Where do you sit on the bus and why? for Questionland Seattle

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Where do you sit on the bus and why?

As a public transit rider i'm always trying to find the seat where I am most comfortable. Everyone has different tactics to stay comfortable, avoid people, smells, noise, personal space infringement etc. What are yours? If you ride Metro how do you choose your seat?

Finger Games asked in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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My favorite seats are the raised seats facing each other right in the middle of the bus (not the twisty accordion ones though). If they aren't available, I'll often sit in the front seats that face each other.

It's my favorite place to sit mainly because I'm a people watcher. I can easily watch people up and down the bus without being the creepy girl.

Bogcat answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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on the accordion buses, there is usually a seat across from the back door that has an extra 6" of leg room. between this and the fact that it has less people walking by it (and less chance of smelling something rather unsavory!) makes it my ideal spot.

Alithea O'Dell answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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Generally I sit closer to the front when the ride is shorter, to expedite getting to the front to pay.
If it is a longer ride, I like sitting up at the back of the bus in the draft of an open window. Or, when it's warm, in the draft of the A/C.
I generally don't like the center-aisle-facing seats as I take a pack to work each day and it is cumbersome and gets in the way of people walking down the aisle.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I'm the guy who pipes up when someone won't vacate a seat for a disabled person or the elderly. Had to regulate a few weeks ago - a regular rider I've seen immediately said aloud "I'm not moving!" when he heard the chime/alarm for the wheelchair ramp. He was in a fold-up seat that was reserved for the ADA rider, and I was stunned that he wouldn't move. What a dick. The bus driver appreciated my efforts to get the guy to move. I think the rest of the bus was in shock because "people just don't DO THAT in Seattle." Fffftttt.

inquisitive206 answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

2 comments by Sphinx and inquisitive206…

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I think I was on that bus!

Sphinx commented 9 months ago | Report

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Ha ha. Really?

inquisitive206 commented 9 months ago | Report

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Christina L

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When I am on my own I sit on the left, front-facing seat immediately after the "starboard"-facing seats. Or the right, if the left is not available.

With my family we try for three seats together: sometimes we face the rear door, and sometimes we're on the "port-facing" or "starboard-facing" seats.

When I'm going uphill and am too encumbered/tired/hot to walk the six or so stops between my embarkation and disembarkation, I'll risk sitting near the driver, hoping someone who needs the seats doesn't get on immediately after I do.

I bring ear plugs and a library book when I go solo: I recognize that many youth who cannot afford personal vehicles cannot afford decent earphones or ear buds and they're unaware I can hear their tunes. There are also people with phones who shout over the rumbling of the bus in motion: I wear ear plugs so I don't have to hear either of these types of noise polluters.

The library book ensures that I am regarded as too poor/strange/anachronistic to talk to, unless someone sits by me who is very well-read/outgoing or similarly anachronistic tries to chat with me about the book, in which case I remove the ear plugs and start chatting.

Christina L answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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In the back. The cool kids always sit in the back of the bus. Duh.

soundslikepuget answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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Sphinx

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I always try to sit on the left hand side of the bus (as you walk down the aisle from the front door) because you can see out the windshield. The right hand side is blocked by the driver's seat. I like the seats between the accordion and the back door if I'm on a route I know well- preferably not the one closest to the accordion. I'm also a fan of the raised front-facing seats right in front of the accordion if I'm going somewhere unfamiliar- I can usually see better from there, if it's hot the breeze from the window goes straight to that seat, and I know I'm not in the way of elderly or other disabled passengers because they can't climb up there anyway. I HATE having to sit in the very front (people are more talkative over there, you're always getting crushed by people trying to cram themselves into a space that's too small for them or who can't sit up through the turns, there are other riders on both sides, and the crazies congregate there).

As far as the tactics for avoiding other riders go- I always try to sit in an unoccupied seat and I sit on the outside with my purse on the inner seat until all the unoccupied (no one in either seat) benches have one passenger. I'm not going to make it easy for a creep to come get up in my personal space, and that's the only reason someone would choose to sit next to me when there are empty seats available. I usually have earbuds in (even if I'm not actually listening to music), sunglasses or a hat on, and a book in my hands. If someone is getting into my personal space or continuing to talk to/harass me after I've clearly stated that I don't want to talk to them, I'm not shy about getting up and moving. I'll also move if I think someone's working up for a scene (getting loud or agitated, looking/acting drunk or high, etc.).

Sphinx answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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Center aisle-facing seats or the accordion seats. I like the leg room.

Sacrelicious answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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I'm a jerk who sits at the front because I enjoy getting out early and hate getting elbowed in the rush to get out.

Black Beetles in Amber answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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Fnarf

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Wherever there's an open seat. The bus I ride most often, the 358, rarely has any, so I take what I can get. With the preponderance of wide stances, a good number of open seats are being taken by double-seat hogs, but those are precisely the people I hate to interact with, so I'll stand.

My LEAST favorite are the sideways ones in the accordion, which heave and twist and sway like mad. I get motion sickness, and these are the worst. The ones right behind them that Alithea below likes are just as bad. LURCH.

Since the most likely passenger to shit or piss or vomit or describe their genital infection into their phone or perceive the nearness of Jesus, Satan, or millions of tiny bugs on any bus is the person closest to me, or the person who was in my seat immediately before, there don't seem to be any defensive tactics available.

In an empty bus I'd take the third or fourth row behind the driver. The very back isn't too bad, although it is often full of teenage hoodlums drinking quart bottles of Gatorade and looking at me funny, but I can cope.

Fnarf answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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I like seating beside the door or back.

larry answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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If it's the accordion bus and they have that sideways facing three seat option right in front of the second set of doors that open, I sit in the farthest back seat of the three (there's a bar that runs between seat 2 & 3). It gives me easy off access, the ability to keep a bar between me and someone else, and people don't like to sit in the middle between two people, so I'm more likely to not have a nearby seat mate for a while.
Otherwise, any side facing seat on the front half of a bus is choice since I don't get blocked in and have to hustle out around another person to get off or vice versa. I can come and go at my leisure.

Renée answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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In the door well of the back door. Absolute favorite.
Proper PC seattle natives shun my rebellious mutiny, and the crazies ? -perhaps too awed by my brazen act to bother me. Both keep the ride less eventful than riding in the accordian seats - my second favorite.

RacerX answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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I'll generally take the seat closest to the front that is vacant with the following exceptions: (1) Unless I have one of my kids or a bag or bags of groceries, I won't sit in the center facing seats at the very front and (2) If it's dark outside, I always go back far enough to where the overhead lights are on (usually the raised seats at the back of the front half of an articulated bus).

That said, I think the best bet for avoiding the worst in the way of smells, infringements, etc. is to simply sit down next to someone who is already there, even if there are plenty of vacant seats available, as you never know who is going to be getting on behind you or the next stop. To my regret, I've often not followed my own advice.

NealH answered in Public Transportation 9 months ago | Report

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