22 Simple Tricks For Public Riding

I have travelled many parts of the world and I have realized that every country is different, when it comes to the transportation system, depending on economic development, infrastructure etc.

In some developing countries, people may travel on buses, trains, cars, bikes, but if you are poor, you may find yourself travelling on top of bags of rice or beans in tracks, boats etc. You may also be asked to share your seat.  I remember the time when I stopped a cab for my elderly mother.

The driver gave her a seat and as we moved forward, he got another fair and asked us to squeeze to nowhere. He could easily carry 10 people in a “normal” cab and have people sit on the laps of others in order to earn more money.  Normal wouldn’t even be the right term since those cabs may be old. The one we hired was letting dust inside through the chassis.

Problems are different in developed countries. The roads are very good, the buses, trains are many, very well maintained or replaced if and when needed. Many people can afford owning a car, whether new or used. Owning a car is not seen as a sign of wealth as it is in the developing world. However, people will always need public transportation to get around for different reasons.

I have a friend who used to park his car at the closest train station every time he needed to go to the city centre because traffic is extremely intense and parking very expensive.

I ride the bus to my work and get a free cab back home. I have been doing this for 15 years now and it saved me a lot of money. If you are used to driving and now need to use public transportation, you can do it. You don’t need to hire the cab all the time because your car is in the garage. Here is what you can do

• Leave home on time

If you have to leave one hour early for a trip that normally would take half an hour, do it. Even the most frequent routes may have a problem sometimes (road construction, accident, detour, traffic jam etc.). If you started your journey early, you can still hope to get to work or to your meeting on time.

• Get your change or ticket ready

A friend of mine was rushing to the bus to go to work. When he got inside, he searched his pockets and found out that he did not have the money to buy the ticket. He was forced to go back home to get his wallet. As a result, he was late for work. I normally buy tickets for the entire month and keep them in my bag. Before I can exhaust all of them, I buy more.

• Do not rush

If you need to cross the street to catch the bus, watch for the cars at the intersection. If it is not your time to cross, wait for the pedestrian sign. Even when the sign shows up, don’t rush. You may get hit by a careless driver. To discourage this type of behavior, some city bus drivers will decline to open the door for you if they believe that you were putting yourself in danger to catch the departing bus.

• Do not push

Are you trying to get onto the train? Be considerate. Don’t rush or push anybody. Don’t touch anybody. In some places, people put themselves in lines  for first come first served. Respect that. However, if someone attempts to break the line, don’t bother. Do not argue with strangers. I would even simply say: do not argue. You may not control the outcome.

• Pay your fare

In some countries, you get on the train first and as you are travelling, officers will come around to ask for your ticket. If you don’t have it, you may be penalized. I remember in Europe when some passengers were living their seats while the officers were asking for tickets in the area. They would then come back after the officers were gone.

Some of those who were caught cheating resisted the charges and started yelling. This is no respect for the other riders. You refuse to pay and you start insulting the officers? In some countries, you may even serve a prison term 6 months and over.

If you don’t have money, talk to the transportation personnel before boarding. Explain your situation and wait for their decision. If you have a valid reason (like stolen wallet or you are going to buy a monthly pass at the nearest station at the beginning of the month…), they may let you in.

• Be polite

Now you are on the train and have secured you seat. You see an elderly, a sick or disabled person standing beside you. How about that pregnant lady? In some instances, she may also be carrying shopping bags. Please give away your seat. Don’t wait for them to ask, because they may not. If a person is in a wheelchair, let him or her get on the train first. You are expected to do the same with this mother or father with small kids.

• Watch for strollers

In some places, parents with strollers will ask you to enter the bus first. If they go first they may block your way to the back. On the train however, you have no reason not to let them go first. They may also have other kids who are travelling with them and need to get on the train fast. I like to ask if I can help. I remember the time I had to push the stroller too. It was really hard and ladies have been very nice to me.

• Be aware of Items not to carry

If you have a bicycle, put in the designated area of the bus to make sure it is not on the way of the riders. If you need to carry items that take a huge space like construction material, hire a truck.

• Do not block the way

Do not stand in the way of other passengers who may want to move to the empty seats in the back. There are times when the driver will remind you to move back. Please do so because if you don’t move, others will not be able to. Listen to the bus driver, he is the captain of his/her boat.

• Do not keep your bag on your back

Keeping your bag on your back can be a handicap for you and for others. For example, you may be blocking the way out when you are standing closer to the door. I remember a time when someone’s bag hit my glasses and knocked them on the ground. I was lucky that day because they were not broken.

• Do not assign a seat to your bag

There are situations where many people are standing and you are keeping your bag on a seat closer to the window. You may want to move to the window yourself and carry your bag or let someone go there after you have removed your bag.

• Do not put your feet on the seat

Riders are different and have different behaviors. You will see one person holding a second seat for his/her legs, not because of disability but lack of good manners. Do not confront such people. Ask politely if you can have the seat and if they say no, let it go. Make sure you don’t imitate those people.

• Give your contribution to keep the place clean

You will notice that people eat and leave food and food containers on the seats and underneath. Nobody is asking you to clean up after their mess, but do not do the same. How many times have you seen coffee spill on the train? Does it look nice?

Honestly I am scared when I see someone standing beside me with a full cup of coffee, bent towards me and the other hand holding the phone against the rider’s ear. He doesn’t hold onto anything and a sudden breaking may “baptise” so many. I understand you may say you are sorry, but how do I attend my meeting afterwards?

• If you are sneezing

If you are sneezing, sneeze into the fabric such as your sleeves. The tissue will spread the germs. Do not wipe your nose with your hands. Do not sneeze in people’s face, turn away from them instead. Do not touch the bars of the train with your hands if you were not wearing gloves.

Wash your hands when you get out of the train. At work, you will see young men greeting you with their fist. It is an effective way to avoid spreading germs in public place, especially when someone knows he has caught a cough. Do not take offense.

• Before you sit, check where you put your butt

I have discarded many clothes due to chewing gums left on the buses and trains. Make sure you don’t sit on food remnants. If you are hungry, eat you food but make sure to collect the litter and throw it in the appropriate bin as you exit the train or the bus. Same thing for the newspapers. If you don’t need them anymore, put them in the recycling bin.

• Show the lost items to the officers/drivers

Riders may forget their belongings near their seat and leave suddenly. If you can’t stop them, please show the belongings to the driver. This may happen to you too and there is nothing more enjoyable than finding your belongings carefully kept for you at the closest subway station. It happened to me too. I lost my wallet on the bus and later found it with all my credit cards, IDs and money. It was a wonderful day.

• Do not talk loud over the phone on public transportation

You can call or answer the phone but please, control your voice. The train makes noise, the bus makes noise and what you are trying to do is speak louder to make sure your party can hear what you say without any consideration for the passengers who may not be interested in your conversation.

I always tell my caller that I am on the bus and will call back once I reach my destination. I use my riding time to meditate, eyes closed. I know how annoying it is to have a mind dominated by unwanted loud conversations.

• Keep your music low

During my 15 years riding on public transportation, I came across people who, even with headsets plagued in their ears, the music was heard loud in the entire train wagon. I kept asking myself how their ears could endure such a loud music.  The truth is, we don’t all like the same music.

There may be people who prefer silence, others want to read a book, check their messages or send text messages, or even talk to their friends privately. I can only do my part, to make sure that my music on public transportation plays only for me. But like I said, public transportation is my time for meditation. So nobody should worry about my noise. How about you?

• Choose appropriate clothing

Your appearance says much about you. Inappropriate clothing may embarrass other riders. Ripped jeans in critical areas, boxers, flip flops, miniskirts etc. People have the freedom to choose what they wear and nobody will confront you unlike in the third world.

However,  it is always good to differentiate environments when it comes to choosing your clothing. If you are at the beach, it is a different story. Do not get me wrong, you have the right to be you but remember that what you can do at the beach you can’t do in court for example.

• Control your smell

When it gets too hot, transpiration can cause a smell people don’t like. Take care of your body, especially your underarm. Take a shower before travelling, use an anti-perspiring and deodorant before you embark on a public ride.

If you smoke, don’t smoke as you wait for the bus because when you get on the bus, you are still smelling nicotine and people can notice right away. Remember also that many countries forbid smoking on public transportation property.  I have this problem more often. When I get in the cab where the driver has smoked hours ago, I can feel it. The smoke bothers me a lot and I know so many other people who suffer from smoke allergy, including many children.

• Socialize

Public transportation could be a good place to socialize. You may want to be careful since some people prefer to be alone. If someone starts a conversation that you judge disturbing, simply and politely tell them that you need to be left alone. Avoid eye contact and if you have a book, read your book or check your phone or listen to your music.

Otherwise, if the conversation seems engaging, go for it. Last week I met a lady on the bus and courteously invited her to sit beside me on the bus. She was very happy that it was the only seat left on the crowded bus of the early afternoon in one of the busiest city of North America. She thanked me with a smile. I asked her where she was coming from.

I couldn’t believe my ears when she named my home village in Africa.  Then she asked me so many questions one after another, very excited. Suddenly, as she was about to give me her number, she received a call from a friend. She answered the phone as I was getting of the bus. I had reached my destination without knowing. She turned around very disappointed and the bus disappeared. This takes me to my last advice.

• Get ready to exit the train

Remember what I said about not rushing to the bus. In the same way, do not charge the doors to exit because may be you have been sleeping or distracted in any other ways. You may forget things inside. You may hurt yourself or someone else, an elderly person for example. Get ready for your last stop. If you are travelling to places you don’t know very well, get a map or talk to the driver. He will alert you before you reach your destination.

Happy public riding

Isidore N. Goodfellow