Should someone who's been waiting longer than you at the bus stop always get on first?

[Letthebodieshitthefloor]

The bus I take is essentially a coach, always plenty of seats even at busy hours.

This morning I approached the bus stop, a woman was already there, and I saw her glaring at me because I was standing in the bus stop rather than at the side.

She then let another woman on first who'd perhaps been there longer than she had, then got herself in front of me and looked at me making sure I wouldn't get on before she did.

It's all a bit petty really, the bus was almost empty, it's not going to go without you.

If there were a pregnant/vulnerable/elderly passenger getting on and I could see there weren't many seats left then I'd let them on first.

@Letthebodieshitthefloor

A savage.. 😂 If you arrive later and there are many people there it's hard to know who got there first etc. Unless you form an orderly queue based on arrival time

Well you know that you’re not first, and that everyone who was there when you arrived get to go on the bus before you. Don’t be an arse!

Oops, I had no idea!

If you arrive last, i.e. just before the bus arrives, then surely that's because you have better time management. Who wants to waste time waiting outside when they could be having a last cuppa, for example? But I concede it is the correct etiquette.

Literally everyone does this in London - it's amazing how organised we all are and how everyone knows 'their' place in the queue

There's so much politeness too 'no, you were here before me' with loads of smiling and nodding

Thar is the correct etiquette and I was in Spain once when people piled on with no acknowledgement of who was there first.Savages!

I agree with the OP if the bus is empty, the queue is very small, the bus stops in front of you and you just need to show or swipe a pass.

In this situation you are just shortening the length of time that the bus has to stop.

@MsJaneAusten

I got very confused when waiting for a bus in Cuba as whenever anyone new arrived at the bus stop they would ask ‘ultimo?’ and the last person to arrive would raise a hand or nod at them, but everyone just sat or stood where they wanted to. When the bus arrived, they seamlessly formed themselves into a queue, with each person standing behind their ‘ultimo’. It was a thing of beauty.

This sounds like how it works in the barber. I honestly had no clue the very first time I took my son to get his hair cut. Fellas just sitting in their own world, but knowing exactly where they were in the queue.

OP, what if someone who arrived at the stop after you, gets on before you and gets the last window seat? Wouldn't you feel it was unjust?

She didn't really need to do the look but if I arrive late and am in the shelter I kind of make it obvious I'm standing back while the original people get on. It doesn't really matter when the bus is empty but it's just the way of things I thought

The invisible queue of about 8 people in a bakers in Spain had me completely confused.
I didn’t realise the people sitting on benches were also in the queue - thought they were waiting for their partner(all male btw).
I could not work out how they knew who was next - thought they must just know every person in there!
Realise now that the “ultimato” was the key but I did not know!

It's called a queue - of course you slight in order of who got there first.

In this situation you are just shortening the length of time that the bus has to stop.

Agree. I am a queuer through and through, but there are some bus situations when it's a bit ridiculous not to just quickly get on. Snooty looks are not always fair because not everyone knows the system. I have arrived first at the bus stop many times and got on last because I had not known exactly where the bus would stop. It wasn't the end of the world!

You don’t need to know who got there first.
You only need to know who was there before you.
Then you go after the last of them.
It’s not rocket science!

It’s basic British etiquette.

I’d always let a person in a wheelchair on first, regardless of when they arrived. But otherwise you wait your turn.

Pushing in is a sure-fire way to piss people off.

@WakeUpLockie

If you arrive last, i.e. just before the bus arrives, then surely that's because you have better time management. Who wants to waste time waiting outside when they could be having a last cuppa, for example? But I concede it is the correct etiquette.

That might work if buses operated to to-the-second time management principles and passengers could rely on them arriving and leaving at the time on the timetable - does that ever happen?

Of course you do..it's rude if not

@LaurieFairyCake

Literally everyone does this in London - it's amazing how organised we all are and how everyone knows 'their' place in the queue

There's so much politeness too 'no, you were here before me' with loads of smiling and nodding

Hahaha, definitely not in my rough part of SE London 😂 It's all elbows out and shoving people out of the way here.

Although most bus stops near me have 2 to 8 different buses stopping there so it's not possible to know who is waiting for what (or you might wait for a few different ones on the same route and get on whichever comes first) so forming any meaningful queue isn't possible.

As a child we had a GP surgery with no receptionist. You sat in the waiting room with the other patients and knew it was your turn to see the GP when you knew everyone else in the room with you had arrived later than you.

Yes.

And don't forget to say thank you to the bus driver when you get off the bus.

When I had an illness I needed a seat, so when I joined the bus queue, I would go in the shelter to sit down and when the bus came would let the others who had been there longer than me on first.
I think it it silly not using the shelter if it is raining or you need a seat but people queuing will see it as pushing in, so a smile and explain will help.

It’s also that bit more complicated when a bus stop covers multiple routes & you don’t know whether anyone wants the same bus as you. Hang back too long & your bus might go straight past, so the only thing to
do is stick your hand out & then politely drop back if anyone else gets up.

@boogiewithasuitcase

Yes.

And don't forget to say thank you to the bus driver when you get off the bus.

Yes. Churrs Drive

The only place in England where entry to a vehicle is a free for all, rather than by order of who arrived first, is the London Underground. If you want to shove on first without incurring social contempt, the 07.25 from kings Cross to Leicester Square is your best bet.

i caught a bus the other week, the youngsters knew where the bus would actually stop and waited there, arrived after me, but did not let me on first, fuming!

@awesomekilick

The only place in England where entry to a vehicle is a free for all, rather than by order of who arrived first, is the London Underground. If you want to shove on first without incurring social contempt, the 07.25 from kings Cross to Leicester Square is your best bet.

This!