Tactless Tuesday: CTA Etiquette

Hello and Happy Tuesday! As many of you may have noticed, we've been changing things up on the blog lately and trying some new things. While some of these ideas are hit or miss, we're hoping that it will help give us a better idea of what you (our reader) are most interested in reading about.

With that said, today I'm introducing what I hope will be the first of a weekly series: Tactless Tuesday. The thought behind this series originated from my belief that the world would be a better place if we were all a little more polite. I'm not talking simply "please", "thank you" and "you're welcome" (though that's a great start) - I'm predominately referring to having a simple awareness of one's surroundings, and acting accordingly. 

"Is someone coming into the building behind me? I should hold the door." 

"Did I accidentally bump into someone on the street? I'll apologize and say 'excuse me.'"

For many of you, this may sound like common sense. Unfortunately, it isn't. At least not for the vast majority of Chicagoans that I have encountered in the past two years. My gripes span across a wide variety of situations, but today I'm focusing on public transportation/CTA-related indiscretions. 

For our non-Chicagoland readers, this stands for the Chicago Transit Authority, or the public transportation system utilized by the majority of area commuters. There's a certain code of conduct when riding the CTA, most of which extends beyond Chicago to public transportation systems across the country. Below, I've created a list of what I believe are the most basic rules of the CTA, while also being the most neglected. 

1. Offering your seat to an elderly or pregnant passenger. This should be overwhelmingly obvious to anyone and everyone. Yet for some reason, I witness able-bodied people neglecting to offer their seats to those in need on a weekly basis. Are you really that exhausted after a full day of cubicle-sitting that you need to sit for another 20 minutes?

2. Moving to the back of the bus. Again, common sense...especially on a rush hour bus that is packed to the brim. But every day it's the same drill: 

1. Passengers board the bus and stop moving somewhere between the front and back door
2. Driver asks passengers to move back as far as possible to allow others to board
3. Existing passengers move the smallest distance possible
4. Steps two and three are repeated until the back of the bus is reached, taking triple the amount of time it should have taken

3. Being prepared to move as others exit. It's simple. I understand if the bus or train is so full that you need to stand in front of the door, it happens. Here's the thing: when another passenger needs to exit, move out of the way. Don't squish yourself against the metal barrier in a futile attempt to make room. Don't pretend like you can't hear the "EXCUSE ME's" of those around you through your Monster Beats. Just get out of the way and we'll all get home faster. 

4. PDA: It's never OK. You know how no one enjoys watching a couple making out on the street corner or in the neighboring booth at a restaurant? Even fewer people enjoy watching PDAs on a crowded bus or train. My annoyance at this offense is more severe than the others I have outlined. The CTA PDA effectively traps the innocent passenger into viewing what is normally avoided by simply walking away from the offending spectacle. Save it for behind closed doors, people...or take the Pink Line. 

5. On your phone? Make it quick and shut up. I completely understand if you need to make a quick phone call on your commute home, I've done the same thing. But when it turns into a 20 minute gossip session about how wasted you were last night and whether you should be worried if that guy hasn't texted you yet, I draw the line. Do you actually want the disgruntled man next to you knowing intimate details of your personal life? Even if you do, he doesn't - and neither do I. Talk quietly, make it quick and shut up. Everyone will appreciate it, including that guy that hasn't texted you.

Occasionally, I manage to (stealthily) catch a fellow commuter in an offending position. While both of these were taken on the Metra rather than the CTA, the foundation of rule #4 applies here as well: PDA is never OK.

Although I could likely draft a new CTA handbook if given the chance, these are my primary complaints after a couple of commuting years under my belt. Despite this, I'm hoping I eventually become like one of the (few) commuters who are passively unaware of external irritants but cognizant and reactive when a response is needed. What are your thoughts? Do you think the majority of public transportation users are respectful or aloof?