What has been your most memorable experience on public transport?

[bcla]

I've got a bunch of stories.

I guess one of the earliest was when I was in junior and going to an afterschool activity. Because the bus in the other direction arrived first, I asked if it was going to turn around and go back, and the driver said yes. It was weird too. The was one passenger in the front who seemed to just be hanging out there. If I were to guess, she was probably a prostitute who just hung out on the bus until nighttime. Well - it did take me back home eventually, but the loop was through some rather depressing neighborhoods and it literally took about 90 minutes to just get back to where I started. By the time I got home, my parents were already home, although it was because they came home early. This was before most people had mobile phones or even pagers, and I'm not sure they would have gotten me one at that age anyways. My dad said he was about to call the police to file a missing person report. They also said no more of that afterschool activity unless I left after 30 minutes.

I guess more recently I was taking a short ride on light rail from a heavy rail train station to a stop near where I worked at the time. The ride would have been less than 6 minutes. Some older guy started yelling at me because I was standing up. He practically ordered me to sit down, just in case I might fall over and crash into him. I politely walked away. Then he started yelling at me since I had a smartphone up and was just randomly checking on stuff. He said something about not knowing if I was taking photos of him (which I wasn't). I just kind of walked away, but he seemed to be a total kook.

I suppose transportation that allows alcohol can get interesting. I've seen groups sharing 12 packs. On one commuter train I was talking to the conductor, who mentioned that some groups bring shot glasses and are slamming down liquor.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I have two that come to mind.

Back in '81 I took the train from Madrid to Hamburg for the Christmas holidays. First off, I was in a sleeper car, sharing with 3 other people, from Madrid to Paris. I was sound asleep in the top bunk (2 on each side), and woke up because a man was shoving a sandwich (bocadillo in Spanish) at me, holding it under my nose. His wife told him to let me sleep, and he was telling her, "no, she has to eat." Lol. It was so nice of them to share their food with me.

Spanish train tracks are a different width than the ones in France, so while the people sitting in seats had to change cars, they just lifted ours and moved the train wheels to accommodate the French track. We never had to get out of our car.

We made it to Paris, and after switching train stations and a little layover I got on that train to Hamburg, and there were so many students from different countries. I got in a car that had benches facing each other (think of the one in the Harry Potter movies), and there were 8 of us sitting in there, and people were coming and going. I was sitting next to this older woman (probably the age I am now, lol), and she spoke several languages. She would ask people where they were from and strike up a conversation with them. She told me she spoke seven different languages.

That train trip took 36 hours in total, and I found it to be fascinating.

----

More recently, I went on a business trip to Chantilly, VA, and was close enough to Washington, DC, I stayed an extra day so I could visit it. The guy at the hotel I was staying at told me to take the shuttle to the airport, and from there to take a bus to WDC. So, I did that. The next morning, I walked out of the lobby and there were a bunch of people getting on the shuttle, and they had little carry-ons. I asked the driver if they were headed to the airport, and he nodded, so I got on, sitting in the seat behind him. The other people were dressed up, while I had on shorts. I buried my nose in my book and read while we rode to the airport.

I saw the driver slow down, and we went past a guard shack. GUARD SHACK? I sat up and took notice. The bus driver stopped at a business and EVERYONE got off. Now, I was starting to kind of worry, and when he got on I asked if he was going to the airport, where he said no, he was a private shuttle. Shoot. Turned out he hadn't heard my question, and I guess the nod he gave was for something else. He couldn't take me to the airport because he had someplace to go. He did call his dispatch and got permission to take me back to the Doubletree, where I was staying - you know, the hotel that has shuttles with big pictures of chocolate chip cookies on the side. I had totally overlooked that small detail that this shuttle had no such decoration on its side.

The driver was kind to take me back, and I just shook my head at myself, especially since I'm the one who usually pays attention when my friends and I go places. lol

 

[Caseheidi]

I remember when I was going to church one Sunday on the T in Boston. I was wearing a skirt and reading a book during the ride. I uncrossed my legs to cross them the othe way. Next thing I knew, an older man from the other side of the car got up, walked over and sat down next to me. He then leaned over and asked me to cross my legs back the other way as he had a better view. I quickly got up, walked to the other end of the car and completed my trip standing. I guess I was luck, because I rode those trains a lot for over two years, and that was the only bad moment I had.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Melancholy:

Days after 9/11 my subway line re-opened and it was eerie how quiet, polite and able to make eye contact everyone was. I was ready to change my surroundings (looking out your front windows and seeing Army helicopters landing in Central Park is surreal) but dreaded passing thru lower Manhattan. Switched train lines at Broadway-Nassau instead of the then closed Chambers Street stop. Even though Bway-Nassau is about 8 blocks from the Trade Center it smelled strongly of... burning. Got on the newly routed train and passed over the bridge. There were about 8 people, mostly women, in our subway car and we all started to cry silently as we watched the smouldering buildings. Tissues were passed amongst us, hugs were given and then we went our separate ways.

Buses substituted the train line to my final destination and it was a new form of Hades. Left the mid Eighties in Manhattan at 7:30 AM, arrived near Brooklyn College at 2:15 PM. Gathered my files and told my sister I'd be working from home for the duration. Took me 2 months before I left my house again.

Grrlies Rock:

A crowded bus on Fordham Rd and a man is inappropriately touching a mentally disabled girl. She didn't know what to do besides turn red so all the middle and high school girls near her proceeded to surreptiously kick the man and prick him with hatpins. He got off the bus before his stop but none of us tried to comfort or speak to the girl as all of us were embarrassed. I regret that to this day-the not speaking.

 

[mrodgers]

I dropped my kayak off at the head of a river for an event and drove down stream to the park where we were to end. Parked the car and got on the shuttle bus and it took me back to the start.

I did that three times since buying my kayak. Not too exciting, but that's all the transport story I have, LOL.

 

[PollyannaMom]

January 12th, 2014

Took DS and his friend (ages 13 and 12) into Boston. (Don't even remember exactly where we were going - Science Museum?...Faneuil Hall?...ice skating?...)

Anyway, on the way there, we kept noticing oddly dressed people on the train. Apparently, this is a real, organized event:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Pants_Subway_Ride
https://improveverywhere.com/

Those poor boys had no idea what they were supposed to do with their eyes.

Explaining to the other kid's mom was also fun. It's a good thing we're friends!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

An aborted landing at Washington National on my very first flight.

 

[Gigi22]

The most enjoyable event was meeting Cubby the ferret, who was being smuggled onto a trip on a city bus. Both Cubby and his owner were absolutely charming. At the time there was a no pets allowed rule. Only service animals were allowed.

The worst event occurred when my DH, who was one of the few riders on a bus, had to assist the bus driver in ejecting an unruly passenger who had assaulted the driver.

 

[AlohaNow]

I just remembered one! This was before cell phones and internet. Our NYC commuter train was stopped one station before where DH and I usually debarked for home. The train sat longer than usual and everyone was of course grumbling. Then they ordered everyone off the train and said that the train would not be proceeding any further, but no explanation was offered. Lots more grumbling! We walked up a huge hill and caught a cab home.

The next morning we found out what happened, solely thanks to the front page of the New York Times Metro section. The train had been held up at gunpoint Jesse James style! No one was hurt and the thieves, who just hopped on to one car while the train was stopped at the station and then ran away, demanded jewelry from a lady. We truly had no idea! We were just mad that we got home so late. (Typical New Yorkers, am I right?)

 

[adelaster]

Aside from a Disney bus or two I've never taken public transportation. I don't live in an area where it's used.

I've been on public transit once in my 61 years. I was 5.

Not even when traveling? This really surprises me.

 

[Floridaman999]

Not even when traveling? This really surprises me.

I'm not much of a city fan so all of my travel involves more rural locations. Well, except for Disney World, but I don't have any memorable experiences on that.

 

[tvguy]

Not even when traveling? This really surprises me.

Okay, I did ride the bus twice in England 4 years ago. And took a train, but I consider a train like a plane.

 

[amcnj]

Aside from the WDW transit options, my most memorable mass transit experience was about 35 years ago in NYC. A friend lived around 12th and 6th Street and was hosting a party. The party was breaking up and I realized my only option back home was to catch the last bus from the Port Authority Bus Station. So I literally ran up there and made it in time, and I and maybe 6 others waited for a while, only to eventually be told the last bus was a no show. I decided to take the subway back to the site of the party, and was the only one in the underground subway area, which was a large area, as you could go underground to other connections from there. As I was waiting I heard some loud talking and a group of about ten teenagers came down one of the staircases. They walked my way, and split up walking around me on both sides, talking to each other saying things like “it’s a cop”, and continued on their way. I always wondered if they hadn’t mistaken me for a cop, would things have gone south, or were they just trying to act tough for each other’s benefit.

Anyway, I spent the night at my friend’s place, and the next morning took the subway up to the George Washington Bridge and started walking across it around sunrise to catch a bus on the NJ side. As I was walking across the bridge, a car smashes into the median right across from where I was walking. I couldn’t see the driver who must have been slumped over on the seat. As I was deciding how to get over the barriers to where the car was, the guy quickly sits upright and starts driving off again. It reminded me of Night of the Living Dead, where someone was seemingly dead then suddenly comes awake again, and who knows in what form! Then he smashes into the median again a short distance further up and this time didn’t resume driving. Bridge personnel were already on the scene by the time I walked to where the car now rested.

Now that I reviewed it, most of my experience did not actually happen on mass transit. The bus ride back home was uneventful!

 

[aprilchem]

One time I was riding a subway out of the Madrid airport and two guys tried to steal a man's luggage off the train. The man whose luggage it was realized it, and they ended up fist fighting.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

About the most exciting thing I've seen is people get busted for no ticket.

But the one thing I'd say about public transit in the U.S. is for the most part, it really isn't that good. There are a few cities where it is ok, but for the most part it is woefully inadequate.

 

[paisleys]

Good and bad.



Good: I was running for the subway at the West 4th Street (NYC) stop after work. The doors were closing just as I got there. A pair of arms reached out and grabbed me. The cutest guy had pulled me on to the train. I was so shocked. He tried to talk to me, but I got really shy and could just smile and nod.

^^^^^^I LOVE this one!

My mother didn't drive and we used the city bus a lot when I was growing up. Once when I was little I didn't get off at our stop fast enough. I had to ride the entire route into town and back, which was awhile. I was a shy kid and probably just sat back down and didn't say anything when it started to go. This was the 70's (no cells) and we lived a bit from the bus stop so I'm sure that was a long wait my mother had standing there wondering if I was ever coming back.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Taking my Girl Scout Troop to a Christmas Market via train . Nine 13 year old girls, already complaining of hunger with money to buy dinner at the market.
Out in the middle of the woods, the train jolted to a halt and our car (first one) jumped a smidge sideways. We'd hit something . Abd deraiked

Spent the next two and a half hours sitting on the dark train, no heat, etc (as it wasn't running) watching 21 emergency workers swarm around in the woods outside while trying to keep girls calm and update parents via cell.
They finally towed us to the next station, made space for us to squeeze onto a jammed to the gills train waiting for the tracks to clear so it could go back where we cmec from. Got back where we started about four hours after we left, having done nothing but sat on trains.

We wanted to custom make "train wreck" patches for the girls' vests, but it was too expensive. Got a letter later telling us we'd hit a wild boar

 

[indimom]

Another who has very little experience with public transportation. Disney buses, a couple flights (if those count) and the school bus.

My most memorable happened when I was a grade schooler on the public school bus.
There was a teenage "mean girl" on our bus. She harassed other girls endlessly.
One day, while we were parked at the grade school (waiting for all the younger kids to get on), one of her victims lost her cool and slapped "mean girl," then got scared and ran off the bus.
Mean girl chased her, stopping only to grab an ax that was anchored up near the driver's seat....
A couple teachers intervened, no one was injured, and mean girl was taken away in handcuffs.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Our funniest & most bizarre experience happened on a bus from Epcot to Hilton Bonnet Creek. We were on a full bus on NYE. As you can imagine, the traffic was insane. WDW was making all roads one way, which resulted in rerouting traffic. There was absolutely nothing the driver could do about it. He was clearly instructed where to go by traffic controllers. Unfortunately, we were on a bus with "that person". Most of us sat back to watch the movie. Not her. She stood up & started cursing the driver. Her DH looked like he wished he could disappear. At first, another woman that was with her stood up to support her. Together, they continued their rant about the driver not ignoring instruction & taking the direct route. When she eventually started yelling that this was complementary transportation, provided by the hotel, so we should get priority treatment, the other woman finally took her seat. At that point, she also looked like she would like to melt into the seat. Apparently, the other woman knew what complimentary actually meant, but the lunatic definitely didn't seem to. She kept repeatedly cursing the driver for not ignoring instructions, because we had paid for this complimentary treatment. We spent an 1 1/2 listening to this person go off on a tangent. You wouldn't believe how many times she repeated that complimentary transportation, from the hotel, meant we should get special treatment. DH & I eventually started laughing so hard at her loud mouthed ignorance that we couldn't stop. The more she said the harder we laughed. It was one of those situations, when you can't stop laughing. It was clear everyone thought she was embarrassing herself, but she was too enraged to care. She really was a tutorial in how to make an idiot out of yourself. She would have gone viral on social media in a different time. When we exited the bus, I made a point of thanking the obviously frazzled driver & telling him he had done a fantastic job dealing with the situation. He thanked me, then we were off to our room. When I looked in a mirror, my mascara was running down to my chin from laughing so hard. I was mortified. I fussed at DH for not letting me know my makeup was running all over my face. In his defense, he was probably laughing too hard at the woman to notice. After seeing what I looked like, the poor driver probably wondered, if everyone on the bus was drunk idiots. You would have to be there, but the woman that obviously needed serious anger management therapy, provided the most entertainment we've ever had at WDW.

 

[RangerPooh]

Not public transportation per say, but the shuttle bus from LAX to our off site rental car location. Just after leaving LAX our oldest who was about 4 at the time vomited all over the rear seating area. Floor, walls, seat. I immediately broke out baby wipes and grabbed paper towels form the driver to clean it up.

Year ago I use to take light rail into downtown San Jose for college and experienced a few uncomfortable moments. From bad BO, vomit, nose pickers, to people who gave me the creeps sitting besides me. Watched a few fights as well.