When sharing a space with others, especially a public space with strangers, always be mindful of how much space you're taking up.
For example you're waiting for the bus, and there's one bench that's wide enough for 2-3 people to sit on at the bus stop. Why sit directly in the middle and leave bags sitting on either side of you, or sit off to one side with your legs propped up taking up the entire bench, when you could just as easily sit off to the side and leave room for others to sit too?
Say you're sitting in a classroom with isles just wide enough for one person to walk down. Why leave your bag (or other possessions) sitting in the middle of the isle, making it harder for other students to pass your desk, or creating a tripping hazard, when you could tuck it under your desk where it won't be creating a tripping hazard for anyone?
Or maybe you live in an apartment building that has a shared hallway instead of private entrances, and you have a bike that you don't feel like storing all the way down in building's bike storage room. Why leave your bike laying in the middle of the hallway, forcing your neighbors to have to maneuver or trip over it when coming and going, when you could try to find a better place to store your bike that isn't obstructing the shared hallway?
Not only can not being mindful of how much space we're taking up be dangerous, such as creating tripping hazards. But it just makes sharing spaces, whether private or public, easier with others when we leave space for others too. Nobody is more entitled to space than someone else. You don't own the sidewalk, or the bench at the bus stop, or the shared hallways in your apartment building anymore than anyone else does, and everyone else deserves the same access to it.
Of course if someone is accidentally taking up too much space, try to be patient the first time you bring it to their attention. Most people accidentally take up too much space at some point or another, and things like lack of sleep / brain fog / stressful situations etc. can affect how aware we are of our surroundings. Respect and consideration are two way streets.
