Given below are some of the common dos and don’ts while commuting by public transit, especially by bus:

• The courtesy seats are for people with disabilities, the elderly and for passengers with strollers and young children. Youngsters must avoid these seats and if you occupy them when the bus is full, please give up those seats if you see someone needy getting into the bus at another stop.

In certain countries a few seats are reserved for women and it is advised that gents follow the rules by not occupying these seats.

• Don’t keep the backpack or grocery bags or any other luggage you have on the seat next to yours. It’s unfair if the seat is occupied by bags and someone who may be tired has to end up standing.

• When occupying a seat, sit on the inside rather than the outside. People get a feeling that you don’t want someone sitting next to you and this could mean that people are standing whereas seats are actually available.

• Avoid keeping your feet on another seat. Not only does this show disrespect to the other commuters but can also result in dirtying the other seat if there is dirt on your shoes. This would end up on the clothes of another commuter.

• When you are inside the bus don’t stand in between, instead move to the rear of the bus. Don’t clutter around one single place talking to friends which may not allow others to move in front.

• Avoid carrying the backpack on your shoulder while standing in a crowded bus. Remove it from your shoulder and keep it on the ground. You can keep it beneath your legs for security / safety reasons.

Keeping the backpack on your shoulder could result in it hitting other passengers by mistake and also results in you occupying more space while standing.

• Avoid littering in the bus. Do not leave empty cans, tea or coffee cups in the bus. Sometimes people leave half filled drink/juice cans, tea and coffee cups which results in these beverages spilling in the bus and makes the bus dirty and slippery.

Also do not leave the newspaper, magazines etc. in the bus after you have finished reading it.

• Get in from the front of the bus and get out from the rear of the bus. Do not get out from the front of the bus when there are passengers waiting to get in.

In a bus which has a single entry and exit door, allow passengers to get out first and then step inside the bus.

• Line up in discipline at a bus station waiting for your turn to get onto the bus rather than pushing and getting in between the line.

• Avoid eating and drinking in the bus. Sometimes eating and drinking in the bus results in food and beverages dropping in the bus.

• Avoid strong perfumes. This could be an irritant and cause allergy to some of the passengers.

• Avoid playing music very loudly. People have different taste and the music you love may cause uneasiness to others. So play music which can be heard by you but not by others while commuting by public transit.

• Do not write / scribble on the seats or on the window panes. Sometimes these marks cannot be cleaned and thus make the bus look clumsy.