Lots of people think about changing jobs because of their commute. Maybe if, as commuters, we had a little more awareness, it would not be such a big deal. After five years of public transit, here are my suggestions for improving everyone’s experience.
- When you are leaving the house, you can choose aftershave, cologne, smelly hair product or mouthwash. You don’t need all four.
- If you need to carry your life around in a rolling briefcase, don’t sashay. Just walk in a straight line.
- If it feels like you might be too close to someone, you probably are. Back off or turn slightly to the side.
- If you plan to wear high heeled boots on your commute, practice at home first. Falling down the stairs in a crowd is awkward and painful – in more ways than one.
- Commuter trains move fast. When you stake out your spot, check for a handle or something you can grab on to when the track bends. This is not the time to be grabbing anybody’s anything in a crowd.
- If you are lucky enough to get a seat (or you planned well enough to leave the office on time), look up before you depart to see if anyone needs a seat more than you. You don’t have to give up your seat, but it would be nice if you took a look, just in case.
- When you are walking in one direction and decide you want to go somewhere else, do a shoulder check. Blindly walking diagonally through a crowd is tricky. You’ll probably be fine but you may leave a trail of “near misses” behind you.
On your next commute be aware and safe – that’s the best way forward for all of us.
You can follow Laura Machan on her twitter account @recruiterscouch. A complete list of her articles can be found here.