Category Archives: spotted!

My kind of transit etiquette

This man, spotted on a Sunday afternoon 26, was folding origami swans from old newspapers and handing them out to his fellow passengers.

I wish I had a better picture; the swans were really cool. And no, I cannot explain why he was wearing a wool hat and flannel shirt on a crowded bus (with no AC!) in the middle of 90+ degree day. Perhaps I should ask Bus Nerd, a man who insists on wearing a jacket and bringing an umbrella everywhere, no matter the season, forecast, or current temperature. Little old ladies at bus stops won’t have to worry about him being cold.

What the kids are wearing these days, part II

Chicklet ain’t the only one who travels with one of these:

In case you can’t tell from my phone photo, that’s a pacifier in our young (but not that young!) bus chick’s mouth.* Maybe it helped her keep her cool in the midst of the rampant bus fouls taking place on that ride.

The photos aren’t clear enough to warrant an official caption it!, but if you’ve got a good one, don’t be shy.

* This actually isn’t a new phenomenon (remind me to tell you about my days as a high-school teacher), but it is the first time I’ve seen it on the bus.

Is there room on this bus for my bass?

From animal week to music week…

A band headed to a gig*on a westbound 55:

The same band, at the Alaska Junction stop:

*As it happens, they were performing at Sustainable West Seattle. Fitting, no?

An eastbound morning commuter at Montlake Freeway Station:

Del Rey would be proud.

Speaking of bus fouls…

Given the recent discussion about cell phone conversations on the bus, I thought I’d share this PSA, spotted earlier today on an eastbound 27:

“Too much. Too loud. Please be courteous when using your cell phone on the bus.”

I realize I’m probably in the minority on this, but I don’t find anything inherently wrong with cell-phone talking in transit. After all, you can’t expect silence on the bus. Folks are talking to each other, babies are crying, the driver is calling out stops over the PA … you get the picture. If the conversations are quiet and about subjects that are appropriate for public consumption, I don’t see the harm. When they’re not, the problem isn’t cell phones; it’s rudeness. Loud, personal conversations are a no-no, whether on the phone or in the flesh.

Even though I’m not a big bus phone-talker, I think having the option is one of the (many) advantages of public transportation. Drivers must pay attention to the road, while we transit types can use our travel time as we see fit (see below)–even, if we so choose, to check on a restaurant reservation or catch up with Mom.

Your turn.