Which things will you do or not do on the bus?

Seraph

Sun, Feb 05 2012, 2:10 pm

Assuming you're going on a long bus ride (intercity, most likely) that is at least 40 minutes long.

Which of the following will you do on the bus, and which will you not do, no matter how uncomfortable/difficult for you, because you feel it is bad manners/etiquette?

Nurse an infant
Nurse a toddler
Change a baby's diaper
Eat lunch
Feed your kids lunch
Make an important phone conversation
Make a shmoozy phone conversaton
Talk louder than a whisper
Have a long conversation with someone across the aisle from you (so you have to speak louder than a whisper)

intrigued

Sun, Feb 05 2012, 2:30 pm

I would do all except an important phone call as you can be easily distracted and I don't need everyone hearing my business and I wouldn't talk to a person across the aisle.

I would only nurse with a good cover that if a person was walking pass they wouldn't even know what I was doing.

Ruchel

Sun, Feb 05 2012, 2:31 pm

Nurse an infant: yes if covered
Nurse a toddler: no
Change a baby's diaper: yes if I haaaaaaave to only
Eat lunch: sure
Feed your kids lunch: sure
Make an important phone conversation: only if it needs to be NOW others do it
Make a shmoozy phone conversaton: only if others do it
Talk louder than a whisper: see above
Have a long conversation with someone across the aisle from you (so you have to speak louder than a whisper): see above

bluebird

Sun, Feb 05 2012, 2:40 pm

Nurse an infant yes

Nurse a toddler No answer on this. I'll tell you when I have a toddler. Smile

Change a baby's diaper I would prefer not to and instead wait. It seems like it would be difficult and rude to other passengers.
On the other hand, if the dirty diaper smells worse and I can change it quickly and put it in a bag, I might go for it but I'd try to not do it where other people are sitting

Eat lunch & Feed your kids lunch Yes, if it was something that wouldn't spill or make a lot of crumbs. Kids should have a towel or something to eat over so they can keep the bus clean.

Make an important phone conversation No, not unless I had to. I don't need everyone to hear my business. True story: I heard a guy discuss an important and confidential business deal on a bus, then tell the person he was talking to not to tell anyone about it, even his own wife.

Make a shmoozy phone conversaton No. Again, no one needs to hear my business. If the bus is not crowded, no one is sitting with me, and I have a phone where I can talk very quietly and the other person can still hear me, maybe.

Talk louder than a whisper I have no problem using my inside voice on a bus. But it depends on what a person's definition of "inside voice" is.

Have a long conversation with someone across the aisle from you (so you have to speak louder than a whisper)Again, inside voice. Though I'd prefer to arrange seating so that I didn't have to talk across the aisle if possible.

Stayci

Sun, Feb 05 2012, 2:47 pm

If the trip is less than an hour I would avoid doing anything you mentioned.

Giving my toddler a neat small sandwich, or eating one myself I probably would do, but I wouldn't unpack an official lunch (Spreads, drink, etc..).

Exceptions always apply- but if I would resort to any of the mentioned options it would be in the very back of the bus and extremely discreet.

ora_43

Sun, Feb 05 2012, 2:55 pm

Hmm I was thinking of a 40-minute ride.

If it's 2-3 hours, I'd do more things. Including nurse a toddler, change a diaper (unless we're toward the very end of the ride), make phone calls, and hold conversations.

Actually I think I'd hold a conversation even on a shorter ride, even if nobody else were doing it.

shalhevet

Sun, Feb 05 2012, 3:09 pm

I wonder if some people think before they speak on the phone on the bus. Several times I have heard people speak about things they never would talk about if they knew someone they knew was listening.

I really would suggest you only make short, to-the-point calls - like 'I'm on the 5 o'clock bus and I'll get in at 6' or 'Do you want me to buy milk at the makolet on the way home?'. People who make social calls get carried away and forget someone they know may be listening, or someone who knows the person you're discussing...

DrMom

Sun, Feb 05 2012, 3:12 pm

Nurse an infant - if I had to, I would.
Nurse a toddler - I don't nurse anyone who toddles, on or off a bus.
Change a baby's diaper - if I absolutely had to.
Eat lunch - If it's a looong ride, I may do this, although I would prefer to eat while not in a moving vehicle.
Feed your kids lunch - if they were hungry and whiney, I would, but I'd prefer that they eat at a table.
Make an important phone conversation - only if it's an emergency.
Make a shmoozy phone conversaton - I may if I am bored and nobody is sitting next to me and forced to listen in.
Talk louder than a whisper - yes.
Have a long conversation with someone across the aisle from you (so you have to speak louder than a whisper)- not likely

Last edited by DrMom on Sun, Feb 05 2012, 3:14 pm; edited 1 time in total

HindaRochel

Sun, Feb 05 2012, 3:12 pm

Nurse an infant Yes
Nurse a toddler Maybe
Change a baby's diaper [color=red Probably not [/color]
Eat lunch[color=red I eat snacks on the bus, but see a lot of people have breakfast. Doesn't bug me.
Feed your kids lunch
Make an important phone conversation Maybe - it can't wait? Sometimes my boss calls and I'll answer, I generally don't like to talk long on the bus.
Make a shmoozy phone conversaton Most likely no. I do call my dh and tell him I'm coming home. I did rant on to a friend the other day while on the train, but that was unusual
Talk louder than a whisper [color =red] yes [/color]
Have a long conversation with someone across the aisle from you (so you have to speak louder than a whisper) Yes. Sometimes that's the only time I see a friend.

EmesOrNT

Sun, Feb 05 2012, 3:14 pm

shalhevet wrote:

Hehe. I once commented on a persons conversation. She was not amused.

Barbara

Sun, Feb 05 2012, 4:24 pm

Assuming you're going on a long bus ride (intercity, most likely) that is at least 40 minutes long.

I regularly commute on a bus that takes between 40 minutes and an hour.

Which of the following will you do on the bus, and which will you not do, no matter how uncomfortable/difficult for you, because you feel it is bad manners/etiquette?

Nurse an infant

Sure, if done appropriately, which means well-covered.

Nurse a toddler

Define toddler here. A 14 month old? Yes. A 3 year-old? Probably not. At that age, a child can wait until the end of the trip, and can be satisfied with other food or drinks, instead of undergoing the contortions of nursing discretely with an older child.

Change a baby's diaper

NO. A public bus is not an appropriate place to see to bathroom needs, including diaper changes, unless there is a restroom on the bus.

Eat lunch

Feed your kids lunch

I would feed my child quiet food (ie soft, not crunchy) that are not messy and do not smell. No opening multiple containers and spreading things out like a picnic. No tuna or garlic or things that may offend others.

I've been known to drink coffee or water on a bus, but generally, adults don't need to eat that frequently that they can't last on hour ride without food.

Make an important phone conversation

Quote:

If its important, and could not be done before or after the bus, yes. But quietly

Make a shmoozy phone conversaton

No.

Talk louder than a whisper

Yes. I think that a normal, but soft-spoken, conversation is appropriate.

Have a long conversation with someone across the aisle from you (so you have to speak louder than a whisper)

See above

invisiblecircus

Sun, Feb 05 2012, 4:46 pm

emesornt wrote:

Hehe. I once commented on a persons conversation. She was not amused.

On a plane journey one time, I told my husband a funny story about something that had happened when I had been eating by a particular Rabbi for Shabbat before we were married.

When the flight landed and everyone stood up to get their bags from the overhead lockers, a non-Jewish (I think) guy who had been sitting in front of us turned around and told me he enjoyed my story about the Rabbi. LOL

RachelEve14

Mon, Feb 06 2012, 12:51 am

Nurse an infant Yes, if covered
Nurse a toddler No, unless the screaming would be more disruptive than the nursing (young toddler and I had my own seat)
Change a baby's diaper No, unless private seat and it was going to be at least another hour on the bus
Eat lunch Not normally, snack if desperate.
Feed your kids lunch Snack maybe, not a full lunch, nothing smelly
Make an important phone conversation No (unless "pick up milk please" is classified as important)
Make a shmoozy phone conversaton Sometimes, if I'm by myself and I can talk quietly
Talk louder than a whisper Talk? yes, I find whispering more disruptive than quiet talking actually.
Have a long conversation with someone across the aisle from you (so you have to speak louder than a whisper) Yes, if talking quietly

OK now what do you say Very Happy

Depressed

Mon, Feb 06 2012, 2:28 am

It depends , if its a Lakewood bus, or frum bus where it would be very inappropriate to talk loudly across an aisle or talk loud on a phone I wouldnt, but if it was a city bus with non jews playing loud rap music, I dont think any of the things OP mentioned would be even noticed...