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Denizens of public transportation
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I have always hated riding the city bus but lately I have had to suck it up and deal with it. If nothing else it is an opportunity to enjoy people-watching and there is always something going on.

Today we were treated to someone else's crap-ass music (oh where are your earbuds??)

Anyone else get to enjoy humanity on public transport?
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [Furiosa] [ In reply to ]
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A friend of mine commutes on the skytrain in Vancouver and I hear some good stories. One that stands out, he is leaving downtown early on a weekday, maybe around 2 or 3. Some guy a few rows up is in rough shape (drunk) after what appeared to be a business lunch (based on his smart dressing and colleagues he got on with). Anyways, he is hanging his head between his knees, and just starts puking out what looks like pure red wine all over the floor. Of course, then the doors shut, the puke starts flowing under people's seats and everyone is screaming and losing their minds.

I don't miss public transit one bit :-).

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Post deleted by windschatten [ In reply to ]
Re: Denizens of public transportation [windschatten] [ In reply to ]
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I abhor buses and yet I don't mind taking the train. I'd rather walk but I have to get between jobs post haste so I don't have much choice. Although, some days I wish I'd stayed outside in the wind and cold than face life inside those big boxes on wheels.
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [Furiosa] [ In reply to ]
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Speaking of public transportation...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnEXA37Szmk
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [Furiosa] [ In reply to ]
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My public transportation currently is actually quite nice. I take a park and ride to downtown, most people are professionals getting to work and I would say 90% of us work for the same massive employer. Most people don't talk to each other though, we are either on our phones or reading books. When you do talk to someone I have this alkward feeling everyone is listening in on your conversation since your the only two talking. My bus is generally at max capacity, 60+ people on the bus.

That being said, I used to take the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) and that was interesting, all walks of life on that train.
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [AndysStrongAle] [ In reply to ]
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You don't work for 3M do you?

Pactimo brand ambassador, ask me about promo codes
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [AndysStrongAle] [ In reply to ]
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Luckily I drive to work. A few years back was on the subway in NYC. There was a guy with headphones on listening to some rap music. Singing along out loud, every other word was a swear. All of a sudden the subway stops. Lights go out. Sitting there for a couple of minutes in the dark, emergency lights are on. Train operator walks past, opens the door (we were in the last car) and hops out. About a minute later the guy singing out loud gets up and hops out the door. Train operator comes back, train starts up and we continue on. No idea what happened to the guy.
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [MTBSully] [ In reply to ]
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MTBSully wrote:
You don't work for 3M do you?

Nope
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [Furiosa] [ In reply to ]
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Drive to work right now, but took the subway for a decade. To name just a few that I ran into regularly:
  • Those who eat and spill goopy, reeking food on themselves, the seats, and others
  • The strident Christian proselytizers
  • The audible farters
  • The opioid addicts who drool on themselves before passing out and holding up the trains while EMTs are called, then get pissed when they are woken up
  • The incredibly loud high school kids who make fun of elderly passengers
  • People with headphones who rap at full voice profanity-filled lyrics next to mothers traveling with small children
  • The Ivy League undergrad twats talking smugly about how "Immanuel Kant just fucking 'got it', you know, but nobody seems to see that anymore..."
  • The able bodied riders in the handicapped/special needs seats who, when asked to move for a handicapped or pregnant person, say "nah, I don't think so, I waited 3 stops for this seat...."

Last edited by: wimsey: Mar 7, 18 7:59
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [wimsey] [ In reply to ]
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No denizens of public transportation list would be complete without the inebriated/oblivious urinator.

"The right to party is a battle we have fought, but we'll surrender and go Amish... NOT!" -Wayne Campbell
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [burnman] [ In reply to ]
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burnman wrote:
No denizens of public transportation list would be complete without the inebriated/oblivious urinator.

Yeah my MIL used to take the bus to work as the bus stop was right in front of her house and work was the next stop.

She sat next to a handicap person on the way home and realized he obliviously peed on the seat and she sat in it. Since then they changed the route and now she drives.
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [Furiosa] [ In reply to ]
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About to spend a week riding the subways around nyc. Im sure ill see a couple, ill report back!

who's smarter than you're? i'm!
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [veganerd] [ In reply to ]
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veganerd wrote:
About to spend a week riding the subways around nyc. Im sure ill see a couple, ill report back!

A week? I predict that you'll have ample subway experience to report back after a day.

"The right to party is a battle we have fought, but we'll surrender and go Amish... NOT!" -Wayne Campbell
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [veganerd] [ In reply to ]
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veganerd wrote:
About to spend a week riding the subways around nyc. Im sure ill see a couple, ill report back!

I really enjoyed the NYC subway experience. My not-so-inner rural Minnesotan was kind of nervous initially, but I was mostly worried about missing our stop rather than the people. I wouldn't want to do it every day, but it was certainly entertaining - mostly just "crazy guy talking to himself" type of stuff. I'm looking forward to your report.

As far as my denizen of public transportation story goes, around 1999, I was on a week-long business trip in Atlanta and took a cab back and forth from my hotel to the workplace each day. I had about a half hour ride each way and had the same cabbie every time. So, we got to chatting about all sorts of things. He struck me as being very intelligent and well-spoken.

At one point, he opens up the glove box and says, "hey, check this out..." and hands me a book. It was a publisher's proof of a book he wrote about locksmithing. According to him, it was about to hit the stores within a month or so. I just thought that was just a really unique area of expertise from a person I didn't really expect. Pretty fascinating guy.

Oh, and there's also the time I was in the Marine Corps, on my way to Iwakuni, Japan, and had to stay overnight in LA. I hailed a cab and asked the driver to take me to a cheap motel in Compton, since NWA had made it sound like such a nice place. The cabbie looks at me with the most annoyed expression and says, "what in the fuck is wrong with you?" Nonetheless, he obliged and agreed to pick me up in the morning.

There was a shooting in the motel complex that night - police, sirens, police tape and all the hoopla. The driver picks me up, gives me that annoyed look one more time and says, "well, I certainly hope you got the fucking experience you were looking for."

Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [burnman] [ In reply to ]
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burnman wrote:
veganerd wrote:
About to spend a week riding the subways around nyc. Im sure ill see a couple, ill report back!


A week? I predict that you'll have ample subway experience to report back after a day.

Would say the same thing. I take NJ transit and then the subways every day (have for four years now). I'll definitely contribute to this thread... I see 4 or 5 winners everyday by 8:30 in the morning.

I talk to myself because mine are the only answers I'll accept - George Carlin
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [Furiosa] [ In reply to ]
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Not much call for public transport where I am, but a few stories from traveling come to mind.

Went to Europe for a month or so during a summer off from college. Went with my older sister who is very quiet, religious, reserved, home schooler, etc. Sitting on the metro in Paris when a guy about our age gets on and sits next to her. After a few minutes he grabs her hand and slowly interlaces her fingers into his. Doesn't say a word, doesn't look at her, just sits there holding her hand. She is mortified but doesn't know what to do and is just staring at me, her eyes pleading for help. I was laughing too hard to be of any help. A few stops later he stands up and gets off the train. Still not a word to her.

Same sister complained about the smell on the metro in Paris during peak hours. There was definitely the standard underground public transport smell, but nothing I noticed to be unbearable. She told me to get down on her level to feel her pain as I am 6'0" and she is 5'1". Lets just say having your nose at armpit level during peak hours in France is not a great situation to be in!
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [Furiosa] [ In reply to ]
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god.....buses are the worst. I take local buses in suburban vancouver to work 3 days a week (usually run half way and bus the rest in order to get in some training).

over that last 5 years ive seen all the obvious ones like puking all over the floor, passed out druggies, music with no headphones, etc, etc.....

it seems like the drivers are getting stranger all the time too - like borderline rude/trashy/bad at their job/etc....
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [y_nigel] [ In reply to ]
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Bus Drivers are the reason I stopped taking the bus and bike year round in Calgary, it seemed at least once a week I would get on the bus with the driver who felt that he should wear shorts and a t-shirt even though it was -30c outside and so cranked the heat to the point that people are passing out because we are all stuck with winter wear on so we can wait for the bus and then step into a sauna.
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [Furiosa] [ In reply to ]
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I take the train (light rail)P everyday because traffic sucks. Mostly people are going from suburbia to work/school so not too bad. Mostly the seat hogs who put their backpack next to them or the occasional person who has their feet up on the seat across from them. They are the ones I typically target to sit next to or across from when I get on the train. I just do it to see if I get a reaction.
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [y_nigel] [ In reply to ]
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y_nigel wrote:
god.....buses are the worst. I take local buses in suburban vancouver to work 3 days a week (usually run half way and bus the rest in order to get in some training).

So you're the sweaty and stinky bus denizen people have to tolerate sharing a seat with?
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [Alibabwa] [ In reply to ]
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Alibabwa wrote:
y_nigel wrote:
god.....buses are the worst. I take local buses in suburban vancouver to work 3 days a week (usually run half way and bus the rest in order to get in some training).


So you're the sweaty and stinky bus denizen people have to tolerate sharing a seat with?

sometimes - i'm not a big sweater though, and its only hot enough here to really perspire like 10-20 days a year tops
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [y_nigel] [ In reply to ]
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Just because I can...


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Re: Denizens of public transportation [OneGoodLeg] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Denizens of public transportation [wimsey] [ In reply to ]
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wimsey wrote:
Drive to work right now, but took the subway for a decade. To name just a few that I ran into regularly:


  • Those who eat and spill goopy, reeking food on themselves, the seats, and others
  • The strident Christian proselytizers
  • The audible farters
  • The opioid addicts who drool on themselves before passing out and holding up the trains while EMTs are called, then get pissed when they are woken up
  • The incredibly loud high school kids who make fun of elderly passengers
  • People with headphones who rap at full voice profanity-filled lyrics next to mothers traveling with small children
  • The Ivy League undergrad twats talking smugly about how "Immanuel Kant just fucking 'got it', you know, but nobody seems to see that anymore..."
  • The able bodied riders in the handicapped/special needs seats who, when asked to move for a handicapped or pregnant person, say "nah, I don't think so, I waited 3 stops for this seat...."


To add to this (Chicago Red & Brown line..though Red takes the cake..and a few bus examples) over a 14 year run in Chicago.
  • couple bangin at the end of the brown line in the every so slightly private seats
  • Whoever the poopers are..
  • Guy eating fastfood AND throwing his wrappers on the floor
  • The smell..not who to attribute it to but there is a certain El train smell (see above examples)
  • the crazy guy who started yelling "lord..the north koreans have infiltrated our country!!!" over and over when he spotted my wife on (Korean..of the southern variety) on a city bus...this was 8 years ago..would love to hear the modern version
  • couple or individual working cart to cart announcing why they need money and sharing their story
  • person(s) who refuse to give up ground standing in front of the exit because their stop is 3 away when masses of new riders are entering
  • the really angry guy mumbling expletives to himself and immediate neighbors
  • homeless/crazy guy who would see me at the brown line stop every morning for a few years and would make it a point to yell at me that he was going to bash my head in "until he saw the white meat"...still not sure what that means but he was always on the other side of the street...talk about staying vigilant in the morning!
  • drunk guy(s) who look like they are about to vomit on the red line after a Cubs game..I never witnessed it but based on the smell it happened way too frequently.
  • ..and the rest of us who make it a point to stare down and at their phones in an attempt to avoid eye contact with anyone should they match any of the profiles, or yet to be discovered ones, above

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