Community: Real Life

Common courtesy


underground train

Ashleigh is an 'A' Level student from the eastend of London who spends far too much time traveling on public transport. When removed from the London Underground, she enjoys going to football matches, clubs and gigs.

Have the people of London forgotten how to be nice to each other on public transport? Ashleigh gives some tips on common courtesy while you commute.

From the days of Jane Austen, where common courtesy involved addressing one another with titles and surnames, there has been a steady decline in formality, and, it seems, a decline in general manners. If Austen had ever boarded public transport I'm sure she would have felt obliged to let others off first, rather than forcing and barging her way through; scattering fellow passengers in order to claim the last available seat. I would also imagine that she would have made sure that nobody was behind her if she let go of an open door, unlike many of the commuting rat race. Common sense tells you that the person behind will not appreciate a door squashing them or slamming in their face.

And then there's the hostility of travelling by train and tube. Everybody immediately and miraculously loses their power of connecting with one another the minute they board. These are the actions we all subconsciously do, without being told, purely to avoid any other passengers thinking we are crazy:

  • Never looking anybody directly in the eye. If you are caught staring in the general direction of another passenger, you must immediately turn your gaze (adverts act as a convenient distraction);
  • And don't even think about striking up conversation with anybody, apart from on the night-bus where this is perfectly acceptable behaviour, of course.

Come on, be honest, you adhere to them too, don't you?

So what exactly are the unwritten rules that, when broken, cause others to tut and shake their heads in disgust - and if we all followed, would make public transport a whole lot more pleasant? I'm not suggesting we all strike up conversation with our travelling neighbours, but it is about time somebody made common courtesy common knowledge so all you pushers and shovers have no more excuses. Here is my list of the dos and don'ts of acting considerate:

When considering to offer your seat, think:"Is that woman pregnant or rather generously proportioned?"

Do:

  • Let others off before attempting to board. That seat's not going anywhere until the people on the platform get on, so start your race once the path is clear;
  • Make allowances for people with pushchairs (and yes this does include offering to help carry it up a flight of stairs - hardly backbreaking yet an enormous help, don't you think?);
  • Offer your seat to elderly passengers and pregnant women that would otherwise have to stand.

Don't

  • Eat smelly food. The smell will circulate around a confined area and may not be as appetising to those around you; not everybody likes the greasy aroma of fast food during their 8am journey to work;
  • Respond to life's more colourful creatures. They will inevitably sit next to you, but laughing is highly inappropriate;
  • Take up half of the seat on either side of you with your elbows and newspaper - it does fold in half, you know.

With all this in mind, careful thought must be applied when judging those who you may be offering your seat to. Is that woman pregnant or rather generously proportioned? How old is the grey-haired man - would he consider himself elderly? Should I consider him elderly? Or would the offer of my seat be met with an angry scowl?

Beyond this, you have to admit that these rules are pretty easy to follow and understand. So why are the straightforward acts of common sense and courtesy being neglected? Unless they are acknowledged, expect to forever be pushed and prevented from leaving overcrowded tube carriages, and don't expect a seat until you are in your late 70s. Or immensely overweight.


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