The PVTA is a lifeline for many UMass students. It brings you to class, to the store, and to your friend’s apartment. However, some people still don’t know the proper way to ride a bus. It sounds funny, I know, a college student not understanding something as basic as public transportation, but you would be surprised. As an avid rider of the PVTA, here are three general rules I have picked up on the way.
- Respect the injured and the elderly.
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This seems like a rule that doesn’t have to be said, but please if you have a seat on the bus and someone with crutches gets on, let them have your seat. If you are able, of course. It is hard enough to stand on the bus with the constant stopping and starting (especially at crosswalks), and if you are on crutches, you need a seat. Our generation has a notorious reputation for being very self-involved, and it is in small moments like this that we can define ourselves.
Just the other day I saw an older woman get on the bus with her arms full of grocery bags. She was tired and had clearly been on her feet for most of the day. Kids, fully seated on the bus, just watched her struggle to push through the crowd amassing by the front door. No one stood up, no one offered any help. After a couple of stops she eventually found a seat, but how could someone have not gotten up sooner?
- Please do not make a phone call on the bus.
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Okay, it sounds like I am being a “Karen” here, but this secretly bothers everyone else on the bus. If you are talking with a friend and it’s urgent, you deserve an exception, but there are a couple of people who will just have full public conversations with their friends on speaker. Plus, they are usually talking extremely loud because they are trying to compensate for the noise on the bus. Everyone is trying to enjoy this bus ride as much as possible, and people on the phone are just another headache of the morning commute.
- If the bus is surprisingly empty, spread out.
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How many times have you ridden the PVTA and had someone sit right next to you when there are tons of open seats? Normally, I wouldn’t mind the company, but if the bus is not packed like sardines, don’t make it feel full. Spread out! Sit in a spot you don’t normally get to sit. Chat with the bus driver, maybe they could use a pick me up. Whether they just ran to catch the bus or they are late to class, the PVTA can be a very stressful environment for many people. Don’t make anyone feel crowded when there isn’t a need.
The bus is a public good and needs to be ridden with respect and general human decency. These rules are just some public observations from a regular commuter on the bus. Just remember while you are riding the PVTA to have some general bus etiquette and give some consideration to those around you!
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