What is TriMetiquette?

TriMet is a public transportation service in Portland, Gresham, Beaverton & Wilsonville, Oregon. TriMet is the provider of buses, MAX (Metropolitan Area Express) Light Rail, the Portland Streetcar & the Westside Express Service (WES).

Etiquette is defined as being “rules governing socially acceptable behavior.”

TriMet etiquette… TriMetiquette.

So what is TriMetiquette? I guess you could define it as being, “Rules governing socially acceptable behavior on TriMet.” As a daily rider of TriMet, I see things on the MAX or on the bus that simply aren’t acceptable; they may not be stated on the rules for service, but in a social setting they shouldn’t be practiced.

This blog is designed to provide some clarity as to what kind of etiquette should be followed on TriMet. Whether it’s during the “standing-room-only” rush hours or late at night, stepping on any TriMet service doesn’t mean acceptable social behavior can be thrown out the door; there’s special TriMetiquette that should be followed.

Why TriMetiquette?

Because, honestly, I see a lot of crap that goes on the MAX & bus.  There are things that shouldn’t even be repeatable that I’ve seen happen on the MAX late at night.  I think TriMet does a really good job of laying out the “ground rules.”  But I also think that, for whatever reason, a lot of riders of TriMet seem to think that when they step on the MAX or a bus, some social rules don’t apply anymore.

I also think if there were some sort of “unwritten rules” that many riders knew about, things would go a lot more smoothly during the peak riding times.

And lastly, I think there are a lot of selfish people who do ride TriMet.  Those people include individuals who sit in a way where they take up multiple seats, those who sit on the steps by the doors, those that sit down when there’s an elderly or handicapped individual standing nearby, and more.  I want to ‘out’ these individuals (not naming names, of course), call out their specific behaviors, and offer proper riding advice in order to have a safe & pleasant ride on TriMet.