10 Tips For Taking The Bus

Now that I have taken the bus a few times, I wanted to share with you my tips for taking the bus:

1. Arrive at least 30 minutes early. The bus companies all say that you need to arrive 15 minute ahead of departure in order for the bus to be loaded in time to leave. But you need to get in line before that. The further up in line you are, the better seat you are going to get. If you are traveling with more than one person, you are going to want to get seats together so you will need to arrive early.
2. If you are traveling alone, don’t try to take up two seats! You know the bus is going to be full, they always are. Don’t be the person that puts their bag on the seat next to them so no one sits there. This makes it harder for people who are traveling in groups to sit together, and its just rude. You are going to sit next to someone you don’t know, and maybe you will make a friend!
3. Bring your chargers. Most buses have outlets and WiFi so you can use your computer to work or watch movie on your iPad without the fear of your device dying. There are usually enough outlets for everyone to use but if for some reason there aren’t, don’t be rude, share!
4. Bring snacks. You are going to get hungry, everyone does. The best way to avoid becoming hangry and being that person everyone hates on the bus, is to bring a bunch of granola bars and fruit snacks to keep you satisfied.
5. Hydrate. This is key. It doesn’t matter what form of transportation you are taking, traveling is very dehydrating. You will want to bring or buy a water bottle for the trip.
6. Wear comfortable clothes. You’re going to be sitting in the same place for a few hours so you want to be wearing clothes that wont bind or make you uncomfortable.
7. Be respectful of the people around you. No one likes that person on the bus that has their movie blasting through their headphone or is singing along to their music. Don’t be that person. Keep the volume on your movies/TV shows/music low and keep the conversations at a whisper. No one else wants to hear about how much you hate your sister.
8. Avoid motion sickness. Some people can get sick on a bus and others are totally fine. I am one of those people that is prone to motion sickness. Bring whatever you need to avoid that with you. Dramamine is always a good idea.
9. Give yourself plenty of time. The bus is going to be late or will run into traffic. You don’t want to miss your big interview or be late to the game because you didn’t give yourself enough time. I have been on buses that get to where I was going early, but don’t count on that.
10. Be patient. This goes back to giving yourself plenty of time. You are traveling, so nothing is going to be perfect. Schedules are delayed and accidents happen. Getting angry will solve nothing and will only make the people around you uncomfortable.