Putting aside politics for a few minutes, why is it so many people are lacking even basic bus etiquette?
I'm a regular transit user. Every month I shell out close to $100 to the TTC for a transit pass (looking forward to that transit pass rebate you promised Stephen…wait, I said no politics). I take the bus to and from work every day, and often venture downtown from
People generally seem to have mastered the stand right, walk left rule on the escalators. It's on the bus things seem to fall apart. My bus is often quite packed, particularly in the working with kids (teens) going to school. If I don't time it right I'll get left behind. No one need be left behind though if people would just move back!
Yes, all the way back, even up the stairs to the raised area at the back. It's both amusing and maddening to be sitting on the bus, watching people trying to get on, and hear the driver get on the PA to say move all the way back please. Of course, despite lots of space to move back to, no one budges. I guess they think he's referring to someone else. They're just fine blocking the aisle half-way down.
My other pet peeve is people traveling alone that sit in the aisle seat of a two-person seat, forcing people to ask them to move if they want to occupy the other seat. Do the decent thing and, when you see more people getting on the bus, move down to the window seat, and leave the aisle seat available.
OK, rant over. Thanks.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
The wheels on the bus
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8 comments:
Here in Calgary taking the train is awful (after living six years in Toronto and taking the subway). No one has grasped the concept of letting people get off the train first and then getting onto the train. Or if the train is packed and you're standing near the doors, step off the train so it's easier for people to get off, then get back on! I laughed the first time I heard of a Calgarian who moved to Toronto and complained that people on the subway were "pushy".
how about people getting on the bus before letting people get off the bus? (or elavator, or train, or metro)?
that's my biggest peeve.
It would help get the unmannered backpack-wearing teenagers off the TTC by:
1. eliminating their 30% discount
2. implementing a zone fare system like GO Transit. It ticks me off that people from the 905 are paying the same fare as I am to travel three or four times the distance, and get a seat (while I don't).
Part of the problem with the rudeness on the buses is that they're always so crowded that you know if you go right to the back, you'll be climbing on people's shoulders to get out if your stop comes.
It's a real dilemma. I just hate riding the bus, for that and all sorts of other reasons. I'm from Calgary, and it's just so CROWDED here, on the transit. Which is good because it's getting used, but bad because you just can't move.
Gee, when I was last in Tronna a couple of years ago, I had to take a street car along Queen St from Yonge to the Beaches on a Friday at afternoon rush hour. Was expecting it to be a horror show, but it was actually fun! People were friendly with each other, tolerant of the drunk, helpful to disabled. The bus was jammed, but everyone was good natured!!
I thought people out here were OK on the - er - nicer runs, but they sure don't hold a candle to that TO group!!
I haven't really had a problem with the letting people off the subway first thing, people here seem to have that one down for the most part.
I'm not sure kicking off the youth is the answer, we want to encourage everyone to take transit. And they're not the only offenders by a long shot, I juse mentioned them because my morning bus doubles as a school bus, leading to overcrowding. I think more busses during peak periods would help.
I don't really favour a fare zone system either. It gets complicated to enforce, and I think it discourages ridership. While it will mean cheaper fares for those that live and work downtown, those coming in from the burbs would end up paying more. And it's those people you're fighting to get to ditch their cars. A few more dollars makes it a lot harder. Take Vancouver, the three zone, one-way far from Surrey to downtown is now up to $4.50, or $9 return.
One other peeve I forgot to mention is able bodied people taking up the courtesey seats, and refusing to give them up. I was on transit in San Francisco recenntly and they have signs saying if you don't give up your seat you'll be fined. Sad that it's come to that.
In Portland Oregon, riding the buses and trams is free throughout the whole downtown core and they have lots of them.
Damned civilized.
Yes, my biggest transit pet peeve is the aisle seat "trick"! It is so piggish and passive aggressive. I also wonder if some of the people who do this are frotteurs/perverts who enjoy groin or rear-end in their face when another passenger squeezes past to the window seat.
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