Standing Room Only

[Ginger66]

If a service is standing room only where the bus is full with passengers standing at the front of the bus.  My question is do passengers standing up have to get off the bus to allow other passengers that want a particular stop to get off.

[Jack]

If a service is standing room only where the bus is full with passengers standing at the front of the bus.  My question is do passengers standing up have to get off the bus to allow other passengers that want a particular stop to get off.

No, you have to basically just force yourself through!

[Stu]

If a service is standing room only where the bus is full with passengers standing at the front of the bus.  My question is do passengers standing up have to get off the bus to allow other passengers that want a particular stop to get off.

No, you have to basically just force yourself through!

Sadly in this day and age, it sometimes is a case of having to fight your way off the bus. Even a polite 'excuse me' is not enough to trigger some people to just shuffle back down the bus to allow people to get through.

It's worse when you watch some poor woman trying to get through with a pushchair or a trolley. Thats usually when people have to 'reverse back' off the bus.


Just this evening, while I was waiting for my 3 on Stratford Road, I saw a 4A approaching, as it got closer it looked like it was rammed as you could see people standing by the driver and in the gangway (this was an Enviro200). It pulled up at my stop, and a couple of people did get off, but I could still see about eight people gathered in the gangway at the front. As the bus pulled away, there were clearly loads of available seats towards the rear.

Prior to the 'pandemic', a lot of people were already averse to sitting down next to other people, and I'd often see people start walking up the aisle, then turn back round once they saw only aisle seats were available, only to then stand in the narrowest part of the bus (the gangway between the front wheels) even when the buggy/standing area was half-empty. It only takes one or two other passengers who think the same way to start making other boarding passengers think the bus is full and can only stand by the platform next to the driver. (I'm the opposite in that I will actually fight my way onto the bus and most times once you've forced yourself through the gangway crowd, there is usually plenty of room)

Of course it doesn't help when you have selfish people who put their bags on the seat next to them just to prevent other people from sitting next to them, and then act all ignorant as the bus fills up. (And still refuse to move their bag onto their lap so someone else can sit down, even when politely asked)