c/commuter-chronicles

Can we talk about standing on the left side of the escalator?

I used to stand on whatever side felt crowded. Didn't think about it. Then last week at Grand Central Terminal, this guy tapped my shoulder and said "left side is for walking, ma'am." I felt like an idiot. All these years I've been blocking people in a rush. Now I stick to the right like everyone else. Do people actually learn this rule or is it one of those things you just pick up after enough dirty looks?

Missed my bus by 7 seconds this morning and watched the driver look right at me

The train door shut on my backpack strap

I was boarding the 7:45 into Union Station last Thursday and my backpack strap got caught in the closing doors. The train started moving and I was stuck there, bent over sideways trying to keep my balance. Two people saw me and started yelling for the conductor while I was just wedged there for about 30 seconds. Finally someone hit the emergency strip and the doors popped open... Has anyone else had a bag or coat get caught like that?

Last week I counted 17 people scrolling TikTok on the 7:15 bus

I take the 7:15 bus from downtown Portland every morning and last Tuesday I decided to count how many people were on their phones. By the time we hit the 5th stop I was at 17 out of 22 passengers just scrolling TikTok or Instagram with the sound blasting. There was this guy next to me watching some loud cooking video full volume and I could smell his breakfast sandwich through the wrapper. I get it, mornings are rough and nobody wants to talk to strangers but is the whole bus just a silent phone zone now? Does anyone else feel like public transit used to have more random human moments like people asking for the time or sharing a newspaper? I miss when youd glance over and see someone reading a paperback instead of just staring at a screen.

Tried reading on the bus to be productive, ended up talking to a stranger about ferrets

I decided last Tuesday to finally crack open that ebook I've been ignoring for weeks. Got through maybe two pages before the guy next to me leans over and asks if I'm reading about ferret care. I was like, no it's a thriller, but he didn't care and spent the next 20 minutes telling me about his pet ferret named Noodles who escaped and lived under his couch for three days. Learned that ferrets can squeeze through holes the size of a quarter, which is actually useful trivia. Also learned that trying to read on a crowded 7 AM bus is a myth unless you have noise cancelling headphones and a death stare. Has anyone else had a random convo completely wreck their commute reading plans?

Changed my mind about bus etiquette after a guy on the 42 told me off

I used to think it was fine to stand in the doorway of the bus while people got off, like a little squeeze wouldn't hurt. Last Tuesday on the 42 through downtown, this older guy with a briefcase stopped right in front of me and said 'You're the reason we're all late, buddy. Let people out first.' He didn't yell, just said it flat and walked off. I stood there for a second and realized he was right. I'd been holding up the whole line for months without thinking about it. Now I step back every time and the flow is way faster. Has anyone else had a random passenger call them out? How'd you take it?

PSA: Taking the 'scenic' route on the bus to avoid the highway jam actually worked

Everyone on my line complains about the 8:05 bus getting stuck on the interstate for 20 minutes every morning. The common tip is to just leave earlier, but I have to get my kid to daycare first. So last Tuesday, I looked at the map and saw the 8:05 has an old route that goes through the local streets in Riverside. It adds five more stops and looks slower. I decided to try it, fully expecting to be super late. But guess what? We cruised right through. No traffic lights held us up, and we actually pulled into the downtown terminal only three minutes later than the schedule says, which is a full 15 minutes faster than the highway bus has been lately. I've done it three days in a row now with the same result. Maybe everyone dismissing the local streets as a bad idea is just following the old crowd? Has anyone else found a weird alternate route that actually saves time?

Rant: The morning train used to be a quiet zone, now it's a phone call free-for-all

I swear, before the pandemic, my 8:05 AM train into the city was mostly people reading or just looking out the window. Now, at least three people a car are having full-volume work calls before we even leave the station. It's like the line between the office and the commute just vanished. Anyone else's route gotten way louder with people treating the train like their personal conference room?

Warning: The 7:15 express bus vs the 7:30 local is a whole different world

For the last three months I've been testing both the 7:15 express and the 7:30 local bus on my route into downtown. The express costs $2.50 more but it's a game changer. It skips 12 stops and gets me to work a full 25 minutes faster, plus it's way less crowded. The local is always packed by the 5th stop and I'm stuck standing the whole way. That extra 15 minutes of sleep isn't worth the stress. Has anyone else found a specific bus or train time that's secretly way better than the others on the same line?

A guy on the 6:45 bus to downtown tried to sell me a pet turtle

So this was last Tuesday morning, and I was just trying to zone out with my coffee. This guy gets on at the Maple Street stop, sits next to me, and after about two minutes he leans over and says, 'Hey, you look like a responsible person.' He then opens his jacket, and there's a small box with a live turtle inside. He said he found it and needed to give it a good home for 20 bucks. I just stared, not sure if I was more shocked by the turtle or the fact he thought a crowded city bus was the right place for this. The driver must have seen it in the mirror because he yelled over the speaker, 'No livestock sales on my bus, sir!' The guy just shrugged, got off at the next light, and walked away with the box. Has anyone else had a stranger try to sell them something truly wild during their commute?

Showerthought: a guy on the 7:15 train to Philly taught me the best way to spot an empty seat.

He leaned over and whispered, 'Look for the people who put their bag on the seat, then check their phone... they're hoping you won't ask.' Has anyone else picked up a weirdly specific commuter trick like that?

A guy on the 7:15 train spent the whole ride practicing his ventriloquism with a sock puppet.

He kept whispering to it about the weather, and the lady across from him kept answering the puppet's questions (like it was totally normal). Has anyone else seen something this weird on their morning commute?

My friend swore by the 7:22 express to avoid the worst crowds, but I got stuck for 45 minutes last Tuesday.

She said it was the only train where you could always get a seat, but a signal failure near the Westgate station turned it into a total parking lot. Has anyone else found their 'sure thing' commute tip just fall apart recently?

Serious question, is anyone else choosing the bus over the train now?

Honestly, I had to pick between the 7:15 express train or the local bus that takes 20 minutes longer. I chose the bus last week because the train's been so packed you can't even breathe. Has anyone else made the switch for a little personal space, even if it makes you late?

My bus driver took a detour through a neighborhood I'd never seen before

We were stuck in gridlock on the usual route downtown, and the driver announced he was taking an alternate path through the Westview subdivision. It was actually a really pretty area with old trees and quiet streets, and we got to the station only five minutes later than usual. Has anyone else's driver done something like that to beat traffic?

Guy on the 7:15 train yelled at me for putting my bag on the empty seat next to me

He said 'This isn't your living room' and stared me down until I moved it. The train was half empty and he could have sat anywhere else. Why do some people look for a fight first thing in the morning?

I spent $80 on a fancy insulated travel mug and it was a total waste

Everyone on here talks about how a good thermos is a commuter must-have, but my experience was different. I got the HydroFlask Trail Series for my 45-minute bus ride into Chicago, thinking it would keep my coffee hot. It did, but the lid was so hard to open one-handed on a crowded bus that I nearly spilled it twice. Has anyone found a good mug that actually works for a bumpy ride without needing two hands?

The bus seat shuffle at the 5th Street stop is driving me nuts

Some folks think you should stand up and move into the aisle before the bus stops, while others wait until it's fully parked. The early movers block the path for people getting off, but waiting can slow everyone down. What's the proper move here, because I see this mess every morning?

Appreciation post: My $20 waterproof backpack cover saved my laptop on the 5:15 bus

A sudden downpour hit right as we pulled in, and the cheap plastic bag I used to carry it in before would have been soaked through. Anyone have a good brand for actually waterproof shoes that can handle a sprint to the stop?

My bus pass reader just stopped working this morning

I was trying to get on the 7:15 express to downtown, you know, like I do every day. I tapped my card on the reader and it just stayed red, no beep or anything. The driver told me to try again, but after three tries he just waved me on (which was nice of him). Has anyone else had their transit card just die like this, and what's the fastest way to get a new one?

The 7:15 express bus got quiet for a full month, and I finally figured out why

It turns out a nearby middle school switched their start time from 8:00 to 9:00 in September. Suddenly, the bus wasn't packed with loud, energetic kids anymore. Has anyone else noticed a big shift in their usual route's vibe this fall?

Rant: The 7:15 AM express bus used to be a quiet zone. Now it's a phone call conference room.

For about two years, my morning ride was a peaceful 35 minutes. People read, slept, or looked out the window. In the last six months, it's totally flipped. Now, without fail, at least three people are having loud, full-volume speakerphone calls about work stuff before we even hit the freeway. It's like a rolling office. The change seemed to happen right after that big tech company opened its new campus near the last stop. I guess a bunch of new riders brought their 'multitasking on the go' habits with them. The driver put up a 'please be considerate' sign, but it's just paper over a crack. Has anyone else's regular route had its whole vibe ruined by one big change like this? What did you do?

I thought the new express bus lane on Main Street was a waste of paint. Then my usual 45-minute ride home took 22 minutes.

The 7:15 express bus versus the 7:30 local route is a night and day difference

For a year I took the local bus from my stop in Tacoma, which stopped every two blocks and took 55 minutes to get downtown. Last month I started walking ten minutes to catch the express instead. It uses the freeway and makes only three stops total, cutting my trip to 32 minutes. The extra walk is nothing compared to getting 23 minutes of my morning back. The express is also less crowded because fewer people are willing to make that initial walk. I wish I had switched years ago. Has anyone else made a small change to their route that saved a huge chunk of time?

PSA: I found a better way to track the bus on my phone

For months, I would just open the transit app and stare at the map, guessing when my bus would come. Last Tuesday, I missed the 7:15 because the map was wrong. Now I use the text alert system the city set up. You text your stop number and it texts back the real times. It's been right every morning this week. Anyone else use something like that instead of the apps?