My daily commute to work has never been a pleasant experience. But it’s far less pleasant when it involves any sort of public transportation. While there isn’t a whole lot we can do to fix the transit systems in cities all around the world, there are some behaviors that we can all agree upon to help alleviate some of the more excruciating annoyances about riding in a vehicle with strangers.

This series will focus on ways to help you and your fellow passengers have a more pleasant ride. As with most situations that call for courtesy, simply being aware of your impact on others is a great way to make it better for everyone.

Articles in this series:

Step all the way into the car, please

One thing I noticed right away when I started using public transportation is that people seem to be paranoid about being able to get off at their stop. They have this notion in their heads that the train or bus will only stop for two seconds, and that the doors will immediately slam shut before they have a chance to get out.

As a result of this, everyone tries to position himself or herself as close to the door as possible for the entire ride. This, of course, has two effects. First, people getting on the vehicle cannot, because too many people are crowded around the door. Second, people who really do need to get off the vehicle cannot, for exactly the same reason.

When you enter a public vehicle, you are supposed to step in as far as you can; keep moving until you get all the way into the available space. Chances are, other people will be getting off before you get to your stop. When your stop comes, believe me, no matter how deeply buried you are, you’ll be able to get out before the doors close on you. You just have to make your desire to get off known, and people will help you get to the door in time.

Most trains and busses stop with their doors fully open for 15 seconds or more. I can walk a quarter of a block in fifteen seconds.

And if the lack of available space leads you to have no choice but to stand by the door, be aware that people are going to be trying to get past you. When the train or bus stops, move out of the way. You may even have to step off and then get back on, if it’s really crowded in there. That’s the price you pay for standing by the door.