Becoming an expert transit rider

True expertise in riding a transit system takes time, patience, and lots of careful observation. It is not achieved overnight.

Most skills are transferable between different transit systems, although each has its own unique character, its certain quirks, its own DNA. In Tokyo, with its long train cars and impeccable punctuality, one becomes a master of knowing which train car to get on so that you exit nearest to the stairway at your destination. In Manhattan it’s a quick mental calculation to determine whether it is faster to walk or head down the stairs to the subway, wait for the train, and then head back up the stairs at your destination. In Paris it’s whether to risk eye contact with the accordion player busking for change on your metro car.

The expert transit rider is always on the lookout for ways to: 1) Reduce uncertainty, 2) Ride in greater comfort, and 3) Get to their destination faster. These are your guiding principles. So what talents should an expert transit rider possess?

Do you know the order of arrival for buses at your stop? If you’re waiting for a trolley bus, you know that this order is almost guaranteed. If you want the #4 bus at Howe and Robson, you know that it’ll arrive after the #7, #17, and #10. You don’t need to keep poking your head out to watch for your bus. As soon as the #10 arrives, yours is the next one.

Can you spot your bus from a long distance away? Can you tell at a glance the difference between a trolley, standard diesel, coach bus, community shuttle, Artic (articulated bus) diesel, or Artic trolley? Expert riders are aware of which bus type services their route and know to ignore the others.

Getting a seat can be as easy as waiting at the last stop before a major intersection. When everyone disembarks at the major stop, you’ve scored a seat. If you’re headed from Vancouver to Surrey on the SkyTrain, take the trains headed for VCC-Clark, then transfer at Columbia Station to head over the Skybridge. There’s a much better chance you’ll get a seat for most of the ride, since most people don’t want to change trains.

Also watch for bus bunch, that dreaded phenomenon whereby Bus A gets delayed while Bus B behind it gradually catches up. Bus A will invariably be packed, while Bus B is nearly empty. The expert rider knows their bus schedule and watches out for Bus B when everyone is packing onto Bus A. In this case, comfort beats travel time.

How about the best way to get a driver’s attention when you’re about to miss your bus? No, it’s not banging on the side of the bus. Shout out the bus number instead – it works better than “Waaaaaitttttt!”

Can you quickly choose between alternatives? You’re at your usual bus stop where one can take both local and B-Line buses. Your local bus arrives. Is it quicker to ride the local bus, which takes you closer to your destination, or take the faster B-Line but then have to walk farther? Expert transit riders can quickly calculate this based on the distance to their destination as well as service frequency at a given time of day.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, since every transit rider has their own methods to best navigate the system. I hope to hear a few of yours!