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?
I don’t know if I’d classify ‘standing in the doorway’ as a strategy. Generally it just serves to make everyone’s life harder (including the stander, who gets shoved around as people try to get off the bus).
Coming from Montreal, I’m amazed at how thoughtful and considerate people are on transit here in Vancouver, but there are still the occasional individuals who are oblivious to the world around them. Thankfully, they’re in the minority!
Yeah, it kind of seems more like a deer-in-the-headlights reaction rather than a strategy. But you never know, somebody might be actively protecting their position on the bus there — in which case I guess it is a strategy :)
Yes.
Getting off and then back in is the right thing to do. People who clog doorways are just asking for it.
I feel it’s a whole lot easier on other people (and yourself) that you do step off temporarily, “hold” the door open while everyone exits and jump back to your position (or if possible find an empty seat after that) once all have exited. If the driver gives you beef that you may have jumped on (applies to a non B-Line), show your fare. No big deal.
non-relavent but on the opposite side of things, for people boarding SkyTrains, say, during rush hour, you should let passengers exit first before boarding; that means forming lines on either side of the door, and board once it’s clear.
if i am on the skytrain i get off then back on.. if i am on a bus i never stand by the back door. i hate it when riders do this, and if they do, then they should get off and then back on. i feel like pushing them out the door when they block it when people r trying to exit.
i am from montreal too… but i have to disagree with dan, i never encountered the problems there that i have here. from overcrowding, to backpacks, ipods, cell phone yakkers, riders who dont beleive in taking a shower daily and try to cover up by smothering themselves in perfume, i could go on but i wont. i am sure everyone who has to use transit knows the issues. heres what i do:
-wear my own ipod to block out moronic cell phone
conversations and ipod music leftovers
-bring a wet facecloth to block the unpleasant odors(i try to open a window whenever i can)
-close my eyes or bring something to read to make the trip seem to go by faster
taking transit is very stressful.. its no wonder why most people loath it
I had to do this as well when SkyTrain was in rush hour mode. I’ve never really done this before, but to be considerate and all, I did.
I had to make a bee-line for the train again, because my friends who don’t know the system well weren’t going to find their way home if I ditched them!
If only there was a better way…
I dislike it when people stand in the doorways of buses as well. Usually there are free seats or room away from the doors. I surmise that the people who do stand in the doorway like the extra room, even though it is technically forbidden by the placards. Many times, people stand in the doorways so they can chat with their friends, or because they like the extra room — even in cases where there are free seats! Even worse is when someone cuts to the front of the queue on the B-Line, sits on the inside seat near the back, and then climbs over everyone when they alight at the very next stop. One thing that is the worst, however, is when people keep the doors open because they continually try to squeeze more and more people in. This wastes others time and is a safety hazard. Another B-Line or train will be there shortly!