm having trouble focusing. Would you mind moving?" I would have thought it was silly, but I would have responded politely and moved.

This is not the first time an old person has snapped at me on public transit -- for example, I once got yelled at because while I was standing in the aisle, a seated passenger felt that my bag was too close to her. Okay, but why so hostile? I'm very nice and accommodating when strangers ask me for things.

Old people don't even pay for public transit because it's free for all seniors in my city. I wonder if some seniors hate riding the train, but they just don't have a better option. If they can't stand other people talking or bumping into them, they probably wish they were driving.