Five things I hate about public transport
By Darren Cronian on Friday, February 25th, 2011

A few weeks ago I decided to travel more by train because the traffic on the roads was causing me to get ranty and it was taking up to an hour for what is a eight mile journey into the city centre. I quickly realised that no matter how I get to and from work, it comes with its annoyances so here are five things I dislike about using public transport.

Five things I hate about public transport

The mobile disco

You know the type of traveller I mean, the volume on their iPod on full, and you spend the journey wondering what song it is because all you can hear are the bass and beats. Then there’s the kids who sit at the back of the bus and listen to music from the speakers in their phone. Why don’t they play any music that I like?

Phone addict sat next to you

There’s some journeys where I know the full life story of the person sat next to me, including what they are having for dinner, and complaining that their boyfriend or husband didn’t wash up last night and he’s so bloody lazy etc.

Not enough carriages on the train

Why oh why do they put on three carriages during peak travel on a very busy route into the city centre. You spend the entire journey with your face up against the door of the train, or squeezed up against someone who has not washed for days. Surely, there’s an issue of health and safety, it cannot be safe with all those people inside a carriage.

Seat huggers

The train or bus is full but there are some people, who just feel that they have the right to use up a full two seats, so they leave a bag on the empty seat. How many of you pluck up the courage to go to the back of the bus where all the ‘cool’ people hangout, and ask one of them to remove their shoes from one of the empty seats.

Flu riddled passengers

You are fit and healthy or have just got over four weeks of a flu virus. You take a seat on the bus or train to find the person sat next to you has full blown swine flu, they sneeze without placing their hand over the mouth then, wipe their nose on their coat.

Your thoughts on public transport

Joking aside, travelling by public transport can be a real pain in the arse, and challenging at the best of times. What annoys you when travelling by our lovely British public transport system? Look forward to hearing your stories.


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13 responses to “Five things I hate about public transport”

Joanne Lane | 25 February, 2011 at 1:08 am

Seat stealers on the tube would be my gripe. Had people literally push me over to get to a seat, and once when I was carrying a noticeably heavy bag and obviously could have done with a seat.

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Fearful Girl | 25 February, 2011 at 9:14 am

What do I hate?

Sweaty armpit people (holding the handrail right next to your head).

Perverts (who don’t look away when you glare right at them).

Rubbers (people who pretend the motion of the train is causing their pelvis to gyrate against you).

And by far the worst of the worst: vomiters. No explanation needed.

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Dan Atkinson | 25 February, 2011 at 10:03 am

I hate ‘train cliques’. These are groups of people who (either through their common commute, or that they work in the same building) sit together at a table together.

God forbid that anyone sits at their table, or the conversation turns silent and everyone stares at the stranger who dared to sit in the empty seat.

I also hate smelly old men who haven’t washed for months and who wear suits with huge flakes of dead skin rubbed into it.

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Julia | 25 February, 2011 at 10:08 am

I experience all of these on a daily basis on the Metro. One i find most annoying is the people who try and read your book over your shoulder or who try and make conversation with you when you’re squashed next to them like a sardine. Ever heard of personal space?! People you don’t know breathing in your face is a big no no!

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Zoe | 25 February, 2011 at 3:28 pm

1. Bob Crowe.
He has a huge posterior, takes up too many seats on the central line and as if that wasn’t enough, he coaxes his cronies out of strike. The man is quite literally a menace in the Gadaffi sense of the word.

2. People who pay good money for a nice IPOD then buy the cheapest headphones possible so I can hear everything. Unless it’s something I like in which case, that’s fine.

3. My mother saying “are we nearly there yet?” and trying to swipe her one day travel pass a la Oyster card style then getting rather cross even though I’ve told her it needs to go in the slot.

4. Semi pubescent male city workers sitting in the pregnant ladies/disabled folk seat without so much as a thought to look around and see whether anyone needs that seat.

5. Bus drivers who won’t help foreign folk or those without much English-just makes me cringe.

6. My mum doing stranger’s crosswords over their shoulders on the tube and telling them the answers. I almost melted with embarrassment.

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Nick | 26 February, 2011 at 1:59 pm

The large sign saying “This is a unattend station please purchase your ticket on the train” and then being hit by a penalty because I did not use the ticket office at the station. (Sign has been replaced now, after 2 years).

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Matt | 27 February, 2011 at 3:41 pm

Simple – the price.

I’m going home to Cornwall from Brighton to visit friends and family in a few weeks and when I researched train prices it was over £90 return! That is compared to just over £80 for a return flight from Gatwick to Newquay – both quicker and cheaper (well, sort of – I still have train it from Brighton to Gatwick and back, but there’s a free lift at the other end) so it’s only an environmental concern for me as to which I’d go with.

There are a few other things I could mention but right now that’s the bee in my own bonnet…

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Pingback - Skoosh Blog | 27 February, 2011 at 4:12 pm

[...] Travel Ranter Darren Cronian tells us all the 5 things he hates about public transport. My own personal gripe would be the price – on a trip I’m going on to Cornwall from [...]

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Diane Ashmore | 2 March, 2011 at 2:13 pm

This post made me laugh so much. Thanks! However, I would like to point out that we should try and be more tolerant of each other:
How about kids asking for requests before switching on their iPods?
How about turning over that page when I’ve finished reading it over your shoulder?
How about letting us sit on your knee, if you insist on wasting a seat for your bag?
If we all did this, what a wonderful world it would be. ;-)

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John | 3 March, 2011 at 10:13 am

I 100% agree with the point “Phone addict sat next to you”. It was a very well written post.

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Agnes Riley | 3 March, 2011 at 11:25 am

I never take public transportation if I can help it. Sometimes in big cities traffic can be a bit hectic, but even that doesn’t seem to discourage me much from picking up a car hire nowadays… Big fan of personal space, and people in crowds seem to be increasingly less and less considerate of others.

Or maybe I’m just picky, but I totally could relate to all the topics in the post and with many others on the comments. Worst as far as I’m concerned: starers! Strangers who will unblinkingly stare at you for the whole duration of the journey, regardless of how many murderous looks you shoot them or how unconcerned you pretend to be…

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Taavi | 4 March, 2011 at 10:04 pm

I hate when people are speaking to loud in public transport and also when in the summer time it’s to crowed and you get all sweaty.

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Betty | 21 March, 2011 at 1:24 pm

I think in many countries public transport needs a complete overhaul. Done correctly public transport can be a fantastic tool for a town or city. Done badly and it can deter tourism and create misery for many commuters. Especially in the evening people feel threatened when using public transport. More security measures may be of help?

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