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View Full Version : Annual Transit Rant, 2007 Edition


Creole Ned
09-21-2007, 09:44 AM
A salute to my fellow passengers! I bid you a warm and hearty hello, one and all. Especially...

Mr. "I'm wearing a backpack the size of Kansas and I am not taking it off." Thank you for slapping me in the face with your backpack while grooving out obliviously to your iPod. Hey, that reminds me...

Thanks to Mr. "I like to share my music with everyone, even when I'm wearing earphones." Yes, your iPod really does go to 11, just like the speakers in Spinal Tap. The Europeans don't like it much but what do they know? They gave us Wham! The important thing isn't that you're going deaf but that I can clearly hear the words that accompany your horrible taste in music.

Ms "I like the exit but not for leaving!" Hey, look, the rear doors don't have anyone standing there, so why not head over and block the exit? When people try to leave the bus, act surprised -- every time it happens. Bonus points if you're grossly obese and think that standing sideways makes a difference in letting people by. Hint: every side of you is fat.

Mr. "Mysterious Hygiene Practices". Maybe you shower, maybe you don't. All I know is I and your fellow bus passengers get to enjoy a strange and pungent odor emanating from your person, a piquant aroma that has a nearly physical presence.

Mr. "I peed my pants". No explanation needed.

The young buck I call "Drinks too much, barfs a lot". There's nothing better than having the din of inane conversation interrupted by the hitching and heaving of someone who can't keep down whatever he had with those 20 beers. Bonus points if it happens on a crowded bus, double bonus points if the bus is going downhill at the time and the stream of barf trickles along the floor to your feet.

Ms "I am having a private conversation, want to hear?" Not only are you giving yourself ear cancer on that cell phone, you're also spreading your stupid to others by loudly sharing intimate or banal private conversations with everyone else on the bus. Knowing when and where you are meeting your husband for dinner is important to me, especially if I plan on stalking you later. Thanks!

The group collectively known as The Front Enders. The front half of the bus is jammed. There is no room to move, no room to breathe, no room to do anything except pray quietly that your car loan gets approved. Meanwhile, the back half of the bus IS COMPLETELY EMPTY. Tip: The back of the bus does not have cooties, rabid dogs, gang members waiting to rape or kill you, the plague, George Michael or anything other than A BUNCH OF EMPTY SEATS. Tip #2: Exiting through the rear doors doesn't take any longer from the back of the bus since the doors are in the middle, despite them being referred to as "rear". Tip #3: Get the hell out of my way so I can have the entire back half of the bus to myself. Thanks!

Mr. "I'll pretend I don't notice you when you indicate you'd like to take the seat currently occupied by my bag/backpack/Real Doll". Yeah, I know you see me. You're not fooling anyone. Jerk.

Mrs. "I'm old and demand a seat but I'll go to the back of the bus and demand one there instead of one at the front that's reserved for the elderly". Except you won't really demand it, you'll just stand there and put on your sad face until someone coughs up a seat. Hey, at least you go to the back of the bus.

Mr. "I'll sing". Tip: In the shower no one else can hear you. AS NATURE INTENDED.

Little "The bus is my playground". You're an adorable little kid, full of energy and a zest for life. The world will beat that out of you eventually. In the meantime, all these bars and seats are like a big ol' jungle gym to you. It's even more fun to emit high-pitched squeals as you run to and fro. The best part is when the bus suddenly stops, you fall and hit your head and the squealing is replaced by shrieking. It's only then that your guardian kind of notices you.

Mr. "I don't hold onto my bags of groceries because I like to watch the contents spill out every time the bus goes down an incline of any sort." I see you like oranges and Red Bull. Nice!

And finally, a warm greeting to my friendly neighborhood bus drivers, especially...

"The brake works better when pumped in short bursts, especially when the bus is crowded". It's a great way for me to meet people, smashing into them every time we get to an intersection.

Mr. "I can knock the bus off the trolley wires not once but twice on the same trip!" Then take a long time getting the poles lined back up. Careful...careful...oh, so close! You can do it. Center it, okay, good...careful, careful...oh, almost! Take your time!

Mr. "I could wait another second to let you board and even though we've made eye contact, I'm just going to drive three feet ahead to the traffic light (which is red) and ignore you, making you wait 20 minutes for the next bus." (This happened when I returned from Seattle. Welcome back to Vancouver, chump!)

And finally, thanks to you, dear reader, for making it through my Annual Transit Rant, 2007 Edition. Maybe next year I'll have a bike!

jenn68
09-21-2007, 09:49 AM
Feel better now? :bg:

Kermit
09-21-2007, 10:18 AM
Gee... I wonder why Americans don't use mass transit more often. You make it sound so convenient and appealing.

Falhawk
09-21-2007, 10:50 AM
get a car?

Creole Ned
09-21-2007, 10:56 AM
Well, if transit were like that all the time, the streets of Vancouver would be awash in blood (they're not).

Most trips are just going from Point A to Point B but there's no fun in saying "My trip proceeded normally, arriving at its destination on-time."

The annoyances are not exaggerated, though. I've encountered all of them. Fortunately, some, like Vomit Lad, are fairly rare.

pogozorro
09-21-2007, 11:05 AM
Dammit, Fal beat me.

Patton
09-21-2007, 11:10 AM
I take mass-transit to work. It is called the RTA (Regional Transit Authority) Rapid.

I have encountered every single one of the above-mentioned points.

I am sometimes one of these:

"Mr. "I'll pretend I don't notice you when you indicate you'd like to take the seat currently occupied by my bag/backpack/Real Doll". Yeah, I know you see me. You're not fooling anyone. Jerk."

Except I didn't put my bag there, I put my legs there, because when they built these damned trains, no one was taller than 5'4 and I am 6'7, and I'm tired and I want to sit. I also don't want Mr. Pee-Pants or Mr. Questionable Hygiene sitting next to me.

I would like to add Mr. "I want to talk about what you're reading." I'm reading Dune on the train so that I don't have to look up and see whatever mess has decided to stand or sit near me. I'm reading PC Gamer or Games for Windows for the same reason. I'm NOT reading it to show you what I'm interested in, and I'm NOT reading it to have a discussion about it. I'm reading it to fucking read it. I don't want to talk about Team Fortress 2 with you. I want to do that with people who don't smell bad (or at least I don't know they smell bad,) in IRC.

get a car?

60 a month in gas, 200 a month in parking, vs a 48 dollar monthly train pass.

I'll put up with the wierdos for the savings, and stick you guys with the complaints.

Circuit
09-21-2007, 04:55 PM
I don't think I could ever get used to mas transit. All the stories above would drive me literally insane if encountered even on a semi-regular basis. People on the whole are just far too inconsiderate of everyone else. The ones that aren't actively inconsiderate are just completely oblivious of everyone and everything around them.

Creole Ned
09-21-2007, 05:25 PM
An iPod (not played at 11) goes a long way in making transit tolerable, especially if you have the in-ear earphones that block out most ambient noise. Now if I only had the same thing for my nose...

Kermit
09-21-2007, 06:48 PM
We have mass transit in the Valley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appleton%2C_Wisconsin). It is in no way convenient or even usable. Mostly it is used by people who can't get drivers licences because of either mental or physical challenges, or loss of licence from DWI's.

I live in a really suburban area. In the late spring through early fall, you can bike or walk to the store in your neighborhood, but my wife works 20 minutes away by car. By bus that would be 1 hour from our house to downtown Appleton. Then transfer and go another 45 minutes to Neenah. Nearly 4 hours of commuting a day just doesn't work for most people. The logical choice you would think is to move closer to work, but that is the other issue here... it's hard for a husband and wife to find work close to each other. I work biking distance from our house.

Also, having young children and a real winter season put a damper on the bicycling.

Tai
09-22-2007, 06:44 AM
UMASS, Amherst has a great public transport system. Ans DC's Metro (subway) is one of the best I have seen.

For college, the bus system was priceless, and if I lived in DC, I imagine I would use the Metro. That said, I have no option but to drive to work each day.

Budly
09-22-2007, 04:57 PM
Our city mass transit is FAX, Fresno Area Express. For some reason they balked at Fresno Area Rapid Transit.

Tick
09-22-2007, 05:23 PM
Yeah, the UMass/Pioneer Valley transit system is awesome. You can ride all over the damn place if you really want to. And around campus it's free.

The subway system in Manhattan is spectacular, if a bit dirty on some of the older lines. Boston's subway system is decent but not great in comparison to NYC or (from what I've heard) DC.

Creole Ned
10-16-2008, 10:41 AM
And finally, thanks to you, dear reader, for making it through my Annual Transit Rant, 2007 Edition. Maybe next year I'll have a bike!
A year later and...I have a bike. Hooray!

Bliss.

Pic soon™.

Tai
10-16-2008, 12:01 PM
Pic soon™.

suuuuure

Creole Ned
10-16-2008, 01:32 PM
I raised this thread from the dead with the intent of posting the pic then realized it's still on my camera...at home. :P

EDIT: Taken in August on the same day I got a haircut (bot not a shave):

http://creolened.com/images/me-bike-aug08.jpg

Reaver
10-16-2008, 09:50 PM
That can't be your bike. It's missing tassles, a 6' tall orange traffic flag and glitter paint.

Creole Ned
10-16-2008, 09:57 PM
I am thinking of painting it yellow.

I'll try to get a pic of me in my full wet weather cycling gear. I look like a lemon-human dork hybrid.

Q
10-17-2008, 06:42 AM
It's also missing a banana seat.

Tai
10-17-2008, 08:02 AM
My Cobra was that color green. I like it! :)

samuelk
10-20-2008, 09:23 AM
Excellent rant. Would Read again. A+++++

Creole Ned
10-20-2008, 12:15 PM
I almost forgot to mention... ast week I had to take the bus into work one day and I ended up being 10 minutes late due to overcrowding/full buses whizzing by my stop. I took the time to write a letter of complaint to our beloved Translink and to my surprise there was a message on my machine when I got home that same day from a woman at Translink. She apologized several times, stressed that my letter would be sent to operations and acknowledged that the number of buses on the route in question was inadequate.

They still suck and even when it's pouring with rain I'm still glad I have a bike now, but it was a nice gesture.

Tai
10-21-2008, 10:45 AM
This is a funny bike article (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/jeremy_clarkson/article4963194.ece).

Kermit
09-02-2009, 08:23 AM
"people should be kicked off public transportation if they reek"

Transit 'Odor Ordinance' Proposed (http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/20726/40/)

Written by Brooks Baehr - bbaehr@kgmb9.com
September 01, 2009 05:56 PM


The Honolulu City Council is trying to craft a code of conduct for people who use public transportation including The Bus and Oahu's planned railway.

Among the proposals being considered is a provision that would prohibit people who smell bad or whose clothes smell bad.

Councilman Rod Tam co-authored the bill with councilman Nestor Garcia. Tam told KGMB9 it is a matter of public health.

"Many times when a person has a particular odor you may think that person is sick ... have bacteria, diseases. Especially now a days people are afraid of the flu," Tam said. "We have a responsibility in government to take care of clean and safe public services and facilities."

Some of the bus riders KGMB9 talked to agree ... people should be kicked off public transportation if they reek.

But others say it would be unfair ... especially to the poor and homeless. They suggest just moving away from someone if their odor is offensive.

Tam's transit conduct bill would also prohibit people from spitting in transit vehicles or at transit stations. It would outlaw loud music and unruly raucous behavior.

The council will accept testimony on the "odor ordinance" during a hearing at Honolulu Hale at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Q
09-02-2009, 08:36 AM
Holy thread necromancy, Kerm!

Kermit
09-02-2009, 10:25 AM
Thank God for the search button, I never would have found it.

I heard aboot this story on the radio this morning and instantly thought of our Friendly Neighborhood Poobah to the North.

Creole Ned
09-02-2009, 11:04 AM
I can't believe I've gone two years without a transit rant! I blame my current head cold on a (now rare) excursion on the bus, though.

As for the Honolulu thing, it's pretty much an anti-homeless thing, whether it's intended to be or not. If someone gets on a bus and they have a distinct odor, in my experience (20+ years) it means one of two things: they are drunk (fairly rare, here at least) or they are living on the street and don't bathe. Moving away is what most people do. Doesn't work as well on a crowded bus, though.

I ride my bike and walk now.