You don’t own a car, and your place of work is a few miles away from where you’re residing. The only mode of transportation you’re using every single day is a bus. You’ve been riding one for years as you believe this is a lot cheaper than other vehicles out there without compromising your travel time. However, you’ve heard several stories of how passengers were harmed while riding the bus. Some were harmed because of fatal accidents on the road, while some were hurt by other passengers inside the vehicle. Of course, you don’t want to experience any of these situations. As much as possible, you want to be safe on your route every single day; you want to get from one point to another safely.
Danger is lurking in every corner. This is no longer fiction as the status quo would tell you that more and more people are hurt every day regardless of what they do – and riding the bus is no exemption. To help you guarantee your safety when you’re riding public transportation, here are some key tips on how to keep safe when riding the bus each day:
- Know the route and schedule: Imagine this: You were waiting for a bus on the way to work when suddenly, a “new” bus line offered you a ride and assured to drop you in the next bus stop. Although settling with this kind of offer can be tempting as you’re running late for work, don’t do it. You should know where the bus’ route is and don’t settle for something suspicious just because the urgency calls for it. It’s always best to book a ticket in your local bus stations with well-established bus lines. Doing this will keep you safe, and you’ll also be able to prepare how much should you spend on the bus ride.
- Be wary of your surroundings: Just because you’re sitting in an air-conditioned vehicle doesn’t mean you’re safe already. When you’re inside the bus, be conscious of what is going on around you. Are there people arguing in one corner? Or are there a couple of guys looking too sketchy on the ride? Be aware about these sort of things as most of the time, thieves use these methods to distract other passengers and steal from them.
- Do not put your valuables on the seat next to you: This is a common practice for most commuters: when the seat next to them is empty, they’ll place their bags and purses there thinking that it’s much safer compared to putting it elsewhere, but this is wrong. Having your valuables in one seat makes it an easy target for thieves. If you’re looking in another direction opposite to where your valuables are, they can easily snatch your valuables. Most of the time, it’ll take hours before noticing that something was stolen.
- Avoid sitting next to do the door: Although very convenient as you don’t have to pass through several passengers upon riding and getting off the bus, sitting next to the door is a dangerous option. If you’re near the bus door, you’re at risk for a snatch and grab. When this happens, you might not be able to respond quickly, making the thief successful in his/her attempt. To avoid situations like these, you can opt to sit near the driver or in the middle of the bus.
- Do not sleep: This is probably the most basic rule you have to follow when you’re riding public transportation. Regardless of how tired you are from work, you should never doze off on the ride. If you’re asleep, you’ll be an easy target for thieves, and you’ll not be able to respond as fast when accidents happen on the road. You should always be alert on the bus to remain safe.
- Sit in an exposed area: Being aware of what’s happening around you doesn’t only mean looking at one part of the bus, but all corners of it. For you to do that, you should sit in an exposed area, preferably in the aisle seat. This will allow you to circumvent from being cornered during emergencies and accidents.
- Don’t attract attention: Thieves are always looking for potential victims the moment they step in the bus, and you can easily qualify once they see that you’re wearing shiny jewelry or you’re using expensive gadgets. Keep all of these in your bag or use them only when you’re off the ride to decrease your chances of being noticed.
- Trust your instincts: If you’re uncomfortable with the bus driver or the bus ride itself, you might be right. Always listen to what you’re instinct is telling you. Avoid situations which make you feel uneasy and don’t convince yourself that everything’s okay when it’s actually not. Getting off from a bus ride and then looking for another can be stressful, but as long as you’re safe, everything will be worth it at the end of the day.
In conclusion
With the fast-paced environment you’re living in right now, merely getting on the bus, taking a seat and getting off from the ride can become dangerous. If you’re not aware enough with everything that’s happening around you, chances are, you’ll end up getting robbed or hurt. And of course, you don’t want that to happen. Some of the tips presented in this article might seem new and tedious for you to do, but these are small sacrifices to ensure that you’ll be safe when you’re riding the bus. Keep this mind and consistently practice all of these and for sure, you’ll never have to worry about being harmed while riding the bus every day!
Accident injuries can happen everywhere. If you consider your safety as a priority, you can click here to better understand the legal consequences of this subject matter.
Timothy Garret
Timothy is a budding law writer who enjoys all aspect of the law industry. He’s currently studying to become a lawyer and is applying his law knowledge into what he writes about. He spends time with his friends and swimming in his spare time.
