[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

because some people dont want to wear seat belts ?

This could be the main reason these days.

[amtak]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

A bit of both. Sitting on the rear seat clearly demarcates who is the driver and who is the boss.

.

I remember a funny instance where one of my ex colleagues (boss) was going out with his subordinate for a meeting. Apparently, the subordinate kept the meeting material on the front seat and sat behind (in corrolla) with the boss driving, next day onwards, his boss never took him for any meetings

[Mpower]

Was going somewhere along with uncle and aunt. Uncle driving, aunt riding shotgun and me in the back. We dropped off aunt at a signal for shopping and had to go on. Uncle stopped after 1/2 km and told me to come front...said tha t otherwise people might think he's a driver

[GTO]

Originally Posted by anonymous

Apart from all the reasons you mentioned, there is one more, most of the cars come with Airbags at the front seats only,

Great point! In most cars, the availability of airbags + seatbelts to the front passenger makes it safer too.

Originally Posted by roamingrao

Despite being cramped, it gives ample space to spread out a newspaper, work on the laptop, answer phonecalls

Agreed. For those who need to use the laptop or generally work while travelling, the rear bench is more convenient. There is space to keep your things, and the newspaper will not block the drivers view.

But how many use the backseat for this purpose? A minority I tell ya.

Originally Posted by ravibhat

Moral of the story: Owner/Boss sit in back seat just to show who is owner (status) and who is driver. Few people sit in front seat who feel front seats more comfy and who don't care for status.

Too each his own. But I rank comfort far higher than status.

Originally Posted by androdev

i use the font seat because i like to fiddle with ICE, AC, etc.

Added bonus. You can control the air-con and stereo too.

Originally Posted by 1100D

The driver was just a decoy, away from the neighbourhood, the driver used to take the back seat and I used to drive him to my work.

Only a Team-BHPian.....

Originally Posted by subscrive

The hot Sun light burning on your thighs and arms is too much - irrespective of the AC in the car.

Valid point. But can be cured with high quality sun film.

[throttleking]

for most of the chauffeur-driven owners, reasons to prefer back seat would be

1. prestige - Yes
2. most of them prefer to work / read news paper or something while they are traveling, secondly they dont want any distraction because of traffic...they need peace
3. and some of them have no reason, they do it because they see others doing it.

[narayan]

apart from the prestige factor ,

-back seat is more stress free since ur not looking at oncoming traffic and how the driver is zig zagging thru traffic

- u have the space to put ur bag/newspaper/laptop etc along side ( assuming ur travelling alone in the back seat

- perception of additional safety...(traditionally cars never came with air bags/seat belts etc ) - so the back seat WAS INDEED more safe than the front seats..i suppose this habbit just carried on..

in fact the rear left side seat is more safe than the rear right side ( in a RHD car ) becos most collisions involve the right side of the car ( head on types ) and drivers very rarely take a right turn to avoid collision !

[bblost]

I actually prefer if the passenger unless its my immediate family or very close friend sits in the rear seat when I drive.

On my bike, my laptop is strapped on the pillion seat and its very rare for me to offer a lift to anyone.

[carlover98]

Originally Posted by narayan

apart from the prestige factor ,

-back seat is more stress free since ur not looking at oncoming traffic and how the driver is zig zagging thru traffic

But for me sitting at the back with the head rest coming in the way of your vision is quite irritating.

Also when you are looking at the traffic, your reaction time, in case an accident happens, will be much less.

[simply_sunny001]

my 2 cents

Rear Seat

1. People sit on rear seat as they wanna have privacy,less stress as they cant see traffic fully.

2. People can work on laptop,do some paperwork(use of puddle lamps) etc.

3. Clear distinguishing factor of who's driver and who's the owner.

4. More safety(forget airbags) as driver driven cars are not driver rash with owner sitting inside.

5. Space also as i have seen lot of people sitting in rear seat with front passenger seat displaced towards front.

6. People dont wanna wear seat belts so they sit in rear.

Front Seat

1. Politicians do that cos they wanna be seen by people.

2. People who love driving and wanna have a clear view as to whats going on.

3. People who wanna propagate the fact that all men are equal and owner and driver can sit together on front seats.

[Sahil]

I almost never sit in the backseat.
My dad on the other hand sits in the front passenger seat most times when being drive around in the city, but on highway trips he prefers sitting behind for the following reasons:
-He can read his newspapers spread out wide
-My driver is very short so he gets almost as much legroom if not more than what he would if he sat in front.
-He sits on the right side behind the drivers seat as he feels its safer. Why? Because in an event of an accident you are more prone to first looking out for yourself so the driver would steer the car to hit the left side instead of the right subconsciously. (This is the prime reason)
-There are enough airbags at the back of the BMW side, curtain,head etc.
-Arm rest
-Last but not the least, he gets to use the extra sun-blind on his window as well as rear windscreen.

[druva]

Originally Posted by androdev

protocol

inherited from the 1-HP carts :-)

The official protocol in IAS is.. the officer has to sit in the passenger seat. Specially, if the beacon light is on. This is to enable the traffic police to view the officer and ensure the light is not used.

I know my friend follows it. Once I sat instead of him and was honoured with several salutes on my way!

Originally Posted by subscrive

Reason no 1.
I can driver car. But I don't want all the headache of the traffic etc etc. So I have kept a driver.
Whenever I sit in front, I feel as if I am driving. My brain starts calculation how the car should move at what speed etc etc.
Also the driver doesnt brake and stop as per my driving method. Means my and drivers driving skill wavelength is different.
So sitting on front passenger sit beats the purpose of a driver.
I dont feel the same tension when I am in bus or when I sit at the back.
..

I do this when my friends drove at abroad. I do some piloting and after a point, i move to back seat to rest peacefully.

Once I was with cabbie in New Delhi. (from Airport to Guragon) After seeing him drive, moved to backseat and closed my eyes. Scary!

Originally Posted by Mpower

Was going somewhere along with uncle and aunt. Uncle driving, aunt riding shotgun and me in the back. We dropped off aunt at a signal for shopping and had to go on. Uncle stopped after 1/2 km and told me to come front...said tha t otherwise people might think he's a driver

Had this experience. I drove with my friend and (my) wife. Asked my wife to sit in the back and drove along with friend. After I dropped my friend, I just drove. At the next stop (i think my kids school). I was shocked when the watchman came running and opened the door for my wife with a salute. By the way he looked at me, I realised that I am being treated the driver. You can imagine the spectra-wide grin on my wifey face.. MasterCard quote... Priceless.

[ram_hyundai]

In my verna i have never sat at the back.Just a couple of times at the left front seat,otherwise i am always driving.The santro had me always driving except the first one were my brother drove her.I am more comfortable in the drivers seat than anywhere else.
ram

[RROD]

I know one thing, my dad does not like to sit in the passenger seat.
He feels more relaxed in the back seat. May be it's just a psychology.

[leadf00t]

sadly i never get a chance to sit back. always drive on my own and never ever give my car to anyone else to drive.

However its the narrow thinking of people where a person sitting in the back is of higher status and the one driving is lower..... cant change people's thinking so change the way you can sit.

most of my friends realize this weird way people think and always sit next to me in front if that seat is empty. for those who don't i just convey it appropriately.

[metropolis]

Backseat tends to offer comfort and there is less of stress felt as compared to the front one where you have direct contact with the road and the traffic. Also one becomes more anxious. There is less of fatigue on the rear seat