Odds are, you’ve rode some form of a public bus at some point in your lifetime.

If you do not have a car in Fort Collins, you are most likely familiar with their bus system. Free to anyone with a Ram Card and a convenient hub right at the Lory Student Center, taking a bus is a pretty decent way to get around town. The thing that makes bussing a struggle? The people. Sometimes other passengers are not the ideal travelers.

Here are some ways to practice proper bus etiquette to enhance your own bus experience and that of those around you:

Show up on time

Nobody enjoys running to catch a bus. Avoid putting that stress on yourself and leave for the bus a few minutes earlier to avoid the physical exertion and embarrassment by waiting a minute extra for the bus. It helps you by not putting stress on yourself, and it helps your fellow passengers by not having the bus driver wait for you.

Do not get in a fight but speak up. 

Sometimes there are aggressive and even inebriated people on the bus who want to argue and pick fights. Ignore them if you can. You do not want a violent encounter. That said, if you witness a hate motivated act towards a person or identity, do speak up and act on something that you do not feel is right.

Make an attempt to not touch people.

I get it, sometimes the bus is super crowded and you have to be all up in someone’s space. But if the bus is moderately full, you by no means should have to touch anyone. Stay in your bubble, and trust that others will do the same.

Do not sit next to a stranger unless you have to.

This goes along with respecting personal space, but if there is a place to be other than directly next to a stranger, move there. Most people do not love someone sitting in the seat right next to them and passengers should respect that.

Do not block the aisles.

The beauty and convenience of public transportation is that people are always coming and going. Make sure people have a clear and non-treacherous path. Keep your legs near you. do not spread out all your winter gear. Try to stand to one side and not in the middle. Be a conscientious rider.

Transfort’s Max route comes to campus between 5:32 p.m. 11:47 p.m.

Stand up for the elderly, pregnant and disabled. 

If you are an able bodied individual sitting down while no other seats are available, and someone who has a harder time standing walks on the bus, stand up and offer your seat to them. It is a polite and simple deed you can do on your commute.

Do not play your music out loud. 

Oh. My. God. It is 2018. I cannot believe we’re still having this conversation. Do not for any reason play your music out loud. You have headphones; use them. If you do not have headphones, chill on the bus. Scroll through your Instagram feed. Look out the window. Meditate. But above all, do not be blasting your music.

Do not talk to people with earphones in.

Again, people do not particularly want to be a part of your conversation. If someone has earphones in, that is a pretty good indicator that they do not want to be bothered.

Oh. My. God. It is 2018. I cannot believe we’re still having this conversation. Do not for any reason play your music out loud.” 

Do not take up a seat with your bag.

This goes along with being aware of how much space on the bus you are taking up. If you can avoid it, do not put things you can hold in a separate seat, especially as the bus fills up. People enjoy sitting on their trek from place to place. Make sure you provide them with that opportunity.

Do not push and shove your way on or off the bus. 

We’ve all got places to be. There is no reason to push others out of the way to make sure you are the first one.

Collegian reporter Maddie Wright can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @maddierwright.