The majority of Sydney commuters are afraid to go to the end of a packed bus, with as many as 70 per cent admitting they don’t like to move more than a couple of steps past the front doors, a new survey has revealed.

“I’m not sure what goes on at the back of the bus and I have no intention of finding out,” one middle-aged passenger said. “I haven’t been past the rear doors since hearing about back-seat bandits at school.”

When forced to stand, most passengers prefer to linger as close as they can to the front or rear doors and simply “breath in a little” to signal that they are making an effort to let others on or off the bus.

90 per cent of passengers said that when they do get a seat, they would only give it up to a pregnant woman if the baby were starting to crown.