Aug 11, 2012

30 Lessons learnt commuting and using public transit.

ttc subway train
  • Always look before you sit
    • Why you ask, because you are liable to sit in shit, piss, vomit or other unidentifiable bodily secretions
  • Never stand directly behind anyone on the escalator
    • Why – because you are liable to get a face full of stink ranging anywhere from body odour to an indiscriminate funky fart.
  • Never look up (look forward) when travelling on an escalator
    • Why – because you may see things you don’t want to, like dirty thongs, naked and pimpled bottoms
  • Never sit in front of or beside of an intoxicated person
    • Why-you liable to get a vomit shower trust me it happens, my daughter was a witness to a horrifying site of a drunk on the bus that vomited on the guy sitting in front of him.
  • Be prepared to be pushed and inconvenience at times
  • Don’t expect the person preceding you through a door to hold it long enough for you to hold it yourself. If it occurs be grateful and say thank you.
  • Do not expect a man to offer you his seat, if he does however remember to be gracious and say thank you
  • If you greet someone greet them without conditions, don’t expect it back, if you are greeted smile it’s a gift of community.
  • Be prepared to offer your seat to someone in need (elderly, pregnant woman, children, and person’s with physical disabilities)
  • Always say thank you where applicable to the driver that got you safely from point A to point B
  • Be flexible and prepared for unexpected delays (walk with a book, music, anything to keep you calm and focused.)
  • Be aware of your general surroundings/people
    • Why - in case of unexpected incidences of fights, escalating arguments, etc.
  • Be mindful of what say and don’t say names and places
    • Why – because you never know who is sitting beside you, behind you, in front of you, around you that may know the person you are discussing. The world is small that way and you would be surprise how what you say can come back and bite you in the ass when you least expect it.
    • I cannot tell you the amount of time I’ve had people I do not recall come up to me because they remember me from my place of work and it always remind me of my grandmother when she said, “when you are in conversation with someone always remember what you say, when you said it, the reason you said and most of all do not call names.” To which she also added, “If you cannot say it to the person’s face, then don’t say it at all.”
  • Never stand too near to the sidewalk on a rainy day or snow slushed day
    • why – because some people that own their own vehicles are not always kind and will drive by so hard and fast that you will get a bath while simply waiting for the bus or to cross the street
  • Be prepared to be irritated by inconsideration and manage your emotions
    • why – because a bus/train/streetcar load of passengers are not always willing to move to the back , squeeze themselves in to accommodate you on good days far less for freezing or rainy days, they are inside and you being outside is of little concern of theirs.
  • People comes in all shapes, sizes, heights, skin tones, personality types, don’t take it personally.
    • why-because its not about, 90% of the people you’ll meet don’t know you from the paint on the wall so it cannot be about you but rather about them, how they think, what’s going with them.
  • Take all encounters, incidences, experiences in stride and know that no one situation is permanent, it is just but a fleeting moment of time, you don’t have to own it.
QUESTION:
  • Have you learnt anything from commuting, being amounts' others or using public transit?

30 comments:

  1. Sounds like you live in the GTA...cool pointers

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  2. I am so glad I can ride in my car. I would surely hate to deal with all of that stuff every day.

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    1. Well to every advantage there is a disadvantage, gas prices, car insurance, maintenance-tune ups, oil changes. With everything there are pros and cons though at times i must confess to wishing i could dry yet i simultaneously am grateful at not having more bill payments.

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  3. Ah man, i can definitely attest to the getting splashed business. Story: Me and my bf at the time had literally been walking around all day and there was not a single drop of water anywhere. Then the 1 minute of that entire walk that my bf wasn't standing between me and the street, some douche came flying down the street and splashed the hell outta me. They even stopped their car (i assume to apologize) but thought better of it and just drove off. I was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo mad lol.

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    1. that very experience has taught me never to stand close to the side walk. Now i stand a waaaaaaay back

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  4. Thanks for the detailed list of advise and suggestions. Must have taken you quite a while and lots of thinking to compile this.Have a great Sunday.

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    1. Blessings Ramakrishnan, no it didn`t take long, it is so lived daily that it all came easily. I just wanted to share it with others.

      thanks for stopping by.

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  5. hmm these are really cool pointers,some would not even come to mind..Thanks for sharing..

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    1. You are welcome Darling, I trust all is well with you

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    2. Yes Rhapsody,all is well :)

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    3. Oh thank the Lord, am glad to read that you are well. Thanks for coming and letting me know. Have a blessed week Darling.

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  6. Ahahahahaha....nice one Rhapsody....well, in Nigeria, our public transit are buses of different sizes, and M-E-HN! It is a tale of it's own! One cam write a book on it! :D
    Oh! yes, there is the occasional fart, and don't forget the argument and quarrels btw passengers or conductors because of change or the bus fare. Btw passengers it is always the space...4-5 people share a space that is meant for 3 people, so there is always the problem of enough seat...hence they don't like carrying fat people like me! The conductor will tell the driver to move or bluntly tell the fat person not to enter, or shout at the fat person to shift or get down! What about the passengers? They make it look as if it is your fault to be fat!.

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    1. Oh heavenly father, what a horrifying moment for the plus size person who simply wants to go about their day like everybody else, aye! and to have others agree and not rise up because it benefits them to get the space what a disappointment! It never occurs to them that at some point they can be in a position of experiencing injustice and may need the support of the kindness of strangers. wow what a disheartening and hurtful experience. It never enters their minds that``fat`` people are human beings and being larger does not exempt one from human compassion, kindness and empathy.

      wow i am still in shock, of course i know of fat discrimination but to have it so normalized and enacted so boldy and arrogantly by others who designate themselves superior yicks speaks volumes about their inferior thinking and ignorance. reminds me of a Martin Luther King quote: ``Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.``

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  7. A friend & her sister were insulting a man who they thought didn't understand their local dialect. News flash, he did & called them out. It was nasty

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    1. Oh no they didn't, have mercy, one thing i advise my language interpreters is always to perceive everyone as knowing there language, it prevents exactly what you have just shared. I hope they learnt' a valuable lesson.

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  8. I used to use the London Underground a few moons ago, and yes I can remember a few pretty bad incidents. Manners are so few during commute back and forth to work place. Oh those where the days not!!
    Good post Rhapsody
    Best Wishes

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    1. Yeah it can be challenging though it does sharpen your people skills, lol

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  9. Exhaustive list,Rhapsody.You haven't missed any important point.

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    1. thanks....just figured perhaps it might be beneficial, one never knows what they may encounter during their travels.

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  10. cool pointers.......i've been splashed a lot of times....not a nice feeling especially when you're going somewhere important

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    1. I know right, especially when you are dressed to the nines and rocking the outfit only to be splashed and transformed into a wet sloppy rag.

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  11. I periodically use public transportation to get into town as taking my car is a real hassle. If possible I will travel after and or before rush hour. By the way wouldn't it be nice if rush hour lasted only an hour. Public transportation is a necessary evil. I had an incident a few months back on a crowded subway involving a young man. I was sitting facining forward and it was very crowded. Through the corner of my eye I could see the young mans shorts slowly lowering themselves. He wasn't doing it but you'd think he would be aware that his pants were flying at half mast. He was very close to me. It was notr a pretty picture.

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    1. Hey bostonboy, its been a while since i've read from you. Glad to you are doing well. In terms of unsightly things to see, oh don't get me started, i've seen waaaay too much including down people's throats as they yawn unceremoniously without putting their hands by their mouths - hate it!

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  12. nodding my head all trough the read. thanks for sharing Rhapsody...

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  13. Lawdy, lawdy, lawdy...you DO have a way with words! You've made it very clear and now it's up to us to 'take-heed' or not.

    I especially like, "when you are in conversation with someone always remember what you say, when you said it, the reason you said and most of all do not call names". This makes so much sense! And, I will remember it and practice it always.

    Have a wonderful weekend, my friend.

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    1. the reason for that is, when tory comes back its usually distorted and far from what was originally toll and you may have to clarify and rectify the who, the what, the where, the when and the why.

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