10 November 2010

Riding solo

Taking a bus daily, I've been confronted by brand new social situations. Usually I take my bike which is obviously very lonely and independent transportation where the only social aspect is to trying to dodge pedestrians and other cyclists in a non-threatening way.

Firstly, you have to decide how you're going to flag down your bus. Do you strech your arm out to its full length for a couple of seconds and then let it fall down in controlled manner? Do you keep signaling untill the bus starts blinking, or like old ladies do, untill the bus has stopped for certain. There are people who signal with a merely noticeable arm movement as if they didn't want anyone else to see that someone flagged down the bus. There is the brisk aggressive type of bus riders who signal while running to the stop or point at the bus with the index finger. There is the Queen type who raise their arm and wiggle their hand as if greeting a crowd.

Also the seat you choose defines you as a bus rider. Besides families and the elderly, front seats are occupied by lazy and drunk people aswell as people who are travelling only a short distance. At the back there are kids listening to music. Students go upstairs without exception.

Usually people learn the right behaviour on the buses easily but rush hour, for instance, makes things more tricky. It might be hard to get off the bus and, also, you have to start making your way towards the door well in time before your stop. Pressing STOP at wrong time may cause embarrassement and frustration. Even if you don't actually want to get off the bus there might be someone else that does. And there's no way knowing it unless you ask everyone. So just get off the bus and pay for your mistake by walking!

You can't avoind ignorant or rude people on the bus. It's called public transport and that's why there are all kinds of people on the bus. What to do when no one offers a seat to and old lady and you're sitting in the far back? When taking a seat next to someone, do you a) just sit on their bag, b) ask for the seat or c) apologise? Or maybe you just stand. Sometimes a seat is broken or the upper deck is full and no one says anything.People tend to mind their own business.

So, what kind of bus rider are you?