On the Buses; Public transport is not a personal service.

On the Buses.  Has anyone seen this 1970’s British sitcom that aired on ITV and was exported to stations in Canada?  It’s a fitting title for this post.

I routinely use public transport in Gatineau and Ottawa.  The current form of that transport is bus.  We routinely hear of the need for expanded public transport networks and the need for increased public funding of those networks, but there is a behavioural dimension to public transport as well, and that is something no government can adequately address, but the people who use public transport can, both collectively and as individuals.

Public does not mean private, yet I find many users of the buses in the city where I live behave as though a personal, private service is being provided them.  I routinely see drivers slowed down or distracted due to passengers who think he/she is their personal concierge and information service.  These people block the door of the bus while engaging in conversation with the driver, or they are already aboard and question the driver, asking for directions, correct routes, and fares.  Only twice have I seen a driver actually assert himself and essentially tell a passenger that he is not a personal tour guide.  One produced a copy of the transport commission’s guide to routes, fares, and schedules, and another simply said “I’m sorry, my job is only to drive the bus.”  I did not think either of these individuals were wrong to do what they did.

This afternoon while returning home from doing some work in downtown Ottawa, I again witnessed other examples of bus passengers thinking the bus is their personal vehicle and the driver their chauffeur.  One individual attempted to request a stop by shouting towards the driver, who did not hear him.  The passenger was disgusted by the lack of reaction from the driver.  Perhaps the passenger did not notice there are buttons which can be pressed or a cable that can be pulled in order to request a stop.  A few blocks later, another passenger missed his stop and did not realize this until the driver had proceeded forward.  The passenger shouted “Please stop!”  The driver did, but he certainly did not have to.

It is the selfish behaviour of passengers that makes buses run slow and inefficiently.  The members of the public who use public transport need to realize this is a public service and not a private, personal one.  The driver is not your personal chauffeur or concierge.  There are others aboard the bus whose time and scheduling should be respected.