Wanting to understand bus ettiquete

[jim]

First I need to say that I love WS and the people seem terrific, so I am not criticizing. I just moved here and am trying to adjust to the way things are done.

So, what’s the deal about getting off the bus? I notice that here people (of all ages and wellness) wait to leave their bus seat until the bus comes to a complete halt at their selected stop. Then they mozie forward at their pace to get off, making people wait at the bus stop.

I have ridden buses in several cities around the world and always people who plan to de-bus move near a door of the bus before their stop so that they can leave quickly. In most cities if you aren’t at the door ready to de-bus, you miss your stop.

Any insight into this would be appreciated. Is this rude behavior or some sort of safety rule?

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[The Velvet Bulldog]

It can occasionally depend on the bus driver. Some drivers will tell you to stay in your seat until the bus comes to a complete stop. Most people do get up prior to the bus stopping however. And the conscientious ones have their fare ready to drop in the box.

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[dawsonct]

The only time I mosey to the front is when some newby driver is afraid to open the back door at some quiet residential stop after 7 P.M. Sorry, the irritated suanter is intended to send the driver a message. I apologize to the rest of the riders who end up suffering from my little battles with the bus drivers.

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[JustSarah]

I’m with you, Jim, and this is a major pet peeve of mine on the bus. In fact, I was ranting to my husband about it earlier. It took nearly 20 minutes for my bus home today to get from AK Jct. to Morgan Jct. because of this. I completely understand if the person has mobility issues, or is elderly (though generally they’d be seated near the front in those cases,) but when it’s a perfectly able person it is just rude.

It’s also always those passengers who also never have their fare ready, so not only do they take their time getting to the front of the bus, they then root around for their fare for a while.

And dawsonct, the 7 pm restriction is a rule all drivers are supposed to follow. Sounds like you’re being quite a douche.

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[dawsonct]

Maybe.

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[dawsonct]

What makes sense at 3rd and Pike, or even at the Jct., makes NO sense whatsoever at, for example, Cal. and Dawson. 11, 11:30 P.M., no one on the streets, I’m the only one getting off the bus at my stop, open the #&@*%$ door.

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Most of the veteran drivers know this, I’ve just been stuck with a bunch of rookies on the #54 the last few months.

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[Jeffro]

I always get to the front of the bus before my stop. No problems, no strange looks.

I don’t begrudge people for not getting up right away. For a good part of the year that walkway is wet and I’ve seen enough people slip and bite it that it doesn’t surprise me that so many people wait. Likewise, if someone’s sitting next to me I’ll definitely wait until the bus stops before I make them get up for me.

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[celeste17]

For me it depends on the driver. There are some drivers that treat the bus as if it is a formula one car and race to the stop and then slam on the brakes. But most of the time I am ready when the bus stops.

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[JanS]

dawson, correct me if I’m wrong, but, don’t you have to pay when you get off, so you need to go to the front of the bus (if you’re coming from downtown to residential in WS)? So, you’d be acting like a douche and wrong? just sayin’ – lol.

I realize that you’re probably unforgettable, but not every bus driver has your face memorized, and the fact that you probably use a pass.

As I said, correct me if I’m wrong :)

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[sam-c]

yes Celeste- I’m with you- it depends on what kind of a driver it is and where the stop is in relation to other traffic, lights, or stop signs. the stop I get off at usually is one where the driver can get going pretty fast right before slamming on the brakes. (ie, it’s not like a stop in downtown traffic- where they don’t get going pretty fast, or a stop right after a stop light where they don’t get going fast).

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[KBear]

Dawsonct, if you’re too impaired to walk from the back of the bus, perhaps you should avail yourself of the disability seating that is near the front door. If that’s not the issue, then maybe you are just being rude. You shouldn’t expect the bus driver to put his or her job at risk by breaking Metro rules over your stubbornness.

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[miws]

Jan, part of the policy of boarding/exiting by the front door only, between 7P-7A, is that all riders must pay as they board. Could make it a bit confusing, when I’d be catching an early bus (usually the first outbound of the day on that route) to work in White Center, that originated from downtown before 7:00 am, but got to my pickup stop somewhat after 7:00. Most drivers would have the “Pay as you leave” sign posted, but there would be the occasional one that would have “Pay as you board” showing. ;-)

Having ridden Metro for nearly 36 years, except for the 11 that I had a car, I’ve seen different drivers adhering, or not, to policies in different manners, and to different levels. Yes, just as in any service or business one deals with, there will be employees that are great, those that are mediocre, and those that are jerks.

I personally don’t begrudge a driver that goes strictly by the book. Yeah, there are some that maybe do it because they are on a power trip, but, I’ve also heard enough stories of how a driver can get written up for even what seems to be the smallest deviation from policy. And, as with any type of service, or business, there’s always office politics that may play ino it to some extent. Perhaps a supervisor has a grudge against a particular driver, and is just looking for a reason to write that driver up. Sure, not likely to be any supervisors out there at 11:00pm, but, if there *do* happen to be other passengers on the bus, there’s always a possibility (though likely relatively rare), that they may consider themselves a self-appointed supevisor, and might report the driver.

As fare as the topic, I’m one of those that is usually ready to get off the bus right away. Drove me nuts last year, while trying to regain my physical strength, after getting out of the hospital. I had to wait until the bus came to a complete stop before even standing up. (Although I usually managed to get a seat near the front door.)

I’m also one of those that has the pass/fare ready blocks before getting off. Years ago, when I worked downtown, I carried a backpack, and a small hardside cooler that was my “lunchbox”. So, I got in the habit up having the pass ready well ahead of time, since I had to gather those items up, as well as the occasional bag(s) from any shopping I may have done downtown. I find that even if I’m traveling hands free, if I wait the the last second to get the pass or fare ready, then I end up fumbling, and am still trying to get it ready as I approach the farebox. The pass *never* gets hung up in that little slot in the wallet, if I take it out four stops ahead! ;-)

I remember reading on, I believe it was, Kitsap Transit’s site several years ago, that they expect riders to wait until the coach comes to a complete stop before standing up to get off. I also have heard of transit agencies having an all exit by rear door policy. Although I see some logic in that, I’d personally hate for Metro to institute such a policy, at least in a strict manner, because even being relatively able bodied, but having rather short legs, and somewhat of a balance problem, I often find it much easier and safer feeling, to get off at the front door, considering it usually has better handrail set ups, and is usually on level, paved well-lit after dark ground, when the area the back door ends up in , is often lacking in some, or all of those.

Finally, to jim, and any others for that matter, I strongly urge you to get an Orca Card, if you haven’t done so already. It saves from having to fumble for change/tickets/transfers etc if you don’t ride often enough to justify the cost of a pass, or, it can be set up, from what I understand, to act as a Puget Pass, or Flex Pass. Until the end of the year, IIRC, the card itself is free, after that, it will cost just five bucks to obtain/replace one. Of course, you have to pay to add value to it, which can be done online.

If you choose to register it, you can track your usage, and if the card is lost or stolen, you can notify ORCA, and they will deactivate it, and send a replacement (for the five buck fee), and transfer the remaining balance of the old card.

It can be used on Metro, Sound Transit, Pierce Transit, Community Transit, Kitsap Transit, and possibly others that I can’t recall right now. It can also be used on the State Ferries, (possibly for walk-ons only, don’t recall that for sure either) and can be used on the Water Taxi, which I have done on one occasion. One thing about that though, when I did so, back in June I think, they didn’t have an ORCA Card reader onboard. Don’t know if that’s changed now, but the crewmember held my card until we were underway, apparently to record the card number to input later. I admit, though I’m a very trusting person when dealing with those doing there job, I felt a bit uneasy,that had there been any others using their card at the time, they could have gotten mixed up accidentaly. The card was fairly new to me at the time, And as I was sitting topside before she brought it up to me, I was running a bunch of numbers through my head, trying to remember the card number! ;-)

Mike

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[Buddy]

Just an FYI…from my Metro friend..”Rookies” are on a one year probation. It is against Metro policy and procedure to let any passengers stand by the door and passangers must remain seated until the bus is completely stopped (but when it’s standing room only, I guess that policy is out the window)….experienced aka: off probation bus drivers aren’t worried about being fired and are allowed to use common sense…they will even have the doors opened before a complete stop :) newbies can’t do that either….I love it when you board a bus and the person in front of you gets to the landing THEN reaches for their wallet to pay with cash!! UUGGHHH! ORCA!!!!!LOL

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[dawsonct]

JanS, when I am riding home from work it is almost always after 7 P.M. (I’m a cook), so I pay when I board. I referenced the hour I am usually riding home in my earlier post.

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Tangentially, I catch the 54 at 3rd and Pike. Been doing it for a couple of years and never seen anything in the least bit scary. The most intimidating groups are the roving herds of drunken frat-boys. I’m always intrigued by people who never ride buses because of all the scary things that happen to them every time they do, yet I ride it nearly every day, all year long, and even, as previously stated, late at night, and I NEVER see the behavior these people see.

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That’s probably a different thread but, whatever…

JanS, I may be douchey at times (HEY, who isn’t?), but I know when to pay my fare.

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[Jiggers]

What irates me is when people outside getting on don’t leave you enough room when you’re getting off the bus. What’s the damm rush. I’m going to bowl over them no matter what.

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[JanS]

dawson…if truth be told, we’re all a bit “douchy” at times…no? I’m familiar with just taking the bus between 7a-7p, so wasn’t aware of the night time rules. That’s probably a safety issue, too, so no one slinks on through the back door after dark. So, if the rules say to get off in front, then, dawson, you need to exercise those great legs and walk to the front ;-)

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[KBear]

I always step out of the way when I see Jiggers stumbling off the bus.

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[Sue]

When I get on the bus, the only seats seem to be in the back, so that’s where I end up. However, I refuse to start walking to the front to get off before the bus stops because on the articulated buses there is nowhere to hold on in that center “circle” and if the bus is moving and I’m not able to hold on, I’m going to end up in your lap. :) I have mobility issues that may not be apparent to look at me, which is why I do not have the balance to walk through there without holding on. I get through the aisle as quickly as I can, but the buses are long, people are blocking the aisle with their bags, shoulders, bodies, and there’s only so fast I can get there when I essentially have to walk sideways to crawl through all the obstacles. I do, however, always have my fare ready to at least expedite that part.

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[miws]

Sue has a very good point about the articulated coaches. I believe the high floors have upright poles between the aisle facing seats on either side of the turntable, but it can be very tricky, especially if the bus is making a turn.

What’s really scary, is the first generation of the hybrid low floor artics have nothing to grab ahold of in that section.

I’ve been on the second generation hybrids maybe two, or three times, and they have the dangling straps (I believe, if not, then the upright poles) in the turntable area. So now, we’re back to being kinda scary, instead of really scary! ;-)

Mike

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[JanS]

I remember first riding articulated buses in Frankfurt, Germany in 1974. They didn’t have seats in the articulated area, just the big circle with a railing at waist height on either side. It was the preferable place to ride for us “adventurous” riders. We always got to stand and play :) There was nothing scary then at all. Now I just sit at the front…sigh…

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[miws]

Oh I so well remember back in 1978 when I saw the “demo” articulated coach that Metro was testing out.

It was from M-A-N of Germany, which ended up being the suppliers of the first two generations of artics for Metro.

I was a young, slender, nearly 20 year old at the time, and being a bit of a bus freak, chased that sucker along the slight incline of 5th Av downtown, for probably at least two blocks until it stopped.

Huffing and puffing, I started to board, only to be told it was not for the public to ride. I don’t remember, if before seeing it, I knew of Metro’s desire to purchase them, or that they even existed, but what an amazing sight it was!

When they first came into Metro’s fleet, not only was it cool to sit in the back section, what with the way it swayed, and being able to see the front section through the window during a turn, it was also fun to sit in the “bendy part”.

Now, for the last several years, I very much dislike sitting in the middle. Not a huge fan of sitting in the aisle facing seats anyway, but, especially doing so without any windows nearby.

A buddy of mine, who is a couple years older, has mentioned in recent years that the father of his high school girfriend was a Metro engineer, and back probably around the time you were in Frankfurt, Jan, seeing sketches of an articulated bus in their basement, and that he just couldn’t believe such a thing existed!

Mike

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[JanS]

Mike, not only did we have articulated buses in Frankfurt back then, but they shared the road with an incredible trolley system, some of which were old wooden trolleys, with wooden bench seats….antiquated, for sure, but oh, so much fun to ride. And, way back then, you got your tickets at a kiosk, a concept just hitting Seattle now (with light rail)(and people can’t figure it out). Sometimes you took your chances. The conductor would sometimes collect said tickets, sometimes not. If he didn’t, you got to ride for free, if you didn’t buy one. If he did, you’d get kicked off at the next stop. It was a fun city to be in, the transportation was incredible. I have always been amazed at what we lack here.

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[dawsonct]

Hee hee, I still owe the City of Nurnberg for a couple of tix in my last month in Germany. The fare polezei were fairly frequent occurrences on the U-bahn, so I didn’t dare skip the fare for my first 17 months, but that last month I really let my hair down (as long as it didn’t touch my ears, that is) and flashed the finger at the man! What a rebel!

Moments of self-expression are infrequent for soldiers, gotta take ’em where you can get ’em.

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Thanks JanS, I DO have nice stems. Must be all that soccer and skiing.

I will be the first to admit my sometimes overblown sense of self-righteousness, but in the situation where the bus is on a well-lit, but unpopulated neighborhood section of the route, the driver should use some judgement, not just rote iteration of the rule.

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[JanS]

dawson, my barracks were outside of Frankfurt, and I’d ride with the guys to work in a jeep to downtown…scary, as they zoomed on the autobahn, and down the exits. I think they did it just to scare the bejeebus out of me.

I understand what you’re saying, but you know…rules are rules – lol…

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