Bus Etiquette

[iago]

Lately I've been taking the bus to work, which is 1-1.5 hours.  I HATE it when people don't follow the unspoken "rules":

1) If you sit  beside me, DON'T lean against me.  I'm trying to relax, and read, and forget I'm on a bus with 75 strangers.  The seats are plenty big, and the corners are taken slowly, there's no reason to push up against me at ANY TIME.

2) If somebody has already rung the get-off bell, don't pull the cord again.  NOTHING HAPPENS.  There's a reason a big red sign that says "Stop Requested" lights up at the top.  Note that this rule also applies to elevators.  If you get in and the light is already on on your floor, don't push it again.  

3) It's ok to talk to friends on the bus, it's a social vessel; however, if you are standing up (no seats left) and there are two people talking to each other across the aisle, and there is room, don't stand directly between them.  This happened yesterday, so we both had to lean forward to talk past a person.

4) Don't block off the seat beside you (with a bag or by sitting in the aisle seat or whatever), no matter how full or empty the bus is.  Nobody likes to have a stranger sitting beside them, so it's only fair that there be an equal chance of sitting beside anybody.

5) If the bus is full and you have to stand, go to the back.  Otherwise, the next people who get on have to go around you and that's just annoying.

6) If you smoke, chew gum or something; if you don't shower or work at a tough job, put on deoderant.  There's nothing worse than sitting next to somebody who smells bad.

7) If there are people in the aisle and somebody pulls the bell, let them by.  Pay attention behind yourself.  I shouldn't have to tap people and ask them to move.

8) Don't sit sideways.  Yesterday I was on the bus with my friend, talking to him, and the guy in the seat immediately in front of me sat horizontally in his seat, and he kept vaguely in my direction.  This is uncomfortable, all I want to see is the backs of heads when people are sitting.

Sorry I can't quite get to 10, but I'm sure I'll think up two more on the ride home today :)

[Grok]

9) Don't talk to me.  Especially if I'm reading.

10)  If we get off at the same stop and wait for the next bus, don't talk to me.

11)  You may ask me about the bus schedule, politely, once.

12)  No, I don't have a quarter.

[Adron]

4) Don't block off the seat beside you (with a bag or by sitting in the aisle seat or whatever), no matter how full or empty the bus is.  Nobody likes to have a stranger sitting beside them, so it's only fair that there be an equal chance of sitting beside anybody.

I always do that. Not putting my rucksack or jacket on the floor keeps them from getting wet, and if I put them on the shelf above the seat, I'm sure someone will steal my wallet eventually. So, I put them on the window seat, and sleep in the aisle seat myself, keeping them at somewhat of a distance from everyone else.

Also, on the train home late at night, I regularly pick the set of four (2+2) facing seats at either end of the compartment. If I don't sit in one of them, most likely a bunch of drunk people will be grabbing them, making noise and keeping me from sleeping well. This way, I'm also at the maximum distance from the people making noise in the four seats at the other end.

[Hazard]

4) Don't block off the seat beside you (with a bag or by sitting in the aisle seat or whatever), no matter how full or empty the bus is.  Nobody likes to have a stranger sitting beside them, so it's only fair that there be an equal chance of sitting beside anybody.

I always do that. Not putting my rucksack or jacket on the floor keeps them from getting wet, and if I put them on the shelf above the seat, I'm sure someone will steal my wallet eventually. So, I put them on the window seat, and sleep in the aisle seat myself, keeping them at somewhat of a distance from everyone else.

Also, on the train home late at night, I regularly pick the set of four (2+2) facing seats at either end of the compartment. If I don't sit in one of them, most likely a bunch of drunk people will be grabbing them, making noise and keeping me from sleeping well. This way, I'm also at the maximum distance from the people making noise in the four seats at the other end.

Why not be courteous and let somebody sit and hold your jacket/bag on your lap if you're so worried about it getting wet?

[iago]

4) Don't block off the seat beside you (with a bag or by sitting in the aisle seat or whatever), no matter how full or empty the bus is.  Nobody likes to have a stranger sitting beside them, so it's only fair that there be an equal chance of sitting beside anybody.

I always do that. Not putting my rucksack or jacket on the floor keeps them from getting wet, and if I put them on the shelf above the seat, I'm sure someone will steal my wallet eventually. So, I put them on the window seat, and sleep in the aisle seat myself, keeping them at somewhat of a distance from everyone else.

Also, on the train home late at night, I regularly pick the set of four (2+2) facing seats at either end of the compartment. If I don't sit in one of them, most likely a bunch of drunk people will be grabbing them, making noise and keeping me from sleeping well. This way, I'm also at the maximum distance from the people making noise in the four seats at the other end.

The bus I was in today had exceptionally small seats, so there was no room to keep my laptop/lunchbox on my lap and I had to put it there.

The bus I take is guarenteed to be full at the halfway point, so everybody will have somebody sitting beside them.  The fact that some people delay this annoys me.  Although I'm happy if it's somebody hot, which leads me to:

13) If you're going to "check out" fellow bus-people, don't make it obvious (staring, ogling, whatever).  I don't worry about people doing it to me, I don't quite have the build for that, but it still annoys me when other people do it.


And Grok - Totally agreed.  It's even worse when somebody breaks into your conversation, "oh, I see you're talking about _____, blahblahblah".  

A funny thing happened today, too.  Some guys (30's or 40's) in a bright yellow-green SUV (dumbest looking car ever) passed the bus and gave everybody "the finger" while honking.  Then they cut us off, forcing the driver to slam on the breaks, and gave "the finger" out the window.  I couldn't figure out any logic behind it, unless they really hate the bus for some reason.  The old lady beside the driver said, "Why's he sticking his head out the window now?  He should be the one getting honked at!"  Nobody had the heart to tell her that wasn't his head

[Adron]

Why not be courteous and let somebody sit and hold your jacket/bag on your lap if you're so worried about it getting wet?

They're free to. I'll hold it on my lap if the bus fills up, but letting them get wet to no particular use other than keeping a seat empty is a total waste. So I don't agree with iago's ideas of never using more than one seat under any conditions. Most of the time, there'll be ~10-15 people in a bus with 50 or so seats.

[Hazard]

A funny thing happened today, too.  Some guys (30's or 40's) in a bright yellow-green SUV (dumbest looking car ever) passed the bus and gave everybody "the finger" while honking.  Then they cut us off, forcing the driver to slam on the breaks, and gave "the finger" out the window.  I couldn't figure out any logic behind it, unless they really hate the bus for some reason.  The old lady beside the driver said, "Why's he sticking his head out the window now?  He should be the one getting honked at!"  Nobody had the heart to tell her that wasn't his head

They were just exercising their right to criticise public transportation  . In all seriousness, thats a pretty bonehead thing to do. What did the bus ever do to them?

Why not be courteous and let somebody sit and hold your jacket/bag on your lap if you're so worried about it getting wet?

They're free to. I'll hold it on my lap if the bus fills up, but letting them get wet to no particular use other than keeping a seat empty is a total waste. So I don't agree with iago's ideas of never using more than one seat under any conditions. Most of the time, there'll be ~10-15 people in a bus with 50 or so seats.

Thats all? I was of course assuming you use public transportation that many people use and the busses tend to be full. Misunderstanding, I'm sorry.

[SNiFFeR]

I use to use the bus to get home from school, I hate everyone on that bus. Nobody follows any of those "unwritten laws" and it makes me angry.

So I told my mother that she had to pick me up  

[Hazard]

I use to use the bus to get home from school, I hate everyone on that bus. Nobody follows any of those "unwritten laws" and it makes me angry.

So I told my mother that she had to pick me up  

Ah the days before I had a drivers liscence...

[muert0]

Wish I could complain about the bus. Mass transit sucks here. I have to walk a couple miles to work. And I work from 10-2 then 5-9//10 with nothing to do around where I work for the 3 hour break so I walk back home. The guys in the suv are probably related to the retards that ride by and honk at me or stop about a 1/4 mile down the road and open their doors. Then wait for me to get close to the car and drive off. It's sad how stupid crap like that can amuse people. And sometimes it makes me glad I'm not allowed to own a handgun.

[Yoni]

7) If there are people in the aisle and somebody pulls the bell, let them by.  Pay attention behind yourself.  I shouldn't have to tap people and ask them to move.

Not sure how well this might work in your country, but a method of solving this efficiently occurred to me: Just yell "IT'S A BOMB!"

Disclaimer: I haven't tried this.

[Grok]

Three years ago that would net you 30 days for disturbing the peace.

Today you will get 25 years for terrorism.

[iago]

Three years ago that would net you 30 days for disturbing the peace.

Today you will get 25 years for terrorism.

But, will it get you off the bus fast?

[Hazard]

Three years ago that would net you 30 days for disturbing the peace.

Today you will get 25 years for terrorism.

As well you should.

[Soul Taker]

Three years ago that would net you 30 days for disturbing the peace.

Today you will get 25 years for terrorism.

As well you should.

You should get 25 years for saying three words?