The last poll was such a gas that I think I’ll be doing a poll at least once a month. This time around, I shortened the entry time from two weeks to 11 days, and there were still 371 polls taken!

Knowing that people usually do more than one action while on transit, I asked the question, “How do you spend ‘most’ of your time on transit?”

Some of the results were predictable, like how more than half of respondents spend their time either looking out the window or listening to music most of the time on transit. Seventeen percent of respondents said they read most of the time, which I thought might have received more votes but still seemed within reason.

What I was most surprised by was how only person said watching videos was something they did most of the time on transit. I added this option since it’s something I see more and more people doing during my commute. Another surprise was that so few respondents chose having a conversation as the thing they do most on transit (in person or on the phone). This made me think about how the transit habits of Metro Vancouverites compare to the those of inhabitants in other cities. For example, I took a bus in Seattle a few years back and couldn’t fail to notice how many people were chatting with one another. It’s interesting to see how different places can be sociologically even when they are only a few hundred kilometres away.

Interestingly enough, the options “I people watch”, “I access the Internet” and “I daydream” each had 9% of the answers cast. I would have thought that accessing the Internet would have received more votes with the undeniable increase in smartphones. I know that this is the option I would have chosen for this poll. Perhaps people do access the Internet a lot but not as much as other options.

Four per cent of respondents answered that they sleep on transit. Again, I think this is good reflection of the habits of the region. Visiting Japan many years ago, I would say that early in the morning and late at night people sleeping on transit was the norm not the exception. Maybe it’s just that Buzzer readers using transit in Metro Vancouver are better rested.

Now that the first part of this poll is done, the second and final part is next. Part 2 of the poll will be up a week this Friday. As mentioned, it will delve into why we do what we do on transit. Thanks again for taking the poll!