Unwritten Rules
Today is a Spare the Air Day in San Francisco and along the Peninsula. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and other mass transits are offering free rides ALL DAY!!! That’s great. It really is a beautiful day to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Free transit does a great service by providing people a great incentive to get out of their cars and onto public transportation. But on the downside, it forces normal commuters the headache and aggravation of dealing with people who don’t know the “rules” of public transportation. For example, I was on BART this morning, and I could tell the people who normally ride BART into the City and the people who were on BART just to take advantage of the free ride. Now there’s nothing wrong with not being a “regular” commuter, but damnit…you just have to know the rules.
As a frequent BART rider, I find it mildly annoying and extremely irritating when other people who ride BART don’t abide by the “unwritten rules” of the system. Now, I hate to harp on this, but man…it just pisses me off. So I have briefly outlined some “unwritten rules” that I figure many other BART riders abide by and wish others would as well. Pay attention and do you’re best to obey.
1. As you are looking to get on a BART train that is sitting on the platform, either run to catch this train or admit to missing it. Don’t try to walk to catch the train and then slap the window or kick the door when you miss it. A note to you, the doors are not controlled by a slap from your hand or a kick from your foot. And another thing, don’t hold open the doors for your slow-ass friends and family. The trains are about 5 to 10 minutes apart, so just wait for the next one. If you planned things better and consulted the schedule, you wouldn’t have missed the train in the first place. Don’t throw off the whole train schedule and make everyone else late because you’re slow.
2. When you get on the BART train, let people exit the train first. Let me tell you, there is nothing more frustrating, than trying to get off a train while some unruly kid or, even worse, an ignorant adult, is trying to get on the train. Trust me, I don’t want to get in your way, I just want to get off the train. So just make things easier by letting people off before you get on. Simple, right? And don’t worry, the train won’t leave without you if you're standing right in front of the door.
3. Now, when you are sitting on the train, do not put your feet up on the seat across from you. For those of you who don’t know, on some BART trains, two rows of seats face each other and some are perpendicular from one another. Many times you can walk on a train and see some idiot with their feet on the opposite seat. First off, it’s rude. If you put your feet up on your furniture at home, that’s fine. I don’t have to pay for that. But as a BART customer, my fare will increase if more maintenance is required to keep the trains clean. Second, by putting your feet on the seat across from you, you take an extra seat away from other people. Why would you want to do something so insensitive? And third, if I am sitting in the seat diagonally across from you, I don’t want to be sitting next to your shoes. Your shoes smell bad, look gross, and make me want to kick you in the face. Don’t inspire hateful thoughts in my head. So just keep your feet off the seats.
4. When you are on BART and see a person who has headphones on, don’t talk to them. I find myself sitting on a BART train and having random people start conversations with me. Um…hello, does it look like I want to talk to you? Come on, people! Now, I’m fine if you want to ask me where you should get off to transfer, or what station is coming up, or even how to get to San Francisco (which I have gotten asked many times, heaven forbid you consult a map located on every train and platform), but short of that, don’t talk to me. Don’t ask me what I’m listening to on my mp3 player, where I’m going, or how I’m going to enjoy the nice weather. Crap man!!! You could read a book, listen to music, or even people watch, but talking to me is not an option.
5. Finally, as you are exiting a BART train and making your way up the escalators, standing traffic is always on the right side and moving traffic on the left side. This means, that if you don’t plan to walk up the escalators, move to the right and let people pass you. This also means if you are hanging out and talking to your friends, move to the right. If you’re shuffling through your purse or bag looking for something, MOVE TO THE RIGHT!!! Only stay on the left, if you plan to WALK up the escalator. Some people have places to go, people to meet, lives to live. So get the hell out of the way.
Well I hope this has been helpful to you. Trust me, as an avid BART user, these rules are unwritten and unspoken, but definitely understood. So please, for your own safety and the safety of others, try to abide by these unwritten rules. They’ll save us all a lot of time, frustration, and unpleasant thoughts.
As a frequent BART rider, I find it mildly annoying and extremely irritating when other people who ride BART don’t abide by the “unwritten rules” of the system. Now, I hate to harp on this, but man…it just pisses me off. So I have briefly outlined some “unwritten rules” that I figure many other BART riders abide by and wish others would as well. Pay attention and do you’re best to obey.
1. As you are looking to get on a BART train that is sitting on the platform, either run to catch this train or admit to missing it. Don’t try to walk to catch the train and then slap the window or kick the door when you miss it. A note to you, the doors are not controlled by a slap from your hand or a kick from your foot. And another thing, don’t hold open the doors for your slow-ass friends and family. The trains are about 5 to 10 minutes apart, so just wait for the next one. If you planned things better and consulted the schedule, you wouldn’t have missed the train in the first place. Don’t throw off the whole train schedule and make everyone else late because you’re slow.
2. When you get on the BART train, let people exit the train first. Let me tell you, there is nothing more frustrating, than trying to get off a train while some unruly kid or, even worse, an ignorant adult, is trying to get on the train. Trust me, I don’t want to get in your way, I just want to get off the train. So just make things easier by letting people off before you get on. Simple, right? And don’t worry, the train won’t leave without you if you're standing right in front of the door.
3. Now, when you are sitting on the train, do not put your feet up on the seat across from you. For those of you who don’t know, on some BART trains, two rows of seats face each other and some are perpendicular from one another. Many times you can walk on a train and see some idiot with their feet on the opposite seat. First off, it’s rude. If you put your feet up on your furniture at home, that’s fine. I don’t have to pay for that. But as a BART customer, my fare will increase if more maintenance is required to keep the trains clean. Second, by putting your feet on the seat across from you, you take an extra seat away from other people. Why would you want to do something so insensitive? And third, if I am sitting in the seat diagonally across from you, I don’t want to be sitting next to your shoes. Your shoes smell bad, look gross, and make me want to kick you in the face. Don’t inspire hateful thoughts in my head. So just keep your feet off the seats.
4. When you are on BART and see a person who has headphones on, don’t talk to them. I find myself sitting on a BART train and having random people start conversations with me. Um…hello, does it look like I want to talk to you? Come on, people! Now, I’m fine if you want to ask me where you should get off to transfer, or what station is coming up, or even how to get to San Francisco (which I have gotten asked many times, heaven forbid you consult a map located on every train and platform), but short of that, don’t talk to me. Don’t ask me what I’m listening to on my mp3 player, where I’m going, or how I’m going to enjoy the nice weather. Crap man!!! You could read a book, listen to music, or even people watch, but talking to me is not an option.
5. Finally, as you are exiting a BART train and making your way up the escalators, standing traffic is always on the right side and moving traffic on the left side. This means, that if you don’t plan to walk up the escalators, move to the right and let people pass you. This also means if you are hanging out and talking to your friends, move to the right. If you’re shuffling through your purse or bag looking for something, MOVE TO THE RIGHT!!! Only stay on the left, if you plan to WALK up the escalator. Some people have places to go, people to meet, lives to live. So get the hell out of the way.
Well I hope this has been helpful to you. Trust me, as an avid BART user, these rules are unwritten and unspoken, but definitely understood. So please, for your own safety and the safety of others, try to abide by these unwritten rules. They’ll save us all a lot of time, frustration, and unpleasant thoughts.
Posted by kristina
