The July meeting will, again, take place on July 29 at the Portland Building, 2nd floor, 5-7pm.

So get practicing – you only have three minutes to comment. Here’s the entire schedule of meetings.

The truth of the matter is that it does partly come from my values and beliefs that everyone riding public transportation should do their best to make not only their ride but everyone else’s rides more enjoyable. I would hope that everyone has this mentality and it just doesn’t seem like everyone does.

But the majority of what I like to focus on when posting riding etiquette tips for TriMet are not exactly rules.. but tips on more of the “unwritten rules.” Sure, it may not state that you can’t put your feet on the seat… but I would think you wouldn’t want to do that so someone else can take that seat, right? I’m continually surprised that it usually just doesn’t really seem that way, hence why I decided to start up and write for this blog.

I’m a rules guy. When the weather gets nice, I like to commute to work via bike. What peeves me is when bikers don’t stop at stop signs; this just really grabs my goat. I actually wrote a quick comment about this on Yelp, where I got both some supporting comments and some that weren’t so supportive.

So if you believe that I write these riding etiquette tips based on my own personal values and beliefs… you’re halfway right. The other half, though, comes straight from the school of “no duh”, where I think a lot of people don’t really consider when riding.

Maybe this blog comes across as more of a venting outlet than anything else. Maybe that is part of it. But I write these riding etiquette tips because I hope that I can share these ideas with other TriMet riders who feel the same as I do… and hopefully, we all can make our TriMet riding experience more enjoyable.

What do you all think? Does having an accessible light rail system increase crime in those areas where there are stops? Is there a correlation?

The light-rail system needs turnstiles to board, or maybe better yet, a ticket-taker.

I’ve said this time and time again. I cannot imagine the kind of money TriMet is losing out on everyday with MAX passengers who do not actually pay fare. And if they get checked once a year or so and get a ticket, hey, that’s cheaper than buying fare every time they ride! A turnstile system shouldn’t slow things down much at all; trains already take a good amount of time at each station.

TriMet should provide transit, not development planning. It should provide transportation to people where they are, rather than building new lines in hopes they’ll move there.

So basically, focusing more on bus lines than building out new rail lines that help out a fraction of riders. Yeah, a rail line from Portland to Milwaukie sounds like a great idea… but how many people will really be using it? Will it be another *gasp* WES?! And while the Green Line hasn’t really been a huge success for TriMet, it still has been a better success than the WES.

In any case, feel free to read Dave’s article here. It’s a good read.

TriMet Forces Sale

Unfortunately, there’s no way to contact the guy aside from swinging by his business, which I may do; I’d like to hear more about this…

• Air conditioning varies from bus to bus and MAX train to train (our WES correspondant Wes Breaksalot reports that the WES trains are quite cool and nice, especially when you’re the only one riding).
• Truth be told, when the temps rise, so does the stinkiness of riders’ body odors. Not really any tips here, except be prepared.
• Best seat on a hot bus? Hit the back and sit in one of those seats that face the aisle; you’ll most likely be the recipient of a couple of drafts from some open windows.
• Best spot on the MAX? Right in the middle of the lower-platform older trains right on top of the pivot point to the side. You’ll be out of the way and most likely won’t get sweated on.

Anyone have any summer riding tips they would like to share?

In any case, I’ve been seeing more and more improper riding etiquette on TriMet as of late, which should help springboard this neat little TriMet blog back to life again.The funny thing is that, with this being a blog specifically about “TriMet riding etiquette”, I get a lot of comments that are, well, fairly negative. I just approved one that accused me of being a spoiled little brat of a child.  I get others that tell me that I’m a cranky old man. I’m not that old (yet…) but, with the kind of mentality with TriMrt riders these days, I definitely am feeling more cranky with how disrespectful some people can be.

Anyway, I’ll keep on bearing this verbal assault by those that feel spitting on the ground at and around MAX and bus stations isn’t a big deal (I’m sorry, it’s disgusting and it is a big deal), those that like to light-up at MAX stations when it explicitly says not to (it’s OK that you smoke… but not where you’re not supposed to) and otherwise. No, I don’t feel like I’m “holier than thou” or better than anyone, just because I want to help Portland public transportation riders enjoy their ride more… I want to help people like me who do ride public transportation to enjoy their rides like they should be enjoying them.Here’s to more public transportation riding etiquette in Q2, Q3 and Q4 of 2010!

This kind of response is absolutely ridiculous.

I popped right up, assessed the situation from inside the bus (“OK, the gal is on her side, it looks as if her leg is wedged beneath the ramp…”), saw that the driver and another person who was waiting for the bus were the only two people assisting, and immediately went outside to help. I helped her by holding an umbrella over her so she wouldn’t get wet while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

So ok, enough good for me… now it’s the other riders’ turn.

To think I was the only bus rider who popped up to help is ridiculous. Everyone else was concerned with maintaining their seat position! I even heard grumblings of, “When can we go?” and “”When is the next bus coming? Come on…” I get that this situation was making us a bit later than usual… but come on people!

So good riding etiquette? Help other passengers. Offer help if you see someone who might need it. Who knows – it may even make you feel a little good

Anyway, I’m hoping that with Fred’s vision of light-rail being predominately focused on and developed during his tenure, the next General Manager can focus a bit more on the bus system.

Anyone thinking about applying?

If you plan on riding TriMet on St. Patrick’s Day, which I would strongly recommend if you plan on boozing it up out there, please note that TriMet services will be on usual schedules for a Wednesday. Remember to carry $2 – $2.30 of cash / change (depending on where you’re going) if you’re planning on using the bus for a two-hour period.

Some riding etiquette for those who are planning on making the most of their St. Patty’s Day:

• If you’re going to blow chunks, please choose an appropriate seat. Your best bet would be to go for a seat towards the front to make use of the driver’s small trash bucket or, if you’re on a bus route that has frequent stops, one near the exit door so you can poke your head out, toss your cookies, and get back to riding in a good manner
• Wearing green will not give you a discount on TriMet
• If you pinch a driver because he / she is not wearing green, you may find yourself chatting with some Transit Police folks
• Irish TriMet Bomb: due to budget cuts, you’ll need to cut the usual 3 / 4 pint of Guinness into 1 / 2 of a pint and only add 1 / 4 of a shot of Baileys and 1 / 4 of a shot of whiskey instead of the usual 1 / 2 shots

Safe travels out there! And if you’re still looking for something to, why don’t you check out PDX Pipeline’s Portland St. Patrick’s Day Party Picks.