Get those rules front and center
My brother, Adam Bullock, had an interesting thought the other day: why doesn’t TriMet have a “rules to ride by” poster or something front and center when you get on the bus or the MAX. The bus is easy - just that “wall” behind the driver sits:
Have a nice large poster on the immediate right. The MAX might be a little tougher - maybe on the clear wall near each entrance / exit point.
Because I’m wondering: people that are eating on the MAX or bus or otherwise, do they know that they shouldn’t? Do they just not care?
In any case, why not try to get the rules more in the face of passengers?
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Comments
Take a look at how Tokyo Metro does this:
http://www.tokyometro.jp/anshin/kaiteki/poster/index.html
Hilarious! It really grabs your attention.
Perhaps you don’t realize it Nick but there would be no need “to have the rules blasted in your face” if people ACTUALLY OBEYED THEM.
Signs tends to be just so much visual noise, unless there is enforcement to back it up. I’m sure the couple who engaged in a reality-show styled blow-up that lasted three stops on my Yellow Line Max trip today would not have been deterred in the least by a sign.
Speaking of noise, when will TriMet realize that its constant recorded badgering on Max(in two languages no less)about being “required to move for seniors and people with disabilities” has no effect other than to irritate anyone on a trip longer than fifteen minutes? Does TriMet really think a recorded message would hit home on a cretin that doesn’t give up their seat for a handicapped person?
TriMet might as well put a sign up instead, for all the good it does, and give the rest of us a break.
My recent trips on WES and Phoenix’s Valley Metro were improved by the relative absence of bi-lingual badgering.
-Dan
Kevin:
Do you really think you can change society with a poster on the bus? If you want strict obedience, join the military. Life is messy.
Nick,
I never said I could “change society” with a bus poster. Perhaps a $250 fine would make you think twice.
Maybe because it’s confrontational and unpleasant to have the rules blasted in your face so blatantly. Everyone sees the little “respect the ride” mini-posters. From what I remember of some Trimet statistics, new riders are more rare on the bus than on the MAX, so I don’t think there’s any lack of knowledge of the rules. I think people are aware; they just don’t care. And I’m not sure I disagree with them. Then again, I understand that obviously this site’s motivation is a bit at odds with my stance.