Public Transportation

Welcome back dear reader.

While riding public transit over the last couple of days I began to wonder and now have a question.

Does the use of public transit help people become more understanding of others or at the very least more tolerant?

Before we get any farther remember this is just a thought exercise.

The thing is usually when you take public transit you lose some, if not all of your personal space.

So where does that personal space go?

Well it goes to the one or many people who you most likely would not interact with.

And hey, even while hurtling or inching towards your destination you may do everything humanly possible to not interact with them.

That’s what most of us do.

You may, look at the ground, pretend to be asleep, or actually truly fall asleep. Hopefully you set an alarm so you don’t ride indefinitely.

But, you will most likely do what we all collectively do, stare into the two-and-a-half-by-six inch screen that consumes every waking hour of our attention.

Even while trying to pretend that you are by yourself on public transit, you can’t.

Sometimes you are gifted with pleasant perfumes. While other times your nostrils are assaulted by body odors.

Body odors come in an assortment of strengths. There is the most common one, BO. Which is just sweat, oh and bacteria. Don’t forget those little guys. It’s not that bad in my humble opinion.

Farts are usually intense though fleeting as long as your transit has good air circulation. I usually find it best to continue to look at my phone regardless if it was me or the person five people down.

What about when waiting for your transport?

The type of transit and the weather can really make a difference.

So, what if you are waiting for a bus? In my humble opinion it is one of the least glamorous types of transit. Though they are everywhere and seem to be the work horse of the transit system.

Okay, you are now waiting for your bus with ten other people. Then it begins to rain, who gets to go under the bus stop shelter? Well if you are any self-respecting person the elderly and the young. That’s building compassion right there. That is if you are lucky enough to have a bus shelter.

Then the question comes are you going to be able to get a seat when you board the bus?

Not always, but at least you are getting a ride.

Elexa and I caught a bus in Italy all in the name of saving money to spend it elsewhere, as one does.

Well, let me tell you it was an experience.

The said bus was transporting us from Sorrento to Positano. If you know nothing about the Amalfi coast you at least know that it’s the coast, and this bus ride was windy. Also it felt like it took forever. Probably because we stood the entire time while holding onto the ceiling bars with an iron grip.

As I rode standing, I realized that I was fortunate to be able to stand and take the bus. The bus was packed, and some people were not able to make it on. For those of us that did make it we ensured that those that could not stand for the ride had a seat. I had no envy over the others who sat. In fact I felt emboldened to grip those handle bars for dear life.

Okay, so I have one objection to add to the question that was posed.

Doesn’t it depend on the type of transit if compassion is created?

Take for instance airplanes. I don’t feel like they help build compassion.

Just think back when you were in an airport last. When your flight or some other terminal’s flight was full.

You know the one. The one where the gate attendant is bribing people to volunteer to catch another flight.

There is case number one. People have to be bribed to give up their seat. No one is giving up their seat on the plane out of kindness.

And don’t get me wrong, I have never volunteered to catch another flight. Usually the only time I catch a flight is when I am on vacation. Which actually builds the case against me, I technically have all the time in the world. Though it’s my vacation time, so that’s the hitch for me.

My second point is that you know those seats that are positioned around the gate? Sometimes there are a good amount and sometimes there are barely any.

Well, in both cases there are never enough for everyone to sit. Now say an elderly person, or mother with a young child, or a person that has a disability comes up and is seen standing at the gate with no available seats.

Do you ever see others give up their seat for them? I cannot personally recall any instances offhand.

Once you board the plane, the dynamics change a bit. Now everyone is crammed into what seems to be a two by two foot by five foot space. I’m guesstimating here, but you get the idea. I say everyone, but I really mean everyone except the ballers at the front of the plane. Am I a little jealous, you could say that. Hey if one day I get to the front you can be jealous of me too.

So maybe that’s part of what brings people together, well I mean specifically the people that are sitting in economy seats.

So, now this is where the compassion starts to build a bit. I like to think most of us respect one another’s space on a plane. I keep my arms and things in my seat and you keep yours in your seat. Also if any conversation is going to be struck up, do it before take off. Once we are in the air I am not going to have the bandwidth to talk to you. Most people respect these unwritten rules. That’s compassion for your fellow passenger, right?

Sure there are the rude outliers. Say when the person in front of you reclines their seat back. This can be a minor inconvenience, but really becomes a problem when you have your laptop and complimentary juice balanced on that flip down tray table that is attached to their seat.

I guess that little dimple of a cup holder on the tray table does have a purpose after all. Though this near miss doesn’t stop you from looking over to your seat mate with a look that says can you believe this person in the seat in front of me?

The nerve.

I know technically reclining a seat is completely within someone’s right. Though this has never made sense to me, since they are now taking up part of your two-by-two-by-five foot box of space.

Maybe that’s not compassion, but it could be a bonding moment with you and your seat mate. That is as long as your seat mate is not passed out drooling on themselves.

The plane eventually lands and everyone deboards. As you wait at the bus stop the whole compassion building loop starts up again. When you board the bus you are lucky enough to get a seat.

Wait, but then you see one of the first class passengers climb the steps of the same bus as you. Karma you think. This time you have a seat and they are left standing. Before the bus starts moving you see that they are gripping onto the hand rail for dear life with one hand while they steady themselves with a cane in another. Well compassion builds again and you get up and offer them your seat. After all you are on public transit.

-Abe

(This is my mini disclaimer. I usually only use public transit when on vacation, which obviously can give a different perspective. But, hey I got you to think about compassion for the others while you catch public transit.)