How not to be 'that' passenger: 10 basic etiquette rules for the bus, train

With a recent surge in people using public transport, good bus and train manners have never been more essential. Regular commuter and 1News Digital Reporter Emma Hildesley has done you a favour and drawn up some basic rules.

If you've caught a bus or a train this year you've probably noticed the increase in fellow travellers. Auckland Transport says nearly half a million Aucklanders used public transport in February, with 345,000 boardings on February 21 alone.

In Wellington, the Metlink network is back to pre-Covid levels. And Christchurch is also hitting patronage milestones with over 12.5 million passenger trips taken on the greater Christchurch metro network in 2023 – and that number expected to rise substantially this year.

That's a lot of people to contend with on your commute, so perhaps it's time for a gentle etiquette refresher.

You may be forgiven for this one if it is your first day on Earth, but everyone else should know by now to move all the way down to the back when you first hop on the bus or train avoid clogging the doors and aisles.

If you're confused, just keep on going until you see an available seat and then sit in it. Or if you're standing (because literally every seat is taken) move to the back to stand so that others can still get on and off. This is public transport 101.

I see you avoiding eye contact with people when the vehicle is full and your bag is sitting on a throne it has not earned. Your bag has not worked all day, its legs aren't tired because it doesn't have legs, therefore it doesn't deserve a chair. End of.

I'll never forget the smell of someone's full stir-fry being opened on the bus after a long, hot day in the peak of Auckland's summer. The memory lingers. As tasty as it might be for you, eating a meal on public transport can be nauseating for others.

"It's pretty feral," one Auckland bus user told 1News, "but [on the bus] I've seen someone who dropped a pie that had the lid off and then scooped it back up and whacked it in their gob.

"True story".

There's something about a loud post-work-but-obviously-still-working phone call that both draws me in and repulses me at the same time. Generally, try to avoid taking phone calls or enjoying FaceTime-style conversations on public transport. (And the same goes to listening to anything on your phone without your headphones).

And if you're speaking in a stage whisper because the conversation is supposed to be "between you and me", you can expect me and everyone else on the bus to make an extra effort to tune in. That's on you for still working outside your billable hours.

I can not emphasise this point enough.

When I witnessed this happen in 2020, I locked the sickening memory away somewhere deep in my soul for when I eventually would write this piece – I can only hope this helps me put it to rest.

Bringing nail clippers onto public transport also felt calculated, and the premeditation factor somehow made it worse.

I'm all for a stranger initiating a polite chat if the other party is receptive to it. A respectful, inoffensive conversation could make someone's day or be a source of connection they wouldn't experience otherwise. Ride on.

However, you've got to read the room. Or bus or train. And exceptions to this can range from the tedious to the downright creepy. (See next tip.)

To me, having my nose in a paperback book doesn't scream "come talk to me'" but that's exactly what happened on a nearly empty bus at 9.30pm. A man chose to plonk himself next to me and he began with "what are you reading?". I mumbled a short reply, because I did not want to come across as rude. But he continued to fire questions and comments at me for 30 minutes – ignoring that my answers had become monosyllabic. Feeling hot and uncomfortable, I completely closed off my body language and turned away from him toward the window but he didn't let it go.

I hear you saying "you should have just moved seats, or got off the bus, or come right out and said 'please don't talk to me'". I hear you. But I was scared.

A 2018 survey by Woman in Urbanism found more than 75 percent of women had experienced some form of harassment while using public transport, walking or cycling.

Taking public transport should never be scary. If you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, know that you don't have to stay in it. And if you see someone else being harassed, perhaps speak up and offer them a seat beside you.

Auckland Transport's group manager of public transport operations Rachel Cara says advises anyone feeling uncomfortable on board to change seats. "Whether that seat is closer to the driver, closer to other passengers or closer to security... find yourself a seat where you feel comfortable on board," she says.

Cara encourages people to continue to report any kind of criminal or anti-social behaviour through AT's contact centre, anonymously through Crime Stoppers or directly to the police on 105.

This is generally considered common knowledge but I think sometimes people forget, or get impatient and pushy.

Buses and trains can be crowded places. Rachel Cara says March is historically the busiest month on the network, and this year has proven no exception. That makes manners more important than ever."I guess it comes back to being courteous when using public transport and being considerate of other commuters...

"Perhaps be willing to give up your seat if there is somebody in need of it, perhaps an elderly person or pregnant person. Just be more mindful of your surroundings and other travellers on board".

There's nothing better than hearing a chorus of "thank you driver!' in varying pitches and degrees of tiredness as your fellow passengers exit the bus.

Like a lot of jobs, driving a bus can no doubt feel thankless at times and the hours are rough, so a bit of gratitude goes a long way.

And that's it. You're now aware of the rules: go forth and conquer knowing you are a public transport super-star.