On the bus, experience 1

Oct. 1st, 8:40-9:30 pm,
Bus ID: 99 B-Line
Bus ID: Boundary 9 (Electric bus powered by overhead lines)

Here’s a brain dump of some of the things noticed on Wed. night on the bus:
- payment system is confusing, especially if you want to pay for more than one person
- ticket reader machine is confusing, but understandable for the tickets that we had
- driver is available for questions
- bus is divided into sections: old people + disability, pairs, singles, groups at the back
- young people seem to like the back of the bus, they can socialize if they like – conducive to conversation
- signage includes: street stop, stop requested, stop request strings, stop request buttons, push to open door, ticket instructions… etc. … need to make a comprehensive list
- use of colour – yellow bars for visibility and highlighting
- request stop button –red, with grey plastic around it, on a yellow bar
- automated voice sometimes tells you the name of the next stop
- overhead lights turn on when passengers getting on and off
- breaking is intense. Drivers should know better. Shame!
- lots of headphone use
- students like to read there text books on their laps, while listening to headphones. Usually they put their bag on the seat next to them if it is empty
- older people take advantage of the flip down seats at the front of the bus. They appear to take advantage of the wide 270 viewing angle (front NE portion of the bus has lots of window).
- for the paired seating, the pairs that line up like an L seem less desirable for middle aged ladies if there is a strange looking man on one of the pairs. They’d rather sit beside another person (especially if they are wearing headphones)
- slinky portion of the bus is fun, but feels unstable. Probably a big safety issue it ever got T-boned at an intersection.
- didn’t see an obvious route map, but we were heavily concentrated on observing passengers this time around

*thoughts - system should conform to the person, not the other way around