8 Unspoken Rules For Your Commute

Fellow commuters do not care if your brother just had a baby (hey, congrats!) or if the president of the United States is on the other end of that phone. They don’t want to hear your conversation, ever! We suggest toning the talk down to minimum volume or, even better, waiting until you are elsewhere to make the call.

Wait until everyone gets off before you start to get on the train or bus. This seems like it would be pretty obvious, but there are always those eager beavers clamoring to get on while people try to get off. This causes an unnecessary traffic jam and can delay the departure of the bus or train. We will all get there, don’t worry!

When taking the escalator, imagine that you are on the highway. There is a slow lane, and there is a fast lane. To avoid grumbling, restless shifting, and vague threats from commuters behind you, don’t stop on the walking side! Keep walking, or move to the side where you can ride the escalator leisurely.

We know that all transit options are pretty packed during the morning and evening commutes. Still, try to give everyone as much personal space as you reasonably can so that you aren’t getting to know each other really, really well on your ride to and from work.

Let the elderly and people with disabilities have first dibs on seating. If you are sitting down, glance up every now and then to make sure that someone in need isn’t searching desperately for a seat while you are snapchatting a selfie. Make sure to be considerate of who gets the priority seats. Plus, standing is good for your health!

We all love music, but we don’t necessarily love someone else's music blasting in the morning before we’ve even had our coffee. Headphones are your best bet when traveling on public transportation, and please, make sure we can't hear your music through them.

Don't put your bags in the seat next to you when you're on a full train or bus. Not cool. Try to put them at your feet, on your lap, or under the seat. This rule applies to your feet, your jacket, or anything that stops someone from sitting down in what would otherwise be an empty seat.

Also, if you have large bag of any kind, watch where you’re swinging that thing!