Note: This is similar to a post on the Toasted Blog. The original post can be found here.
Why I ride Muni
I don’t have a car
I need it to get places
I’m too lazy to walk
So when the bus is full, why won’t people move to the back — and worst of all, how come Muni drivers rarely enforce the moving back thing, let alone play that annoying automated message,
For the convenience of the people boarding the bus, please move to the rear of the bus
The thing is, operators, from my perspective, care more about the front than the back. If the front isn’t clear, the bus passes people up. Which is another thing I hate.
And the reason people don’t move to the back is that people are probably afraid they won’t be able to get off on time when their stop arrives. Take this example from what I heard while I was on the 49 at 16th and Mission sometime in December:
Can y’all move to the back or let me move to the back cuz y’all look like you scared of the back
The driver didn’t care about the condition of the bus at that time, and we all (the passengers) let her to the back.
Another example is when I was going home on the 19, when the bus was packed except for the back:
I can’t let you guys in the front; it’s state law
Or take this for example:
If y’all ain’t moving back, I ain’t goin’ nowhere
One more thing — automated messages just won’t cut it.
What are your opinions on this? Do you like to stay in the front and not move to the very back? It’s OK, we’ve all done something we’re not proud of.
Photo by Flickr user rubin110
On certain lines (namely, the mission and any line that moves through bayview hunters point eventually) I refuse to move to the back. It’s where drug and sex deals happen – I know, I was witness to many.
And I just don’t want to be that near it. Thanks.
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Ok i’ll admiti t. I don’t like to move to the very back because I’m afraid I’ll miss my stop. And also the back scares me on certain lines.
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Oh, you guys. Perfect chance to overcome your fears and make for more efficient public transportation.
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UGH. I know. This drives me crazy. It’s worse than people who take up the outer seat, blocking access to the seat by the window. Who are these people who just decide to halt in the middle of the aisle? Not EVERY bus is the black hole of Calcutta; you don’t have to be afraid of the back of ALL of them.
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I will almost always move to the back, unless there are a ton of loud kids there or crazy people. I mostly get annoyed when people cluster around the doors.
Also, when people’s idea of ‘moving to the back’ means they cluster in the middle section of the extra long buses, that’s obnoxious.
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It’s one of my biggest pet peeves on Muni, although I can understand being hesitant to go to the back when there are a lot of hoodlums back there. That’s why peeps should be allowed to board by the back door, that way you can bypass the front loaders. I know, I know, God forbid anyone ride Muni for free, but my opinion is most people that get on the back have a pass or transfer and just want to go where there’s room.
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maybe Muni should begin acquring buses that have the back doors on the very back, like the double-ended streetcars do.
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It’s really annoying when people clog up the front of the bus but I admit I’ve been guilty of it. I usually don’t have enough time to move towards the back of the bus before the driver slams on the gas pedal. I’m small and light so I’m just afraid I’ll get thrown across the bus.
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To be honest, I try to be somewhere close to the front or back door because my ride is on the 5 and it’s a short one – downtown to Civic Center. I learned that if I’m not near the door, I’m stuck on the bus for the nest two stops because of the back door blockers and that bus is PACKED when it rains.
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