photo: Peter Kaminski/ BY-NC

By Isaiah Bryant  

Lately I’ve noticed it’s become harder and harder to ride the bus without seeing people acting silly. It’s about time folks re-learn some basic bus etiquette. Take this recent ride for example. I was taking the bus down Broadway on my way to work, when I started to see everyone around me acting crazy. There was a college student who talked over his cell phone as loudly as he could about how “rad” last week’s party was. An elderly woman glaring at a younger man for not giving up his seat, another lady making a mess as she stuffed her face with food, and a homeless guy making the strangest faces at a crying baby -- which just made it cry more. To top it off, as the bus stops to let on kids out of school, a fight breaks out in the back.

All of this wouldn’t happen if people acted like they were raised right. All a person has to do is follow some simple and common bus etiquette:

Rule 1: Don’t mess with someone’s child; it’s kind of weird. The best thing to do is to comment on how cute or handsome the child is (but don’t get carried away).

Rule 2: Don’t be loud on the bus! It’s public transportation, so that means other people are riding with you. The less noise there is, the more pleasant the ride is for everyone.

Rule 3: Guys! If you plan to hit on a girl, or another dude, do so at your own risk and with caution. Rejection on a bus can sting way more than usual cause you’ll have a bunch of people to witness it.

Rule 4: For your safety, don’t “mean mug” anyone (especially if they look like they could be a mixed martial arts fighter).

In the end, observe the golden rule. And if you don’t know what that is…stay off the bus.