#undercovertanushree

I went to the bus stops around my house and talked to people about their experiences, without telling them that I was a student working on a project to see what sort of answers I could elicit. The point was to avoid crafted answers. This meant starting a conversation with some opener like, “wow this bus really doesn’t come on schedule, does it?” or “geez I can’t believe this bus! The __ line is way more reliable!” #undercovertanushree #undercoverdesigner

1) How does commuting on the bus/train affect your productivity daily?

- It doesn’t affect me too much, because it’s not like I do much when I get home besides eat and read or watch TV.

- I stay up late helping my kids with homework, but I still do everything

2) Are you physically comfortable? Elaborate

- The seats are tiny if you’re holding even one bag

- The lumbar support is terrible, of course.

3) What is the best experience you have had with strangers on your commute to/from work?

- There was once a woman crying on the train profusely. Like, she couldn’t stop. It was really hard to watch. An elderly man next to her offered her his shoulder. When she leaned her head on him she began to cry even harder, soaking his shirt. I think he was wearing a dress shirt. He didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t even ask her what was wrong. He just let her cry. And then when she had to get off, she picked up her things, sniffled a little bit, and said thank you. Then she just walked off. This guy’s shirt was soaked but he didn’t seem to mind. I think he somehow just knew that all she needed was nothing more than a shoulder. It was one of the gentlest acts I’ve ever seen.

4) Worst?

- I once had an older women kick me in the shin and call me a dirty indian

- I getting onto a crowded train, and I knew I had a long ride so I decided to try to get to the middle of the car. I asked a guy in front of me to excuse me please, so I could get through. He shoved me instead and cursed me. There are some fucking angry people for no good reason. They need better lives.

- One time there was this guy who ran into the car right as the doors were closing. He ended up stepping on a guy’s toes. It was an accident, but the guy got so mad he pushed him out onto the platform. He landed on his back, and then the doors shut, and we were on our way. I hope he was OK.

5) How many separate bags (including briefcases and backpacks) do you carry to and from work? How heavy?

5a) What do you carry?

- My bookbag, my lunchbag. My bookbag gets pretty heavy with a textbook or two.

- My laptop. I don’t need anything else for school

- My gym shoes and clothes, plus my laptop

- My lunch/tupperware, and whatever shopping I do during lunch.

6) What is your morning routine?

- Wake up, breakfast, drop the kids off, then park the car at home and go catch the bus.

- wake up, run out the door. I don’t have time for breakfast or I’m going to miss the bus

- Make breakfast and have some tea, watch the daily show from the previous night, and then get ready and go to work

- go running at 5:45AM, then shower at 6:30 and leave for work at 7:00 sharp.

7) What is the first thing you do when you leave work?

7a) When you get home from work?

- Try and go out to happy hour with my co workers or friends around the area. - I go home, take the dogs out, feed the cats, and then have dinner and read a book or go out with my friends or boyfriend before turning in.

- I made dinner, breakfast and lunch for the next day, then spend the night working on some freelance projects. So basically I get exactly no sleep.

8) How do you deal with a crowded train or bus?

- Sometimes I just start fake coughing very violently.

- I ask people to move. I don’t care, I don’t have any shame. It’s a public space. We should work together.

9) Do you ever observe people taking up more space than they need? When the bus/train is crowded?

- Yes of course. People are so rude, no manners at all.

- Routinely. But there are some angels who make it a point to take as little room as possible, too. Both ends of the spectrum exist.

10) Have you ever encountered or witnessed rude behavior on your commute? If it was someone else, did you step in?

- Sometimes I see some so called “art” kids trying to sneak and draw other people on the bus and I don’t fucking get it. Am I an object? Do you think I’m too stupid to see that? Stop fucking drawing me without my permission. I just think it’s so, so rude.

- I’ve seen guys - specifically older men - try and grab young women. I have also seen other men and women call them out on it, or the girls themselves.

11) How do you feel when you reach the end of the work day and have to wait for the bus or train?

- I get up at 5:45 so by the time 5:00PM comes around I am so happy the day is over that I am ready to party but then I realize I have to sit on the train and bus for an hour and I’m just like, ugh, why, you know? And the fact that there’s some crazy people out here especially in South Philly, that just makes it worse. Like, I’ve seen some bad stuff out here.

12) What do you do on the train/bus? In the morning vs. evening? - Listen to Serial or some other podcast