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6 golden rules for riding the MBTA
“Move in. Move all the way in. Alllll the way.”
You won’t be surprised to hear that Massachusetts residents aren’t happy with the MBTA. The system is overburdened, the trains are slow, and if you ask Boston.com readers, the passengers are only making a bad situation worse.
When asked if the MBTA ridership has gotten ruder in recent years, the answer was a resounding (and highly annoyed) yes. Of the 128 people who responded to our survey, not a single person felt riders were on their best behavior. The majority, or 74%, of respondents said people are getting ruder on buses and trains. Twenty-six percent said the bad manners are no worse than usual.
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The list of rude behaviors was long: shoving, yelling, seat-hogging, smelly foods, and “an overall lack of situational awareness” were all mentioned by readers.
The most recent Green Line shutdown, in particular, garnered lots of complaints from readers, who told us their commutes got so bad, they decided to opt out entirely and rely on biking or rideshare services. With a Red Line closure coming in just a couple of weeks — and more over the course of the year — readers are begging their fellow riders to be on their best behavior.
“We’re all tired of the lousy service, constant delays, and packed trains and buses. Why not band together as riders and at least be courteous to others in the same miserable situation as us?” said Jo from Everett. “We don’t have to make the commute worse for others. Maybe we don’t have the power to make it pleasant (that’s up to the T), but we can make it suck less for everyone inside the trains, buses and stations.”
Are MBTA riders getting ruder?
Yes.
74%
No, everyone is on their best behavior.
0%
No more than usual.
26%
But don’t place all the blame on riders. Many readers suggested that passengers wouldn’t be so bad-mannered — or quite so irritable — if the MBTA was running more efficiently.
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“Perhaps there is a slight change in rider personality and social norms but I think the disproportionate effect is from the terrible operation of the T. Extended commute times, slow zones, unreliable service, and infrequent enough trains (making them packed much more often and sometimes having to wait for a second train!) are some of the problems that are manifesting into the disposition of ruder riders,” said Roger R. from the North Shore.
Whatever the root cause, it’s safe to say we could all use a refresher on public transit common courtesy. Read on for Boston.com’s reader-recommended guide to MBTA etiquette.
Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.
Let passengers off the train before you board.
“Let people off the trains before trying to get on! I take the train from Downtown Crossing every day and it is the SAME people who rush into the train while people are trying to get off. I get you want a seat but would it kill people to stand for a few stops?” — Jenny, Quincy
“Let people off the train before you get on. It’s sad this always needs to be repeated by the conductor.” — Steve, Beacon Hill
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“Let people off before you get on! Especially people who need a bit more time to make their way to the door (elderly, disabled, families etc.)” — Fen, North End
“Give people room to get off before getting on. Stop blocking the doors!” — Cathy M., Waltham
Don’t crowd any doors.
“Move in. Move all the way in. Alllll the way.” — Lily, Quincy
“Move further into the bus and train. Don’t crowd the exits and entrances.” — Max R., West End
“Move towards the center of the bus or train car, as far away from the doors as possible, when you get on.” — Evan, Dorchester
“Do not stand in the middle of the doorway when there is plenty of space in the rest of the train or bus. Mommy told you you were special? You’re not! Move it.” — Amanda, Stoneham
Take off your backpack.
“My one pet peeve is please, dear lord, take off the backpacks. I’ve been hit by one too many of them. And try saying excuse me, sorry, and please.” — Ann, Winthrop
“Take off your backpack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” — Evan, Dorchester
“Take off your backpack and place it between your feet. This makes space for additional riders, plus no one gets hit by a backpack when you move even slightly while standing.” — Anonymous, Cambridge
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“Just show some common decency and some respect for your fellow riders. Take the backpacks off and put them on the floor.” — Robert E., Boston
Give your seat to someone who needs it.
“Stand for the elderly, pregnant, and handicapped! If you are on a crowded train, there really should be very few young abled people sitting. I never would sit during rush hour to make room for the less abled. Now that I am 8 months pregnant and feel like I could topple over at any point, nobody stands for me! I just stared down an entire row of young men and women who never so much as considered standing. I think it’s so rude.” — Kayla, Cambridge
“When on a long commuter rail ride, business people who take up a three seat option, using the middle seat for their belongings, are the epitome of classlessness. Instead of asking elderly riders, pregnant women, or children if they would like to sit, they put their heads down to avoid eye contact. Common sense and common courtesy that business people know.” — Chris S., Hopkinton
“Able-bodied men should stand, elderly should sit. Old school rules.” — Ric, Dorchester
“Young men, do you know what chivalry is? Get up and give your seat to that elderly person or that handicapped person or to the lady with kids.” — P.T.R., Hingham
Don’t eat on the train or bus — and if you must, keep it clean.
“No eating. If you went to a restaurant as dirty as an MBTA train or bus, would you eat there?” — Bill, Quincy
“Place trash in the trash, not on the ground, or all over the trains and buses.” — Dee, Dorchester
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“No eating. No drinking or spilling your drink which then turns the floor into a sticky mess.” — Karen, Wakefield
“Eating is a little unbecoming, but I’d never deny a fellow Bostonian their Dunks.” — Ethan W., Braintree
No loud phone calls or music.
“Please stop with the speakerphone! Nobody needs to hear your personal, TMI convos. Ditto for music. Headphones and earbuds exist and most phone speakers are utter crap at high volume. It’s really ‘fun’ to have a half-dozen such aural assaults going on at once. It can drown out the station announcements.” — Terry, Brookline
“Headphones for all music, videos, audiobooks. And even then, test them because I see the headphones and they are set so high, I still get to hear. No speakerphone conversations. I don’t care who dumped whom, what someone ate for breakfast, blah blah, blah.” — Amanda, Stoneham
“No music or videos blasting through your phone so others can hear.” — Marcos, Boston
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
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