What tips would you give a visitor to Boston on MBTA subway (and bus) etiquette? Over on the Boston Trip Advisor Forum, there is a small but dedicated group of locals who help visitors plan their time in the city. They recently took up that question. Here's a link to that conversation.
People who don't move into the train and backpacks and the annoyance they can be to other passengers began the topic. It was noted that some transit systems ask that backpacks be placed on the floor. Penny often wears a backpack that she will either take off or hold in front of her on the T. The only time we leave them on is if we have a seat and the backpack will only make us uncomfortable.
Adam Gaffin over on Universal Hub has been educating readers and collecting long lists of comments on this topic for years. Here's one survey on backpacks he did in 2007. The comments on this post range from stroller issues to people who cannot reach the high straps and need a lower place to hold.
Other topics touched upon by the Trip Advisors were:
- Leaving litter behind
- Keeping right on the escalators
- Waiting until people get off before you try to get on a train or bus
- Keeping music and conversations to yourself
- Offering a seat to others when appropriate
Pole hogs or as we call them, "Pole dancers" were one of the topics Penny added to the Trip Advisor conversation. The photo above by Mark Kent was taken in New York where the public transit system is, at least, trying to teach etiquette.
She also offered a tip to those who fear that if they move into a crowded train they may not be able to get off at their stop. She wrote, "Remember the name of the stop before yours and use that as your positioning stop. I do this all the time in rush hour. If I plan to get off a packed train at Hynes, I'll move into the train and move to a spot near a door at Copley. This way you flow with the crowd getting off at Copley and have a good choice of positions, sometimes even a seat by the door, when you reach your stop."
If you follow Universal Hub or are active on Boston social media, you may know the term manspreading. This is another issue that the NYC system has addressed with the poster above. Even the New York Times did a report and video on the topic.
The little puppet in the New York Times video had the best advice when he said, "If I'm lucky enough to get a seat on a subway, I employ a simple rule. I'm one person, I take one seat. I keep my legs in one seat. I keep my bag in one seat. I keep my arms in one seat."
Here's an additional video with all Johnny T's Subway tips. Perhaps Bostonians can learn something from a little guy from New York.
Related Post:
Dogs on Public Transit, Boston: 101
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2011 Penny Cherubino, NYC subway sign by Mark Kent used under creative commons license.