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[Vigilant Walrus]

Little and average sized individuals should understand that the back of the bus should be left vacant for tall people with longer legs. Don't go sit there to look cool if you can sit somewhere else. The long-limbed need the leg space.

Please.. Are you being sarcastic in a manner that tall people should be taking the short bus? Or are you serious?

I am tall (6'6) and I block the exits no matter were I am. Sitting down makes my knees bleed. Public transportation equals pain for me!! Forgive me bus inspector for, I have sinned

 

[Browny]

So many horrible sounding stories... Makes me glad to get stuck in traffic jams on motorways. I would enjoy catching the train to work (I do when the snow kicks in), but the people who wait to get on at stops, and stand in the way of people getting off - that gets me. So much so, I enjoy walking straight into them.

 

[AdventureMike]

Just thought of another gripe. This is specifically with one old woman, but I'm sure others do it too. I only ever see her on the afternoon train, going home. When I am waiting on the platform for the train to arrive, she will come barging up (like a foot shorter than me, and I'm 5'11"-6'0"-ish) and plow her way into ANYONE just so she can get on the train first. She doesn't allow people to get off the train, she barrels her way to a two-empty seat section and plops her big ass bag on the empty seat.

At this point, I just assume she's just too old to give a fuck anymore and probably assumes she has to be aggressive because she's an old woman on public transportation by herself. It's just all so rude and every time I see her, it rustles my jimmies because I want her to get her just desserts for being rude to everyone she passes by.

There are such simple rules that you can follow and make everyone's day a bit better:

-Wait your turn
-Don't block the doors on either side, going in or coming out.
-Move to the center of the train, don't crowd the doors because you make it impossible to let people get out.
-Be aware of your surroundings. Don't be slamming people with your backpack or purse or hell, even yourself.
-No one wants to see your ass whine. Don't look at me for acknowledgement for your petty complaints. ("UGGH, I have to wait in line, can you believe this? They're treating us like cattle!" I will look you straight in the eye and make you uncomfortable.)
-Let old people/disabled people/pregnant women have the seats. Get the fuck up you lazy good for nothing.
-Say "Excuse me", "Pardon me" or "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump you."
-You're already late for work, suck it up and be a little later by not trying to squeeze your fat ass on top of short/elderly people. Wait for the next train.

 

[captive]

I live in Houston. Since we have no good public transportation, it's all about the roads, and people around here don't give a fuck. In an exit only? Whoops, better cut everyone off at the last second! Lane going too slow for you? Better speed up to 90 and pass them on the shoulder! I'm so glad my new job is five minutes from my house so I don't have to deal with that shit anymore.

In Houston, I take the park and ride into downtown every day.

I routinely see people, particularly women, but not all the time, who love to put their purse/bag/whatever in the seat next to them when the bus is rather crowded.

the other day i was on the back of the bus on the very fight right hand seat, and some guy sits next to me, leaving an empty seat next to him open. He then proceeds to open his backpack, pull out chips, a drink, and finally a book. Proceeds to eat and drink right in front of the gigantic sign that says no food or drink on the bus. The entire time, every time he moved his arm, he would bump me with his elbow. Then he started reading out loud to himself. and at one point had his hand on the seat, which ended up on my seat the bus moves causing us to lean and he barely brushes my leg with his hand, he then finally says oh sorry. But not any of the other times he kept bumping me with his elbow.

 

[The Elite]

Not sure what would have annoyed me more...the idiot leaning or the asshole who chimed in to agree.

The person who chimed in annoyed me more. He completely deflated my argument and made me feel like I was the only person who gave a shit about this sort of thing.

 

[HarryKS]

Please.. Are you being sarcastic in a manner that tall people should be taking the short bus? Or are you serious?

I am tall (6'6) and I block the exits no matter were I am. Sitting down makes my knees bleed. Public transportation equals pain for me!! Forgive me bus inspector for, I have sinned

I am not being sarcastic. There is more legroom at the back of the bus.

 

[Dirtyshubb]

In Houston, I take the park and ride into downtown every day.

I routinely see people, particularly women, but not all the time, who love to put their purse/bag/whatever in the seat next to them when the bus is rather crowded.

the other day i was on the back of the bus on the very fight right hand seat, and some guy sits next to me, leaving an empty seat next to him open. He then proceeds to open his backpack, pull out chips, a drink, and finally a book. Proceeds to eat and drink right in front of the gigantic sign that says no food or drink on the bus. The entire time, every time he moved his arm, he would bump me with his elbow. Then he started reading out loud to himself. and at one point had his hand on the seat, which ended up on my seat the bus moves causing us to lean and he barely brushes my leg with his hand, he then finally says oh sorry. But not any of the other times he kept bumping me with his elbow.

‘Don’t care about people thinking im an arsehole, but wont for a second let people think im some gay!!1!’ Would probably be his line of thinking I bet.

 

[PoweredBySoy]

I occasionally have to drive in morning traffic, and I'm with you, OP. I consider myself a very courteous driver, but I'll gladly road rage on assholes who think they're more important than everybody else.

Just this morning I was merging onto the highway from an onramp. Everything was pretty backed up and going slow, and everybody that was merging were doing the 'zipper'. I enter the highway at my spot while the guy immediately behind me goes around past me and tries to get up a few more spots. Lucky for me he tried to merge right in front of me but I cut him off, almost pushed him into the rail, and made him get in fucking line.

I'll smash cars to prove a point, I don't care.

 

[Shadybiz]

I don't take a subway, but I can comment on A-hole drivers. Specifically drivers that drive in the right lane, and block off people merging into traffic from an on-ramp. These people will have plenty of room in front, and behind them, yet they make no move to accommodate. Either punch it, or put on the brakes, jackass.

And slightly off topic, but some people have horrible supermarket etiquette as well. Taking up the whole aisle with their carts, and generally just not making ANY effort to move just a bit when we're coming towards each other. "No no...don't worry, I'LL watch out for YOU..don't you worry your little head." We live in a society, and we're not barbarians!!

 

[LegendofJoe]

I occasionally have to drive in morning traffic, and I'm with you, OP. I consider myself a very courteous driver, but I'll gladly road rage on assholes who think they're more important than everybody else.

Just this morning I was merging onto the highway from an onramp. Everything was pretty backed up and going slow, and everybody that was merging were doing the 'zipper'. I enter the highway at my spot while the guy immediately behind me goes around past me and tries to get up a few more spots. Lucky for me he tried to merge right in front of me but I cut him off, almost pushed him into the rail, and made him get in fucking line.

I'll smash cars to prove a point, I don't care.

Haha, I've done the same thing a few times. I treat everyone with courtesy and respect unless they show me they're not deserving of it. You want to drive like a dangerous asshole? Fine, don't be surprised when I make things difficult for you. Act like an asshole and I'll be sure to return the favor.

 

[Dirtyshubb]

And slightly off topic, but some people have horrible supermarket etiquette as well. Taking up the whole aisle with their carts, and generally just not making ANY effort to move just a bit when we're coming towards each other. "No no...don't worry, I'LL watch out for YOU..don't you worry your little head." We live in a society, and we're not barbarians!!

Shit you just reminded me of the other day, me and the wife were out shopping and we were standing at some shelves looking at bread and this women sort of reverse into us (imagine a car reversing into parking space) with her trolley, she doesn’t touch us (only because we moved) but she acted as if we weren’t there at all! If we hadn’t moved she would have backed straight into us and yet we know she saw us.

This damn thread, its just reminding me of all the people I would gladly make disappear that I have to deal with on a day to day basis.

 

[SiegfriedFM]

I've been doing a lot of plane commuting lately. When the plane is fully booked, they sometimes request that the ones sitting in the back board first, so they're not holding up everyone else. Invariably, there are a bunch of asshole businessmen sitting in the front rows, looking innocent.

The same people also tend to stand around in the aisle talking to one another before they can be bothered to actually step aside.

 

[AdventureMike]

Shit you just reminded me of the other day, me and the wife were out shopping and we were standing at some shelves looking at bread and this women sort of reverse into us (imagine a car reversing into parking space) with her trolley, she doesn’t touch us (only because we moved) but she acted as if we weren’t there at all! If we hadn’t moved she would have backed straight into us and yet we know she saw us.

This damn thread, its just reminding me of all the people I would gladly make disappear that I have to deal with on a day to day basis.

People in general just don't seem to watch where they're going anymore. Two young ladies in their 20's slammed their cart into my fiancee at Wal-mart the other day. I dodged out of the way, but they ran right into her. She barely even got a "oops...sorry..." out of them.

 

[Ourobolus]

I get something similar every day. My route into work takes me past a small town and the road towards it has two lanes heading into the roundabout: one turning right into it with a big queue, and one turning left to continue on past. I swear it's 50-50 whether the asshole in front of you actually wants to turn left or is going to block the whole lane because they just want to jump the queue in the right lane. People queuing understandably don't want to let them jump so it's chaos.

The way I see shit like this is that if you're good enough to squeeze yourself into a queue without disrupting the flow of traffic, good on you. Not good enough? Take the turn like a man and wait at the light in shame.

 

[PoweredBySoy]

Haha, I've done the same thing a few times. I treat everyone with courtesy and respect unless they show me they're not deserving of it. You want to drive like a dangerous asshole? Fine, don't be surprised when I make things difficult for you. Act like an asshole and I'll be sure to return the favor.

Yeah, I have this weird personality where I get overly-upset at assholes. I can't let it go and I get some inflated sense of justice.

Sometimes I honestly wish I were a superhero so I could just fly around all day smiting assholes down. Or a traffic cop. That would be pretty rewarding too.

And slightly off topic, but some people have horrible supermarket etiquette as well. Taking up the whole aisle with their carts, and generally just not making ANY effort to move just a bit when we're coming towards each other. "No no...don't worry, I'LL watch out for YOU..don't you worry your little head." We live in a society, and we're not barbarians!!

Sure, but this is more just absentmindedness. It's un-courteous, sure, and I don't have a lot of patience for these people, but I just semi-politely ask them to move their cart so I can get by. It's the active assholes that really get me.

 

[DoYouEvenLift?]

Ride the bus every day. I have several complaints:

1.) There's a man who smells like garbage every day. He's also rude as hell, encroaches into the seat next to him, talks out loud about his medical conditions, and takes like 2 minutes to get off the bus. He looks like he's got some sort of bum leg/hip, so I'll let the last one slide, but all the others are punchable offenses. Basic hygiene is not just a public transport requirement, but a societal requirement.

2.) There is an older lady (maybe in her late 50s early 60s) that sits in the middle of two connected seats specifically so no one can sit with her. She puts on sunglasses and stares out the window as people board at a stop so she doesn't catch their eyes. She will also try to ignore you if you pull the, "Excuse me, Miss..." line and ask her to scoot over. If you say it more than once, she will eventually relent (and pretend that she couldn't hear you), but still, bitchy move.

3.) Late drivers. You are the worst of them all. It is your JOB to be there on time. The traffic is more-or-less the same every single day, so you know what time you have to leave to make it to the first pick up on time. Figure out what time that is and leave 15 minutes earlier. Consistently late drivers should be fired, no questions asked, but since the bus service is run by the state, nobody gives a shit.

4.) Drivers that show up 1 or 2 minutes before the scheduled depart time, essentially causing the departure to be late. You are only slightly less horrible than late drivers.

5.) People that think their luggage deserves a seat. There are a class of people who only ride the bus occasionally and take it to the airport. They bring a big ass suitcase and think it's ok for it to sit on the seat next to them. It's not. There is a luggage compartment under the bus. I don't even like people who keep it in the aisle because it slows down the boarding process.

6.) People that talk out loud, either on the phone or to each other. I'm not saying you have to whisper, but keep your voice down. It's very distracting to try and read/sleep/work/whatever when two guys in the seats next to you are yammering at full volume. This is going to sound bad, and I don't know WHY it is, but Indians are particularly bad about this.

I'm sure there are others, but these are the main folks that make my morning and afternoon commute hell.

 

[DBT85]

My route has just started putting those time estimate machines in bus shelters and it's awesome. I was super pumped when they finally stuck some working ones in the subway.

They've had those in the London and Greater London area for years, I'm assuming they are nationwide. Though not at all stops.

I have an app on my phone that tells me how long it'll be for any bus at any stop in London. Makes getting the bus far less frustrating.

 

[Kozak]

I live in Sydney though and even though our train lines are 3rd world country bad, I always get a seat because everyone seems to have a terrible phobia of sitting next to other people.

So heres the layout of Sydney trains seats:

In most cases, only 2 people will sit on those 3 seat chairs with a gap in the middle. Only 1 person will sit on the 2 seaters, the window seat.

I think people in Sydney really hate each other.

 

[supergiz]

I live in the hood so I have to take one of those shuttle busses that cost a dollar to get to the main bus terminal to commute to work. Those dollar busses are a battleground for degenerates. Just this morning, some gentleman boarded the bus and preceded to tell off the driver due to the cold weather outside.

Another day, a very thin white dude threatened a bus driver because that particular shuttle bus cost 1.25 (the price varies from one another). This was actually extremely amusing.

I've seen people injecting heroin on the bus and my personal favorite occurred last week when another gentleman decided to smoke a blunt. On the bus.


Ah life.

Suddenly I don't feel so bad about my morning commute. Injecting heroine on a bus is normal in the hood?

 

[Dougald]

I occasionally have to drive in morning traffic, and I'm with you, OP. I consider myself a very courteous driver, but I'll gladly road rage on assholes who think they're more important than everybody else.

Just this morning I was merging onto the highway from an onramp. Everything was pretty backed up and going slow, and everybody that was merging were doing the 'zipper'. I enter the highway at my spot while the guy immediately behind me goes around past me and tries to get up a few more spots. Lucky for me he tried to merge right in front of me but I cut him off, almost pushed him into the rail, and made him get in fucking line.

I'll smash cars to prove a point, I don't care.

How did he drive past you, up the shoulder?

Because if not you were leaving a load of usable road space empty, so I'm not sure how that makes him the asshole.

 

[RPG Wizard]

In the OP's case, I would have shoved my hand on the pole where his neck forms a gap. I know that I have leaned on poles before, but only if the train isn't crowded. The moment there are effectively no seats, I back off and use the pole normally. (NYC here)

Generally, when some idiots block the door, I either use an alternate door or join in the crowd shoving past them. I remember one time when three high school brats blocked a door claiming there was no space. Unfortunately for them, the subway has windows, and the entire center was open. I used an alternate entrance, but I have to say that self-centered attitudes like that make rush hour commuting that much harder.

I will relate a tale that occurred on the 7. A man is smoking cigarette butts in the train car. Several of us complain and ask him to stop. He tells us to fuck off. So at the next stop, without warning, a tall passenger grabs him and pushes him out the door. The entire car cheers the tall passenger. (I don't condone assault. But the only injury suffered by the man was to his pride. So I'll not complain about this. Additionally, it is illegal to smoke on the train. )

 

[avaya]

London's tube during rush-hour is bad enough to induce the suicides that periodically hold up the entire service.

There's a million more people in the city than there were 10 years ago and the infrastructure simply can't cope.

It was already busted flush 15yrs ago.

 

[54-46!]

I didn't have many problems with others when I commuted, but the goddamn buses and trains were constantly late and nothing ever worked. I don't think they managed to be on time for an entire week over a period of two years the last time took the bus to work daily.

I'm so glad I drive to work these days, my car might be complete garbage but at least I don't have to deal with public transport anymore.. better yet, I'm driving in the right direction, watching the traffic jam on the other side.

 

[PoweredBySoy]

How did he drive past you, up the shoulder?

Because if not you were leaving a load of usable road space empty, so I'm not sure how that makes him the asshole.

There was a little bit of merge lane left. But if you really think that entitles somebody to shoot ahead of everybody else doing the zipper, I'm ramming you into the dirt.

 

[FUNKNOWN iXi]

What really bothered me is that someone else jokingly acknowledged him like I was an asshat for asking if I could use the poll for its intended purpose. I was left thinking I was the crazy one.

It was probably awkward where that dude feeling that pole between his buttcrack looked at someone else for "approval" and the person he caught eyes with gave it to him instead of defying the moment and making it more awkward.

Bottom line, people are awkward.

 

[Palmer_v1]

How did he drive past you, up the shoulder?

Because if not you were leaving a load of usable road space empty, so I'm not sure how that makes him the asshole.

Seriously?

He was merging as soon as the on-ramp connected to the interstate. When everybody is being considerate, it's pretty obvious who you merge between in the zipper. Why would you wait even longer?

 

[Dirtyshubb]

People in general just don't seem to watch where they're going anymore. Two young ladies in their 20's slammed their cart into my fiancee at Wal-mart the other day. I dodged out of the way, but they ran right into her. She barely even got a "oops...sorry..." out of them.

I know some might say that it isn’t as bad as someone who seems to actively be an arsehole but the effects are the same, the fact is it really doesn’t take much brain power to be able to do your shopping, while also use your eyes to avoid obstacles (i.e people) but majority of people these days seem to do so involved in their own world they forget that thy actually share one with others and that they should be courteous to others.

Another one that rustles my jimmies is when I hold doors open for people, 99% of the time people don’t say thank you or even acknowledge you, sometimes they just walk through as if you are a doorman holding the door open for them when in fact all you were doing is holding it open for them to take the door so you can carry on walking.

The thing is if you were to say something about it, they and probably a lot of other people would consider you to be the one in the wrong, not the arsehole who acted like you didn’t exist.

 

[Camwi]

I haven't experienced anything as bad as some of what people have been mentioning. Maybe I've been lucky, or maybe the Twin Cities are just decent when it comes to shitty commuters.

The worst thing I have to complain about is when people use the car pool lane as a passing lane, sometimes cutting you off just so they can pass a few cars and make next to no progress.

 

[Palmer_v1]

I got a glare this morning, because I had the audacity to hold an elevator door an extra 5 seconds while someone with their arms full was clearly hustling to catch it.

 

[Dougald]

Seriously?

He was merging as soon as the on-ramp connected to the interstate. When everybody is being considerate, it's pretty obvious who you merge between in the zipper. Why would you wait even longer?

You drive up to the end of the ramp and use available space, to stop traffic backing up and spilling into the junction. The motorway near me frequently has the roundabout blocked due to people merging immediately and leaving about 20 car lengths of usable space in the merge lane. What's even worse is people who stop to merge immediately when it's signposted that a lane is closing in a mile, leaving a miles worth of empty road that could have been filled with cars driving up and merging when appropriate

There was a little bit of merge lane left. But if you really think that entitles somebody to shoot ahead of everybody else doing the zipper, I'm ramming you into the dirt.

Wow, I'm not sure you should be driving if someone getting a couple car lengths ahead of you in heavy traffic gets you so angry that you want to ram them

 

[Dirtyshubb]

I haven't experienced anything as bad as some of what people have been mentioning. Maybe I've been lucky, or maybe the Twin Cities are just decent when it comes to shitty commuters.

I think that’s a big part of the problem with a lot of people (not yourself), I have had conversations with people about the sort of stuff me and the wife have had to put up with from strangers (stuff I mentioned, verbal abuse, things thrown etc) and most of the time they don’t believe me ( you can tell with most people when they don’t).

I think some people just haven’t experienced what life can be really like for some people and as such they dismiss it or put the blame onto you (such as pole guy getting agreement from another stranger earlier in the tread). For these people the idea that they are the ones in the wrong is beyond their comprehension and if you try to explain why the other person was wrong they just see you as causing problems etc.

Why cant we live in a world where logic prevails over stupidity/wilful ignorance/antisocial mindsets?

 

[backflip10019]

Try taking the fucking 6 train in NYC to work every morning during the winter. Common human decency does not exist on that train. Not only do we have asshole commuters who will literally push people out of the way to get on the train and elbow you in the face, but we have homeless people who decide that 8:30am is a great time to sit on the train, chew up peanuts, spit them out into his hand, and throw them under the train seat. It's a motherfucking nightmare of a commute.

 

[Zornica]

I ride the subway to work every other morning and I constantly encounter people who just don't give a fuck about the people around them.

This morning the subway was particularly crowded so I was wedged into a spot that left me with nowhere to hold on to. Normally I can get away with not holding on to a pole on the subway and do fine but it was just one of those awkward positions in which my commute would be much more comfortable if I could hold on to something. There was a pole within reach but a man had decided to lean his entire back on it so he could hold the book he was reading with two hands.

I frequently see this type of behaviour on the subway and if there isn't a crowd I don't give a fuck but when others are being inconvenienced so that this guy can read his book it rubs me the wrong way.

So I asked him, as politely as I could, if he could move so I could hold on to the pole. He refused and essentially scoffed at me and told me to hold on to another pole. Unfortunately, they were all out of reach. At this point I admittedly got a little pissed with him and told him that on a crowded subway the least he could do was give others the opportunity to hang on to something. He treated me like I was ridiculous and someone else who was standing further away acknowledged him like I was crazy as well.

Maybe I am crazy and I'm sure some of you will tell me that but I see the same shit everyday, and not just with subway poles. People block exits and make it difficult for others to get off. They put their backpacks down on the seat next to them on crowded subways and then act like it's a big deal when they're asked to move it for someone else. People ignore the elderly or disabled who need a seat.

I guess I was asking for too much. I admit, it wasn't the end of the world if I just had to awkwardly balance myself all the way to my station, but it still bothers me nonetheless.

I tend to think of my fellow person when commuting. It's generally a shitty and uncomfortable experience so we can at least try to make it at least a little easier on each other. In the end, we're all in this together.

Or maybe I'm asking a little too much from a city that voted in a crack-head as mayor.

back when I grew up, my parents and grandparents always tought me how to behave when riding the train or subway. apparently other parents from that generation did so too. But for some reason my generation seems unable to teach some basic values to their brats, and more annoyingly it also motivates old folk to behave like ass holes because every time I see at least some old woman standing in front of the door, ready to bust in and claim a seat.

A few years ago I decided that I wouldn't endure this shit any longer:

When people do this I just run into them.

this.

also something that annoys me to no end:
people standing in the middle of an escalator, or walking fucking slowly in the middle of some narrow path without any possibility of passing by them. I hate walking slowly or riding the escalator. It takes forever. Every time I see people like those, I'd love to kick them in the back.

 

[CheDominik]

Haha great thread. I also hate when the subway/train isn't really full but instead of actually using the space, people literally stay and cram themselves right in front of the door. WTF?
It's my guilty pleasure to push them aside every fucking time.

 

[Shadow Ranger]

OP, I am totally with you here. An empty carriage is one thing, but when it's peak periods and rammed to capacity then people need to sacrifice their blasted books, newspapers, magazine etc so as to not blatantly inconvenience other passengers. The audacity of some people to even lean their paper on the backs of others is appauling.

This happens on London Underground a lot.

I also can't stand people who stand in front of the doors and continue to hold on to a bar for dear life. The train has stopped. You are in people's way. Let go and move the fuck outta the way. But no, they continue to hold on for dear life.

Next time OP, just grab on. If you irritate the guy's precious reading moment... oh well! The tool derserves to be irritated.

 

[Blair]

Woman with a pram got on the bus last week on my way to work, parked her pram in the little bay then got off the bus and asked the driver to wait 10 seconds for someone bringing a bag. 2 minutes go by and she is not even apologising to us sitting on the bus like lemons. So i go sit in the seat in the seat next to her pram and plonk my bag next to me. She then had the gall to ask me to move. I looked at her then put my headphones back on.

The worst is when people try to get on before people have got off. I will barge anyone if they do that shit but i'm a tiny man so the message isn't very effective.

 

[FlyinJ]

A subway etiquette thread! Oh man I can rant for hours:

All from NYC:

Pole leaners/huggers - I just shove my hand under their backs/arms. This usually gives them the hint and they realize what they're doing. They're usually tourists.

Backpack on during rush hour - This one drives me absolutely crazy. What kind of a shit head do you have to be to wear a back pack and take up the space of three people during rush hour. What I do is if my arm is near their pack and the train is super crowded, I slowly push my arm down on their pack acting like I have no choice because it's so crowded. They eventually have so much pressure on their back pack that they take it off. Mission accomplished. I hope they then carry that knowledge forward and never wear one on a crowded train again.

Crossed legs while sitting down - you know, the half crossed legs, with one leg sticking out in front of them taking up one to two slots where people could be standing. The entire train is sometimes complete sardines, and these fucks are sitting there with their leg hanging out. Some people avoid it, I don't. I just stand in the space in front of them and push my leg against theirs. They move their leg. They also usually act taken aback, like how could anyone have the nerve to take away the 3 spaces they have appropriated for themselves.

Door standers - People who stand in the door when there is some space in the train. They're essentially blocking everyone from getting on. This one is simple. Just charge through. This one is pretty obvious, and all commuters tend to do the same. I'm always amazed at the reaction of the door stander. They're always like "OH MY GOD!".

Door sitters - here's the situation: Someone is sitting down right next to the door. Super packed train, and I'm standing directly in front of them holding the bar. Their stop comes up, and it's my stop too. They ALWAYS try to stand up and push themselves in front of me to get off the train first. Listen, you don't get to luxuriate for the entire trip while I'm standing up hanging off a pole and then also get off the train first. Solution: Turn sideways as the station approaches, hold the pole and point your elbow towards them. If they try to stand in front of you, they need to avoid the elbow. Subtle and effective.

I could go on and on and on...

The one thing I have to say is people are way better at respecting common decency and having a shred of intelligence when commuting in NYC as opposed to San Francisco. So there is that.

 

[Palmer_v1]

You drive up to the end of the ramp and use available space, to stop traffic backing up and spilling into the junction. The motorway near me frequently has the roundabout blocked due to people merging immediately and leaving about 20 car lengths of usable space in the merge lane. What's even worse is people who stop to merge immediately when it's signposted that a lane is closing in a mile, leaving a miles worth of empty road that could have been filled with cars driving up and merging when appropriate





Wow, I'm not sure you should be driving if someone getting a couple car lengths ahead of you in heavy traffic gets you so angry that you want to ram them

AFAIK, this isn't a roundabout he was in. It's an onramp connecting to a freeway/interstate. I don't think you're quite getting it, though. No matter what point the zipper merges, you're still going to end up between the same two cars. Unless you're a dick that is trying to skip the queue, in which case any respectable driver is going to leave no space for you to merge, so enjoy parking on the shoulder for a while.

 

[LegendofJoe]

I got a glare this morning, because I had the audacity to hold an elevator door an extra 5 seconds while someone with their arms full was clearly hustling to catch it.

Wow, I hope you returned the glare in kind.

 

[Dougald]

AFAIK, this isn't a roundabout he was in. It's an onramp connecting to a freeway/interstate. I don't think you're quite getting it, though. No matter what point the zipper merges, you're still going to end up between the same two cars. Unless you're a dick that is trying to skip the queue, in which case any respectable driver is going to leave no space for you to merge, so enjoy parking on the shoulder for a while.

I know, but the onramp leads back to a junction/roundabout, if there is enough traffic then it will block. It sounds like there was only a car length ahead of him anyway so it doesn't make too much difference. In the UK we generally have an extra merging lane for a few hundred yards, rather than the onramp leading directly to the motorway.

Honestly, I'm more shocked at people like him, who use their cars as weapons when they perceive that someone is "getting ahead of them". Life is too short to get worked up over this sort of thing

 

[Palmer_v1]

I know, but the onramp leads back to a junction/roundabout, if there is enough traffic then it will block. It sounds like there was only a car length ahead of him anyway so it doesn't make too much difference

Honestly, I'm more shocked at people like him, who use their cars as weapons when they perceive that someone is "getting ahead of them"

Ah, I see what you're saying. I've never really seen a time when the extra 2 car lengths or so really made any difference though.

I doubt the people saying that are actually hitting other people. It's more that we refuse to yield to assholes. I'm already in the lane I'm supposed to be in. Just because the other guy came racing up to merge at the last second doesn't mean I have to make space. He gets the choice of hitting me(his fault when it comes to insurance), hitting a guardrail, or coming to a stop while he waits for someone to let him in.

 

[Mercury Fred]

I ride the subway to work every other morning and I constantly encounter people who just don't give a fuck about the people around them.

This morning the subway was particularly crowded so I was wedged into a spot that left me with nowhere to hold on to. Normally I can get away with not holding on to a pole on the subway and do fine but it was just one of those awkward positions in which my commute would be much more comfortable if I could hold on to something. There was a pole within reach but a man had decided to lean his entire back on it so he could hold the book he was reading with two hands.

I frequently see this type of behaviour on the subway and if there isn't a crowd I don't give a fuck but when others are being inconvenienced so that this guy can read his book it rubs me the wrong way.

So I asked him, as politely as I could, if he could move so I could hold on to the pole. He refused and essentially scoffed at me and told me to hold on to another pole. Unfortunately, they were all out of reach. At this point I admittedly got a little pissed with him and told him that on a crowded subway the least he could do was give others the opportunity to hang on to something. He treated me like I was ridiculous and someone else who was standing further away acknowledged him like I was crazy as well.

Maybe I am crazy and I'm sure some of you will tell me that but I see the same shit everyday, and not just with subway poles. People block exits and make it difficult for others to get off. They put their backpacks down on the seat next to them on crowded subways and then act like it's a big deal when they're asked to move it for someone else. People ignore the elderly or disabled who need a seat.

I guess I was asking for too much. I admit, it wasn't the end of the world if I just had to awkwardly balance myself all the way to my station, but it still bothers me nonetheless.

I tend to think of my fellow person when commuting. It's generally a shitty and uncomfortable experience so we can at least try to make it at least a little easier on each other. In the end, we're all in this together.

Or maybe I'm asking a little too much from a city that voted in a crack-head as mayor.

I feel you OP. I live in NYC and encounter these behaviors constantly. If someone is leaning against the entire subway pole-- something that several people can use at once-- I'll just grab it and dig my knuckles into their back. If they say something or give me a look I'll either ignore it, shrug or say excuse me depending on my mood.

 

[DoktorEvil]

A subway etiquette thread! Oh man I can rant for hours:

All from NYC:

Pole leaners/huggers - I just shove my hand under their backs/arms. This usually gives them the hint and they realize what they're doing. They're usually tourists.

Backpack on during rush hour - This one drives me absolutely crazy. What kind of a shit head do you have to be to wear a back pack and take up the space of three people during rush hour. What I do is if my arm is near their pack and the train is super crowded, I slowly push my arm down on their pack acting like I have no choice because it's so crowded. They eventually have so much pressure on their back pack that they take it off. Mission accomplished. I hope they then carry that knowledge forward and never wear one on a crowded train again.

Crossed legs while sitting down - you know, the half crossed legs, with one leg sticking out in front of them taking up one to two slots where people could be standing. The entire train is sometimes complete sardines, and these fucks are sitting there with their leg hanging out. Some people avoid it, I don't. I just stand in the space in front of them and push my leg against theirs. They move their leg. They also usually act taken aback, like how could anyone have the nerve to take away the 3 spaces they have appropriated for themselves.

Door standers - People who stand in the door when there is some space in the train. They're essentially blocking everyone from getting on. This one is simple. Just charge through. This one is pretty obvious, and all commuters tend to do the same. I'm always amazed at the reaction of the door stander. They're always like "OH MY GOD!".

Door sitters - here's the situation: Someone is sitting down right next to the door. Super packed train, and I'm standing directly in front of them holding the bar. Their stop comes up, and it's my stop too. They ALWAYS try to stand up and push themselves in front of me to get off the train first. Listen, you don't get to luxuriate for the entire trip while I'm standing up hanging off a pole and then also get off the train first. Solution: Turn sideways as the station approaches, hold the pole and point your elbow towards them. If they try to stand in front of you, they need to avoid the elbow. Subtle and effective.

I could go on and on and on...

The one thing I have to say is people are way better at respecting common decency and having a shred of intelligence when commuting in NYC as opposed to San Francisco. So there is that.

Flying J, that list would be perfect to solve all of the problems that exist in NYC subways. It doesn't always work...

Spoiler

I was held up a gunpoint because I bumped shoulders with an asshole blocking the train doors

This is also appropriate as to why not to sit next to the door:

 

[LuchaShaq]

I have no patience for bullshit on public transport anymore. I'm far too large/scary looking to give a fuck anymore.

Won't let me get a hand on a pole? Enjoy getting hip checked to the floor.

Won't move your bag off the seat for me or someone else to sit down? Fuck you I'm going to sit ON it and let you panic about it.

Give me evil glares because I got a seat before you and you're not pregnant/injured/old/in need of a seat? I'll tell your likely fat lazy ass to fuck off they need a walk not a seat.

Blaring music from speakers on a fucking bus/train and don't want to be reasonable? I'll manhandle your shitty speakers.

Life is SO much better when you don't give a fuck.

 

[Dougald]

Ah, I see what you're saying. I've never really seen a time when the extra 2 car lengths or so really made any difference though.

I doubt the people saying that are actually hitting other people. It's more that we refuse to yield to assholes. I'm already in the lane I'm supposed to be in. Just because the other guy came racing up to merge at the last second doesn't mean I have to make space. He gets the choice of hitting me(his fault when it comes to insurance), hitting a guardrail, or coming to a stop while he waits for someone to let him in.

I dunno, I'm a motorcyclist and I've had people try to hit me/block me off so I'm a little more sensitive to this sort of thing than others. It's given me a lot more perspective and I'm way more relaxed when driving a car now - what could be a scratch for you could be death for a biker

All this talk is reminding me why I work from home now, anyway!

 

[AdventureMike]

This is also appropriate as to why not to sit next to the door:

The picture is huge, is that on the NYC subway?

 

[FlyinJ]

Flying J, that list would be perfect to solve all of the problems that exist in NYC subways. It doesn't always work...

Spoiler

I was held up a gunpoint because I bumped shoulders with an asshole blocking the train doors

This list was made assuming that some cursory judgement will be made to ascertain whether the person being an asshole looks like they're going to kill you or not.

 

[NekoFever]

The way I see shit like this is that if you're good enough to squeeze yourself into a queue without disrupting the flow of traffic, good on you. Not good enough? Take the turn like a man and wait at the light in shame.

I'm the same way. I'll jump in if someone's left a big enough gap but I'd be too embarrassed by my own mistake to sit there and block everyone else until someone took pity and let me in. Take the turn and find another route.

 

[EmiPrime]

The ones that also annoy me are those that don't allow you to get off the train. I find at those times that I'm incredibly rigid across the shoulders.

I do the same. Oblivious people doing that during rush hour when the train comes into a busy station like Kings Cross or Oxford Street are incredible.

 

[SpacedCadette]

Thing that drives me nuts about bus commuters around here is the fact that no one seems to want to stand at the actual back of the bus. They'd all rather cram themselves together at the back door and leave the last four feet of bus floor completely empty. Wat?