Friday, 09 January 2009

• My Top 5 Complaints About Public Transportation

  Ms. Piggy Bank

  

  As a person with pretty much nonexistent income, I've come to rely on the bus as my main mode of transportation. A car comes with way too many expenses and the metro has just jacked up its prices.
  

  Walking can only get me so far. Unfortunately, the horse and carriage days have come to past by a century, give or take.

  I'm not going to lie --I enjoy transit bus rides for the mere fact that I can listen to my favorite iPod playlists and look out the window. Also, not driving and enjoying a semi-nap is quite pleasant too.
  

  HOWEVER, there are some aspects of public transportation that are absolutely terrible (and no the bus drivers are not one of them because surprisingly they are always chipper and understanding):
  

  1. People who insist on sitting plump next to you despite a bus full of empty seats. I swear there have been many instances in which there were only four or five people on the bus and someone (usually a creepy man) STILL sat next to me, wiggling his bum closer and closer.

  2. The lines. Commuting home is a nightmare. Whenever I see the line form various loops throughout Port Authority I seriously want to cry because it means my evening has just been wasted. The feeling only amplifies the more often people incredulously ask "what bus are waiting for?" and a look of horror settles upon their faces when you inform them "same as you buddy." I don't know which is worse though ---searching for much needed patience in a long line in the evening or waited for a late bus in a frozen windshield sort of morning.

  3. Dirty windows. I'm no germ-free primadonna --I overlook the gum wrappers stuffed between the seats and the passengers who forget to cover their mouths when sneezing. Still, I do appreciate some hint of cleanliness, and shiny, bright windows are one of them. Bus companies need to understand once and for all that clear windows only reflect so much more positively back on them.

  4. People who whip out their blackberries or iPhones and proceed to make their personal business known to the rest of the passengers. I don't care that your best friend's brother's girlfriend has an STD or that you're following a new 300 calorie diet. I just want to close my eyes and pretend I'm far away from the overly stuffed bus. Shut your mouth and sit down. Pop in a breath mint or something.

  5. Overcrowded rides. Every five minutes the bus lurches to a stop and more and more passengers squeeze onboard. Not only do the rides become more cringe worthy when you realize that the person looming over you  forgot to apply anti-perspirant or that the woman next to you devoured fish for breakfast, but when the bus pulls into its main stop, people will do anything to be the first one off that bus. They literally shove you, don't let you pass through, and all sense of decent courtesy is shot dry. So why the overcrowded bus rides, ye companies? You'd think that concerns over safety would force these companies to issue some maximum capacity rule but noooo...where there's money to be made what's an injury or two?

  
  Are you reliant on public transportation? Do you prefer it or do you have some serious gripes with it as well? What are your top pet peeves about riding trains/buses/shuttles?

  
  

  • 7:33 PM
  • 3107 Views
  • 72 eProps
  • 40 Comments