I live on a bus route and if I wish to travel into the centre of Bath, I am midway between two stops. So I have a choice of whether to walk uphill to the stop further away from the centre, and where in theory I would have a better chance of getting a seat, or walking downhill to the next stop. I usually choose to do the latter, although very occasionally I will walk uphill to ensure I can get a seat (or even just to manage to get on) if I think that bus might be crowded.

But other factors weigh more heavily on my decision. I usually walk downhill because if the bus doesn't come at all (which is probably more common that it being too crowded to get a seat), I have a shorter walk into town than I would have from the other stop. Neither stop has a shelter, but the next one further down towards the centre does, so if it is raining, I usually walk down to that one so that I can keep out of the rain while waiting. And from that one, I get a clearer view of the road to see when the bus is coming.

So we all weigh up various factors and make decisions on them, and all are valid.

There is, of course, a more useful discussion to be had around crowded trains forcing people to move further away from their workplace, so that they can guarantee a seat to get to work rather than having to stand half an hour in a crowded train.

 
There used to be public health messaging about getting off the bus one stop before your destination and walking. Good for your health.

I am sure there would be a PhD student somewhere who would do some research to find that the person who walked to the previous stop possibly lived longer than those who complained. (It would be no more unreasonable than some of the research that is published nowadays)

 
Exactly.  I suspect their ire was based on the belief I had a senior pass (I don’t yet qualify) and thus my short journey was also “free” as well as lazy and delaying. 

Needless to say I didn’t hold things up further by engaging them in conversation. 

 

Totally agreed, though this is (or was when I last checked) a free country in which we can all express our opinions within certain bounds.   Usually very silly of someone to disapprove of someone they don't know in public - it tends to show the person expressing the view in a rather poor light ...

 
None of their business.

 
I can partly relate to this.  In Swindon, Day Riders are valid on both Swindonbus and Stagecoach services.  However if you have them on a Swindonbus smart card you have to activate it on one of their buses before using it on a Stagecoach one.

A few months back I caught a bus to validate the pass before swapping to a second bus at the next stop. 

Someone sitting across from the driver was visibly and audibly disapproving as I waited to get off.  The suggestion was I was lazy and delaying the service!

 

Yes, it seems that if it's a 'news' story with a bit of controversy that a journalist can just cut and paste a load of Twitter responses to then it's far more likely to make it to print.

 
You could say that a lot about what’s published as ‘news’ on these national and local newspaper websites these days.

 

Judging by the comments, all the votes and all the "likes" on that reply ... very worthy of publication (here) in terms or generating throughs and discussion, even if we're pretty much all aligned on the answer!

 
I completely fail to understand how or why this became a story considered worthy of publication.

 
85% say it's not selfish to join at a stop before the really busy one at which the bus can fill ... and no-one votes that it IS selfish.  Relieved - Lisa and I can usually get a seat at the stop outside our house, but on occasions the Bath Bus can fill at the next (Town Centre) stop.

 

Can't say personally as I have not had to endure its pleasures since semi-retiring and the opening of Crossrail

 

{like}

Have Crossrail or Covid reduced the passenger flows and overcrowding there??

 
Paddington Bakerloo in rush hour and the city bound platform is five deep. Forget it; get next northbound to Warwick Avenue - cross platforms and take one's chances there. Worked for me several times and was far less unpleasant.

 
Some people might get on at the stop before the busy one because that's the most convenient for where they live or work. How selfish of them to live there!

 
Heavan forbid if some one in a wheelchair had gone on at this "previous stop"

 
It’s called using your initiative. We’ve all got it, just need to use it.

 
From The Mirror


Declaration of interest ... I will admit to regularly getting on to the bus to Bath one stop BEFORE the first Town Centre stop - in the Market Place where there are almost always lots of people joining; there is rarely a queue at the stop I use.  Oh - and it's just outside our house.