I absolutely love this article by VancityBuzz (Read the article at the bottom of this post)! Finally someone said it! You know those days when you’re late getting off SkyTrain and power walking to make it to class? Then there’s that one oblivious guy standing on the left side of the escalator? You just want to scream “don’t you know you’re supposed to stand to the right and walk on the left?!” I swear I could tell at least three people that every day I commute downtown.
My personal list of transit pet peeves doesn’t end there.
Now, I’ve taken public transit since I was five years old going to pre-school. I was taught at an early age not to leave my wet umbrella on the seat and to always pay my fare, etc.
As a student on a budget (car-less), I use transit every day. In fact, I ride the entire SkyTrain loop and take at least one bus every single day during my commute. The trip in total takes me an hour to an hour and a half. This being said, I see plenty of things that tick me off.
Here’s a perfect example… I like to present myself professionally at school. Sometimes the boots I wear have a heel, or on special occasions (meetings or networking events) I may be wearing high heels. Standing in heels for the 45 minute SkyTrain ride downtown can be quite the workout. I don’t want to admit that getting a seat on SkyTrain in the morning makes or breaks my day… but it can.
Anyways, back to my story. It was a rainy Monday and I was running late. I flew up the escalator in my heels and walked to the end of the SkyTrain platform hoping the train would be empty enough that I could find a seat (yes… I know, I have high hopes). The train pulled into the station and I could immediately tell they were all full. I knew right there I was in for a “SkyTrain workout.”
I walked over to the individual seats along the window and noticed it was all fairly young businessmen. Now, I’m all for equality but when you see someone obviously struggling to stand, would you not give up your seat? Nobody got up for me as I wobbled in my heels, and that was fine.
I noticed there was a frail older lady standing next to me facing the same standing struggle. I then resisted the urge to scowl at all the young men selfishly claiming their seats. When one seat finally did open up beside me, I immediately offered it to the older woman. She didn’t say thank you but I was sure she appreciated the gesture.
I ended up standing almost the entire way downtown until a seat freed up. I only got to sit about three stops. When the woman got off at the end of the line with me, she thanked me profusely. A selfless act not only made her morning, but also made mine.
Here’s a list of etiquettes we should all know and follow to make commuting easier and more comfortable:
VancityBuzz Article: 25 Public Transit Etiquettes You Should Know and Follow
