If you like, skip to the end of this post to tell us if you’ve ever read what someone else is reading on transit.

Last week ago: where do you like to sit on transit?

Last week, I asked you where you liked to sit on transit, which was an update of the very first poll I ever ran on the blog.

141 people weighed in, and this time the winner was clear: the back, with 45% of the vote! (Middle came second with 37% and the front received 25%.)

It did seem like everybody had a different preference based on which bus/train they were sitting in, however! Lots of people gave detailed lists, and here’s a short sample from Tsushima Masaki

Orion V (Highway coaches)
3rd forward-facing seat row, right side, window.

New Flyer D40LF (Most Richmond buses)
I used to prefer the window seat on the right side of the bus 1 row behind the back door, but now I find the right window seat just in front of the back door to be more to my liking.

B-Lines
Any right window seat that has a glass partition behind it.

Community shuttles
Not too much of a preference, I tend to sit in the front seats, left or right.

Hilary had a nice long list too, and this particular excerpt from her comment was seconded by Bevis Parker:

I like the SkyTrain driver’s seat position, but I rarely sit in it because I prefer the view from the side windows and, in Mark II trains, I can’t comfortably lean my elbows on the… ledge-thing… without putting myself at an angle where I have to crane my neck to see much beyond the tracks (vertically). Although it can’t be beat for getting a good view of the subway tunnels. The exception to this ambivalent position is on the Canada Line, where my favourite seat, no contest, is the aisle seat by the front window (either side), again for the subway-tunnels reason. Although, since those trains have a wider front window than the Expo/Millennium Line trains, it’s a good seat for the rest of the stations too.

Sally, however, said her seat choice was all about efficiency.

It’s all strategy – at the front of the highway coaches so I can be first (or almost first) off because if you are at ground level and you hear the Canada Line train rumbling in, it gives you chance to sprint up the 2 escalators and leap onto the train. Heaven forbid I’ve have to wait 4 minutes for the next train!

I then stand in the first carriage by the door so I can get off easily at Oakridge. (Although Oakridge is really bad for passengers getting on the train without letting anyone off first………..)

Coming home I don’t care where I sit so long as it is on the right-hand side!!

And a couple of people had specific favourites. Here’s …:

For Novabus, I’ll take the private seat behind the driver.

Check the original comment thread for more: there is in fact a neat side discussion about how long SkyTrains sit at a station for, and of course many more suggestions on the best places to sit on transit :D

This week: ever read what someone else is reading on transit?

This is inspired by the free newspaper poll: I realize a bunch of you said you read over someone else’s shoulder, so let’s see just how many people are reading others’ stuff in transit!

If you’re a yes, can you think of any particularly notable reading material you’ve seen? I remember glancing sideways at someone’s psychology notes about the Stanford Prison Experiment and learning some rather insightful things on my trip home :)