CREDIT: HAYDN ROOTH
Most students take the bus and commute to either school or work. A collective effort to better our transit system behoves everyone.

To sugar-coat it, riding the bus can really, really suck. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a nuisance to fellow passengers, like the guy next to you FaceTiming with the speakerphone on. We all have stories of the trials and tribulations faced when riding the bus, so let’s all make an effort to make riding the bus a little bit better for everyone. Being a well-mannered bus rider is simple and easy, just follow these general rules:

One fare, one seat. This is a simple one. You pay for a single bus fare every time you enter the bus (save for owning a transfer). This means you of course only get one seat on the bus; your backpack did not pay a fare, therefore does not receive a seat. The same goes for having multiple grocery bags. Place them instead at your feet or on your lap in order to save space. We all have baggage; we should work together to find ample room for it all.

Hands to yourself. Another seemingly simple tip that seems to be forgotten an unforgivable amount of times: don’t touch anyone. Keep your hands to yourself and everyone will be happier for it. Some touching is inevitable like thighs touching when the bus is packed and, in that case, just keep to yourself and sit respectfully.

Mind your volume level. A multi-faceted tip that encompasses the noises emitted from your person and from your phone. Talking to the person next to you is perfectly fine, but if you and your friend are taking up four seats, yelling at each other from across the bus, then please rethink what you are doing. Some people are more sensitive to loud voices than one may think; keep you voice down.

Secondly, talking loudly on the phone is not okay. Talking to someone via speakerphone is even more so not okay. Speaking with someone via FaceTime may seem like a great way to connect, but the reality of it is the people in the background of your video call are very uncomfortable being on your camera. Do not film someone without their permission. Having a personal rap concert on the bus with your portable speaker is a first class lesson in ignorance. Don’t be that guy.

Don’t block the whole bus. The buses in London fill up very quickly with a large ridership and several short bus routes. When the bus is full, pick your bag up and make sure the seats next to you are available for someone else to sit on. If you are standing on the bus, remain in the aisle and move to the back as the bus fills. Do not stand in the inlet where the door is, as this makes exiting the bus difficult and slow. Also, when standing on the bus, do not lean over people who are sitting down; this can be a very invasive and threatening presence to people.

Step in when something is not right. Injustices on transit are committed every day, right in the public eye. Whether it be a bigot verbally attacking someone, a man harassing a woman or an act of racism, it is our civic duty to help our fellow man. Speaking up and calling people out on bad behavior is the only way to stop the behavior from happening. Be that person, speak out, lend a hand; it won’t cost you anything but will mean the world to the person you help. If you see something that is not right on the bus, the safest course of action is to let the driver know. They will deal with the problem at the source.

These are just five simple ways that anyone can make riding the bus a better experience for everyone. Proper bus etiquette starts with you. Together we can make the LTC a clean and quiet way to travel through London.