Last week of driving for me.
I do have one question for riders out there, is sitting that much more important than comfort?
I mean seriously. The side benches at the back of the Metro busses claim to seat three. But once you have two people on them, the third person to sit just creates a sardine like position. No one is comfortable, it's hard to even read when your arms are pressed against your side, and your shoulders are fimly sqeezed against another person.
Is this really better than standing?
I guess I could stand up, but dangit, I was there first. Please folks, be considerate, if sitting down is just going to make everyone less comfortable, why not take the higher road and stay standing? I know I do. I never try and squeeze into the small space between two people.
And to Metro. I understand you need to put polls up for those standing to hold on to, but really. The current design, as they attach to some horizontal seating in the bus, just makes the seats unusefull. I really think you need to redisign these supports to allow for more room on the seats.
4 comments:
Yes, it's better to cram in between two other people if you have a bad knee, or if you've been on your feet for an eight-hour shift.
"Is sitting that much more important than comfort?"
I think to be honest, you need to rephrase that question, or re-examine its assumptions. It assumes that sitting and comfort are mutually exclusive. From what you say, it sounds like what you mean is, is the other person's desire or need to sit more important than your comfort. And phrased that way, I'd say that most people will say yes. Whether they have a higher tolerance for the 'discomfort' of crowding, or a greater need to sit than you can perceive is anyone's guess, but on a crowded bus filling every seat is actually just efficient distribution of passengers.
Just yesterday I ended up having to push past a cluster of students who were riding together and so insisted on all standing next to their one seated friend just ahead of the rear doors. There were open seats at the back, and standing room with better bracing, but instead people at the front were forced into a crowded mass because these idiots wouldn't move back and take available seats, or at least clear them for others. Everyone standing ahead of them would have been more comfortable if they *had* sat down at the back instead of insisting they were an inseparable group.
Wendolen:
The knee I can understand, but perhaps a mention before just cramming in. Then I've no complaints.
Ulrika:
On an extremely full bus, I would have no issues, but in the case I'm thinking of, the bus is barely full, no one else is standing. The lady in question regularly simply pushes into the middle of two people, with out a word, acting very huffy.
Now for me, it is not just a question of comfort. I am not small, could more than deffinetly use for loosing weight, and take up perhapse slightly more space than an average person. I am understanding of this, so don't try and cram between people. I understand that I will not be comfortable eiter sitting or standing in that situation, so why inflict myself on the other people, thereby compromising their comfort.
Now when this happens to me, I am forced into a position that is likely not only uncomfortable, but can actually be physically painfull, as I compress into a space my body doesn't necessarily fit into.
The catty answer is "Well loose weight." But courtesy says, if your action is going to put another person in sever discomfort, perhaps you should reconsider that action.
It should be obvious that squeezing into a space between two larger people, is likely to put them in extreme discomfort, shouldn't you at least ask first?
1632, if you don't express your discomfort, how is a stranger on the bus supposed to know about it? :) Do you stay seated out of doggedness when you're squished into a position that's physically painful, or do you say, "I'm sorry, I'm being squished into a position that's physically painful?"
I mean, I see your point, but the need for communication does go both ways. Expecting people to know about your discomfort without expressing it is somewhat passive-aggressive.
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