standing room

alternative standing-room

1. uncountableSpace in a public area, e.g. on public transport or at a sports or entertainment venue, for people to stand

   The bus was packed, and all standing room was taken.

   2 more examples

   The cars will have standing room so that they can handle heavy in-town traffic on the tunnel sections of the Metropolitan and Circle Lines between Finchley Road and Aldgate.

   1958 March 28, “Notes and News: New Metropolitan Line Stock”, in Railway Magazine, page 212

   Since then we have had the opportunity to travel in them and were much impressed by the internal styling and comfort of the seating (with the minor exception of the single seats which have been tucked in longitudinally alongside some of the entrance vestibules and which are so cramped that only the slimmest of female figures could be comfortable in them; the space they occupy would have been better utilised to increase standing room).

   1960 December, “The Glasgow Suburban Electrification is opened”, in Trains Illustrated, page 715