If you like, skip to the end of this post to share how you think the Buzzer blog design can be improved!

Results from last week: if you’re standing and a seat opens up near you, do you jump for it?

Well my friends, we’re back with poll results!

Last week, I asked this question: if you’re standing on transit and a seat opens up nearby, do you jump for it?

219 of you bravely took the poll, and with 68% of the vote, the most popular answer was ” I look around first to see if someone else needs it, then I take it if no one else wants it.” (In the comments, Jeff McLeod commented on this result with “I see the second option is in the lead. Glad to see we are following our Canadian customs of thinking of others first lol.”)

The other two answers were rather far behind, but close in proportion to each other: 17% say they grab the seat asap, while 14% say they always like to stand.

As usual, the comments had some fascinating discussion. I’m not sure whether I could pull out any general conclusions. Mostly everyone said they keep an eye out for who deserves a seat more. It really could depend on the situation at hand. For example, here’s Hilary:

It depends entirely on what I feel like doing. I don’t often find myself on a bus/train so crowded as to have no seats open when I get on, but if I’ve already found a comfortable spot to lean against then I probably won’t bother to sit down when a seat appears. I mean, there’s not much point to it.

I do prefer to sit when I have the option, though, and if there’s seats to be had then I’ll probably sit down when I get on just out of pure and simple laziness.

Philippe G said something quite similar too.

I donno what it is, but if I start the ride standing up, I’m committed for the rest of the trip.

But like some others, samatwitch said that physical difficulties were key, so a seat was a priority.

Having a bad back, and usually needing to get off the front so that I can ask for the step to be lowered, I now grab the first empty seat – and am often offered it. So I’m either starting to look older – or in pain! ;)

I used to always get up and give up my seat for someone who looked as if they needed it more, but now I wait for someone else to do that, unless it’s an obvious case.

This week: how would you improve the design of the Buzzer blog?

Well, as you may have guessed, we are going to do a little update to the Buzzer blog’s design over the next month or so, and I would LOVE your feedback on how you think it could improve!

We can’t go radically different—the chief aim is to bring the Buzzer blog design in line with the current look of the TransLink website—but we do have an opportunity to do some tweaking and upgrades within that scope.

So please let me know what you think! Here’s a list of questions to help spark some thoughts.

• What do you look for when you visit the blog? How does the design help or hinder your visit?
• How do you find what you need on the blog? Do you have trouble finding things you’re looking for?
• Is there anything you want to see more of?
• Do you use the links on the sidebar?
• How are the RSS feeds working out for you? Could we be delivering blog posts to you in other ways?
• Just in general: what do you like and dislike about the design of the Buzzer blog?
• Anything else to add?

A bit of a caution: we can’t obviously incorporate everything you suggest, so I hope you can understand if it doesn’t show up in the final design. Also, super drastic changes are lovely to hear (I’d love to know where you think this could go!), but just be aware that they probably won’t be implemented if they don’t fit the scope and/or take a LOT of development to get going!