Crowds of people at the bus stop is another sign that school is back in session.
Now that fall semester is in full swing, on-campus CATA bus services are also back into full effect.
Tips on how to properly ride the CATA bus
Economics sophomore David Nelson waits for a seat to open up on Sept. 8, 2015, on the 31 CATA bus. The bus makes stops all around the north side of campus and on Grand River Ave. Catherine Ferland/The State News
When it comes to taking the CATA bus, there are some unwritten rules and etiquette that passengers should know about.
The State News asked frequent bus riders to share their tips on how to properly ride the bus and make their next ride better.
Have your money or bus pass ready.
When there is a long line to get onto the CATA, this is crucial. Nothing is worse than having to wait on one person to find their money or bus pass.
In order to bypass the long wait time, have everything ready in advance so that boarding can go smoothly.
Remove your earbuds or headphones.
There will be times when student bus passes will not work and the bus drivers have to yell so that students can swipe again.
Taking out earbuds before boarding the bus is also a good idea because there are many things going on in the background.
Don’t automatically sit in reserved seating.
Reserved seating is priority for seniors, disabled people and women with strollers. There will be times when you will need to give up those seats for the people with priority.
Remove your backpacks or purses out of the seat next to you.
"I hate when people have their book bag or purse on the seat next to them when the bus is full and won't put it on their lap," Sade King, a media and information senior, said.
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The only time that this is acceptable is when there aren’t many people on the bus. However, if there are a lot of students on the bus, let someone sit down.
Pull the cord ahead of time.
Have an idea of where you want to go ahead of time. Bus operators can’t stop the bus once they are almost past the stop for the safety of everyone on the bus.
Move towards the back when the bus starts to fill up.
The bus operators will try to get as many people on the bus as they can. Students usually hesitate to move further back when there are a lot of people trying to get on the bus.
In order to make wait times on the bus shorter, just move back.
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Be aware of your surroundings.
The buses fill up quickly and when people have to stand, they sometimes aren’t aware that their backpack could hit someone. To avoid this, pay attention to who is around or sitting down.
Don’t chase after the bus once it has left.
Most of the time the drivers will not see you, or they will not stop because legally, they can’t stop as a safety precaution. In order to not have this happen, check the depart times online.
Be respectful of others.
This means to limit phone conversations, because it is a distraction to the other passengers. Another tip is to use your inside voice when talking to other people on the bus.
Be respectful to the bus drivers.
"I don't like the people that are rude to the bus drivers or think that they don't have to abide by the bus rules," Kadiatu Kellah, a nursing senior, said.
CATA drivers encounter many people on a daily basis, some good and some bad. They are here to do a service and get students to their desired destination. Like other service workers they deserve to be treated with respect.
