Archive for February, 2010

Survival of a Rude Culture for the Modern Girl/Boy “Folk”:

The City Bus

This week I am going to be talking about the city bus. I have experienced a lot of rudeness riding the city bus and I want to use this space to talk about it. Everyone is always in a hurry to get somewhere, so often we are so involved in our own world and what we need to do that day, where we need to go and the tasks we need to accomplish, we forget to be polite, we forget to look around us, to observe someone in need, or to just notice the basic mundane life of everyday.

With this hustle and bustle I have seen a lot of sad, horrible things on the city bus. One of my biggest pet peeves is the first section of the bus, which is reserved for elderly and handicap people. People!!! You have strong legs, you are young and limber, you can stand and let the poor old lady who is barley able to keep her balance, sit down in your place.

First off the handicap and elderly section should always be off limits, if it is empty when you get on and you sit down than be prepared to ALWAYS get up when a elderly person gets on the bus, or handicap person. Think of how difficult it is for them to ride the bus to begin with, the good old saying goes, “picture yourself in their feet”. So give up your set. If that area is completely full and you have a seat, the compassionate thing and courteous thing to do is to offer up your seat to another who needs it more. I rarely ever see this happen on the bus.

This is what I do see:

Young college students, young people in general, and even some middle aged sitting in the elderly/handicap section. When someone gets on the bus who needs to sit, no one moves, no one budges an inch to accommodate the elderly person. Now I know that their are people who do move and do accommodate  but in most cases this is what I have seen.

Basic Bus manners that should be used:

1. Smile (gesh everyone looks so serious & unhappy)

2. Chat (don’t be afraid to chat with your neighbor, great them politely, when did saying “Hello” become so taboo)

3. Basic “excuse me sir, ma’am” and “thank you” to anyone who moves for you so you can get off, and always to the bus driver! They need to know that they are appreciated, they don’t get a tip so let them know you are grateful for the safe ride to and from your destination….you wonder why the bus driver might be so crabby? Well wouldn’t you be crabby if you had to bus rude people around all day too? So make their day by saying “Hi” and “Thanks”

4. And if you are able, always give up your set for another and stand, and never sit in the reserved section for handicap and elderly.

5. When you sit down, don’t pick the aisle seat, actually sit in the window seat so that it is easier for people to get a seat as the bus fills up.

6. When loading the bus, be patient, and don’t budge in front of another person when it is clear that they were waiting longer to get on.

7. For Subway, airways and other transportation I think the same rules apply..

8. A note on harassment. I have been personally harassed on the city bus and it is very unpleasant. No one did anything to help me, not even the bus driver, if you are on the bus and you see harassment going on, stand up, help the person out, remove them from the situation, notify the bus driver right away, do something, don’t just ignore it and pretend like it is not happening. I am sure men get harassed on the bus but most often it is girls, so Men please stand up and help a gal out…yes that is right be her Knight, we need men to be Knights! Nothing is more horrible than being harassed by some creep and no one helping you!

Well I think I about covered everything I can think of. If you have experienced rudeness or you have been rude and realized your wrong and want to share, or you have some topics you want me to cover, please email me at brittany@hanle-productions.com.

Be Kind, for you don’t know the hard paths traveled by another,

~ Miss Manners

* a note on “Miss. Manners” this is just a name, a mission to help educate on manners, in no way am I claiming to be Miss. Manners because I am far from perfect.