Buzzer logo

TransLink news, commentary, and behind-the-scenes stories.

Friday fun poll: do you exit then reboard a transit vehicle to let others off?

Friday fun poll: do you exit then reboard a transit vehicle to let others off?

Last week I asked whether you preferred holding onto metal bars or hanging straps when balancing on a bus.

And after 152 votes, metal bars are the clear winner with 91 per cent of the vote. Only nine per cent rely on the hanging straps.

In the comments, Rob was actually on both sides of the argument:

Personally, I like to use both simultaneously, which my wife insists is going to some day result in me breaking my arms in an accident…

And many pointed out that height was a factor in choosing your handhold. For example, Alan Robinson wrote:

I may be an oddity, but I find that the straps are too low to hold onto. They would work best for someone about 5′8 to 6′0 tall who can pull down on them a bit. Depending on how much elbow room I have at the level of other peoples heads, I hold onto the vertical bars above the main horizontal bars.

But by and large, many people said that the straps would be more useful if they were nailed down to the bars. And upon investigating that situation with our fleet management staff, I learned that the straps *aren’t* chiefly recommended as handholds — the manufacturers have really put them there to help you lift yourself out of your seat!

However, as Cree pointed out in the comments, the new Nova buses actually have all of their hanging straps affixed to the metal bars. Perhaps that signals bus manufacturers might be nailing those straps down in future buses.

But considering this discussion, if you do feel very strongly about having straps nailed down, I would suggest you call Customer Relations at (604) 953-3040, or email them through our web form. They will put all of your feedback into our system, and fleet management can be notified that this is something you guys are interested in for future vehicle orders.

——-

New poll! New poll!

I’ve seen both of these strategies in use and am wondering what’s more popular. What do you think?

TransLink

Sorry, your website browser is no longer supported.

Upgrade to one of these browsers to visit translink.ca: