Anatomy of a Bus: Where to Sit

I've been riding the bus almost every day for about eight weeks now, and sometimes I still don’t know where to sit. The first couple weeks, I sat in the middle of the bus all the time - close enough to see the road but also near the back door so I could make a quick escape. Every seat on the bus provides a different perspective and presents its challenges.

The Back

Because the back of the bus is mostly occupied by university students, it’s generally pretty quiet. On the odd day though, there can be some excitement.

Just last week, I was sitting in my usual spot on the morning bus when a group of about thirty students climbed on with their teacher. I rolled my eyes. Field trip, I guess.

The students were probably in grade six or seven. A group of boys congregated near me. They were poking-fun at one of their classmates.

“Hey Richard! Are you sick? Are you not feeling well? Richard, do you have Ebola?”

I couldn't believe my ears. It is way too soon for Ebola jokes. Not cool. But then I reminded myself that I was once twelve, and that back then, it was pretty cool to make Swine Flu jokes.

The boy sitting right behind me started making comments every time we passed a fast-food restaurant.

"Look! McDonald’s! Only $1.39 for a cheeseburger! I could so go for some fries right now." He continued to list the prices for several McDonald’s menu items, and I wondered how this boy was not obese.

Unfortunately, the students didn't get off until the last stop (my stop). Getting off the bus was quite the process. The time it takes to get off is definitely a downside to sitting in the back, but that morning, it was particularly bad.

The Middle

This is the section of the bus mostly filled by the middle-age working class – the people headed to work, unconcerned with what happens on the way there. They’re generally pretty quiet, but can be interesting to observe on occasion. One time, a lady’s phone rang, and her ringtone was “Let it Go” from Frozen – that is not what I like to hear first thing in the morning. Other than that though, the middle of the bus is fairly uneventful. It is however a great place to watch the antics in the front section.

The Front

Priority Seating – these seats are reserved for elderly and disabled persons, or women with children in strollers. Unfortunately, many people don’t follow these courtesies.

“Excuse me! Excuse me!” yelled an elderly woman from the middle of the bus. Her voice was very hoarse, as if she’d spent a large part of her life smoking. “My boyfriend is getting on at the next stop and you need to move! Do you understand? He’s sixty-seven years old and he’s not a walker! Do you understand? He’s not a walker. He’s in a wheelchair and you need to move!”

When the bus came to a stop, the driver approached the young man standing in the wheelchair spot. He finally moved to another seat.

“He’s not a walker,” she continued, “and you need to move.” She kept yelling at this man who had already moved out of the way. The bus driver helped an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair (presumably this cranky lady’s boyfriend) onto the bus and buckled him into his place.

“He’s not a walker. Don’t you understand? He’s not a walker!”

“Alright! That’s enough,” blurted the bus driver, "I've dealt with the problem. Now will you please be quiet?"

There was total silence on the bus for a while after that. She didn't speak to her “boyfriend” the entire ride. I wasn't sure whether she was incredibly embarrassed by her earlier fit or if she was just crazy, but I was glad she stopped yelling.

I try to just stay out of the way and keep to myself on transit now. I don’t want to end up like that guy sitting in the priority area.

For more advice on taking public transit, be sure to check out my post from last week about learning the basics.