Guide for Riding Public Transit: Top 10 Travel Etiquette Tips

As the travel season approaches, a lot of folks unaccustomed to taking public transit will find themselves on trains, buses, shuttles and ferries while on vacation or going to see loved ones. Here are ten tips for proper public transit etiquette, so that everyone has a more enjoyable ride.

1. Stow your stuff. Backpacks are great, until you’re on a packed train and you inadvertently whack the person nearby in the face. Be kind, put your bag between your feet so that everyone has a bit more space. If the floor is wet or sticky, wear your bag forward so you’re at least more aware of it. Plus, a front-forward backpack (frontpack?) gives you the added benefit of creating a bubble around you to give you a little more breathing space.
2. Stand up for courtesy. There’s a reason seats are reserved for people with disabilities, the elderly and pregnant women: it’s difficult for them to stand on a moving vehicle. If you’re sitting in one of these reserved seats, and one of them boards, relinquish your seat. You’re not fooling anyone by staring intently at your phone and pretending not to notice. Some day you may need one of those seats, so stand up now and pat yourself on the back for doing a good deed.
3. Poles are for everyone. It’s sweet that you feel so strongly about your preferred method of transit that you want to give it a hug in the form of wrapping yourself around the pole. But that pole is actually there for many people to grab hold of. If you hog it, you’re likely to get trampled if the vehicle comes to an abrupt stop. Not to mention the sneers you get from riders with nothing to hold on to.
4. Let ’em off. In the macro world two things cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Unless you’re riding the quantum physics express to teeny town, this is a transit truth we all live with. You must let people get off the bus or train before you can get on. Stand back from the door and patiently wait for the exiting passengers to disembark. It actually makes for a faster off/on boarding process. And avoids head-on human collisions.
5. Public transit confusion? There’s an app for that. For just about any city you’re in or transit line you’re on, public transit directions are only a smartphone app away. Moovit boasts the widest coverage and most accurate transit data in the world, including 2,200 cities in 80 countries and 44 languages. This means you can ride transit confidently and in some cities, even know what the best exits are. This way you won’t hesitate and hold anyone else up by having to stop and look at the map or when trying to find your exit.
6. You’re not at home. It’s great you feel comfortable riding transit, but please don’t treat the train or behave on the bus as you would in your own kitchen, bathroom or living room. Eating even the most savory-smelling food is impolite on transit. Imagine how seatmates feel about your favorite stinky fare. Putting on makeup? Most people want to see the result, not the process. Trimming your nails? Don’t. Just don’t. Sit in one seat with your feet on the floor. Sprawling with your feet up robs others of a spot and sends the soils from your soles to someone else’s seat. And guys — avoid the manspread. Be courteous and respectful of others so they do the same in return.
7. Entrances, exits and escalators. Be mindful of how the traffic flows. If you need a card or ticket for the turnstyle, have it out and ready to insert or swipe. No one wants to stand behind someone digging in their pockets or rifling through their bag. On escalators, if people walk up one side while others stand on the other side, don’t stand two abreast. Step aside for those who like to hustle up the moving stairs. Seconds matter people!
8. Nothing beats a good night’s sleep. But if you missed it and fall asleep on transit, avoid falling onto the person next to you. If you know you snore, force yourself to stay awake. Stay awake also for your own security; your smartphone and bag are easy targets for thieves when you’re visiting Mr. Sandman.
9. Look up from your phone once in a while. This may seem contrary to #5 above, but you shouldn’t need to keep staring at the map the whole trip. Moovit lets you know when your stop is coming up so you can get lost in a good book, rather than lost on your journey.
10. Speaking of the phone, don’t talk on your phone. Enough said.

Avoid the “manspread” so that others can have a more enjoyable ride.