Six people seen on Friday night bus rides

By Maggie DeBlasis on March 13, 2014

Photo by Heath Brandan, via Flickr

Now that cold winter nights are limited, coming home from a party will be a much more pleasant experience. You won’t have to huddle together as you wait for the bus to come around, and you most certainly won’t have to deal with these six kinds of people.

The Drunk

The most easily-spotted bus passenger can present themselves in two different ways. They swagger onto the vehicle and maybe bump into the railings and seats before collapsing into a window seat and leaning against the cold pane. Another alternative is they are led onto the bus by their compatriots and gently seated near the front until they get to their stop. Or, more specifically, the trashcan. Which, more often than not, they miss.

The ‘Just-Get-Me-Home’

These kind of riders are most numerous around dinner time. They’ve had a long day at work or class, and want nothing more than to get back home, change into some sweats and kick back with the new Voice episode. They often spend the entire ride looking at their phone or listening to their music with their headphones, staring wistfully out the window in hopes that the answers to their problems will magically appear as the bus rolls by.

The Buddy

Also known as the floater. They get on the bus alone, but quickly strike up a conversation with the person next to them. They’re amicable people, although their questions sometimes seem a little nosy. And when the first subject arrives at their destination, the Buddy just turns his head and talks to the person on their other side. It might seem a little weird at first, but, more often than not, this stranger can make your day.

The ‘Party-Ain’t-Never-Gonna-Stop’

While easily confused for the Drunk, they’re usually absurdly loud and raucous. They frequently travel in groups and are either listening to blasting music from one of their phones or laughing obnoxiously at an unfunny joke. In other words, they’re kind of a nuisance, but they make the atmosphere of the bus worth riding in.

The Lost Traveler

It’s a common enough occurrence on a college campus: friends come in from out of town and have absolutely no idea where to go. They’ve got a map of campus and an end point to get to, but that’s it. The Traveler will get on the bus and ask the driver about how long it will take to get to such-and-such stop and the closest stop, to which the driver will graciously answer. And then they will continue asking ‘what stop is next?’ and ‘is it close to here?’ to everyone else on the bus. They’re annoying, but innocent and naive enough that almost everyone answers their questions.

The Driver

When you ride the bus, or frankly any kind of public transportation, you are entrusting your life into this stranger’s hands. They know the route, but they have a schedule to keep, so don’t yell at them if they miss your stop when they didn’t know any better. They’re well-trained, for sure, but they’ve been working just as long as you have, if not longer. Though they may seem curt at first, bus drivers are people too. Be nice to them and they’re sure to remember it.

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