When standing, do you generally hold onto the bars or the loop handles attached to the bars? What did you do this morning if you were on one?
I left Toronto some months ago, maybe I have rose-tinted glasses but I find the TTC and other buses there were way smoother of a ride than in Vancouver. I’m seeing if it has any influence on the amount of people using bars/loops via informal poll. Let me know your thoughts.
E: Sounds like bars are the popular option here too, for many reasons. Hygiene was a big one I hadn’t initially considered. Thanks for answering everyone!
I am 6’4" I use the bars as the straps are too low for me. As is the ceiling of the bus.
Have you ever bumped your head against the bar or the roof getting up from a seat on a bus or tram? I’m not as tall but is happened on a corner seat where the roof was lower, it sucks.
Yhea I’m usually pretty cautious but it happens. The worst was being stuck standing on a GO bus. It was a double decker and I was standing on the lower level (damn route is always overfilled) it became a 3.5 hour trip due to bad traffic.
The height of those buses is like 6inches too short for me to stand comfortably so I have to hunch over the people infront of me. Every bump my spine whould hit the ceiling. Felt that one for weeks after.
I’m short. I will push through the crowd until I can find a column-bar to hold. Never trusted the straps, but we don’t generally have those here in Hamilton.
Bars.
If your hypothesis is that smoother rides - based on street/vehicle/driver factors - are associated with reduced passenger use of handles or bars to stabilize themselves while standing, I’d say that makes sense. I’m less sure about the between city comparison. I prefer not to touch common surfaces for hygienic reasons, which is pretty influential for me. There are three circumstances in which I’d hold a bar/handle to stabilize myself: 1) It’s so crowded that I can’t spread my feet far enough apart to stabilize me so I make prolonged use of a bar/handle, 2) I’m exhausted and use the bar/handle for a prolonged period to rest some stabilizer muscles, 3) There’s a sharp turn or stop and I proactively or reactively use a bar/handle temporarily for stability until the acceleration’s back to normal. Hope that helps :)
Thanks for the detailed response! Yeah, it’s mainly about whether in bus rides in Ontario which I found were less jolty, more people would want to use the handles.
I’ve received a number of other reasons for preference, which I find quite neat.
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I concur in that I think rider height affects whether they grab the bars or the handles
I’m short so the bars will have to do!
Bars
Sweet!
