tabi tabi po

as the lady beside me adjusted herself for the 27th time since the bus started moving five minutes ago, i couldn't help but ask myself, aren't there commuting rules that one, by mere common sense and etiquette, knows?

i mean, considering that we were all squished together like sardines in a too-tight row, it makes sense to wiggle at least once (to find a comfortable position) and then stay put for the rest of the trip, thereby allowing one's seatmates to continue on with the bus ride in peace. while i generally make exceptions for (1) parents with kids; (2) sleeping people; and (3) elderly, i couldn't, for the life of me, understand why the lady beside me kept moving, and moving, and moving, and moving. i was <--this--> close to elbowing her and asking her to stop.

then again, elbowing one's seatmate while confined in sardine-like manner is also against the commuter's bible.

in the beginning, i thought i was alone in thinking that there's some unwritten set of rules out there regarding commuting, until a friend brought up during conversation how she already had the "seat of honor" in front of the FX, thereby giving her the choice whether to scoot near the driver or to get off and make the second person scoot towards the inner seat. apparently, she chose to make the second person sit near the driver, which made said person complain and argue that it was she who had the right to the window seat since she came in second. my friend ended her story with a question: diba unwritten rule na ako yung may choice dapat sa situation? and you know what, i could only agree.

having commuted almost my entire adult life, i have a bazillion and one experiences with commuting. i also have a bazillion and one "rules" floating around in my head. (1) no one should play music that can be heard by others on the bus, especially if there's a movie playing; (2) if one is standing, one should mind her bag to make sure that said bag does not hit the poor passenger sitting down; (3) if you won't be getting off in the next five kilometers, it does not make any sense why you won't accede to the conductor's request to move further inside the bus; (4) if your kids have motion sickness, you better make preparations way ahead of time; (5) the bus is not a trash can; (6) neither are the streets outside the window; (7) if you can't keep your hands each other, get a room; (8) shower; (9) i don't like to hear you entire life story/love life/ business dealings the entire bus ride -- a short conversation is fine, a long conversation at the top of your voice is unbearble; and (10) i am in the bus to get somewhere, not to make friends with strangers.

do you have "rules" of your own? share them please ☺

p.s. this post was written in honor of a good friend over at commuter who has recently re-started blogging and has chosen -- obviously from the blog title -- commuting as his blog theme. i am reminded of when i started to blog and wanted to do the same thing, hence the URL http://busrider.blogspot.com, but was unfortunately unable to come up with something interesting on a daily basis. go show him some love, will you?