For over a year now I have been catching buses and metros to and from work.
My journey is like a scene from Indiana Jones, trying to avoid that huge bolder coming at me, but instead of it being a huge bolder it’s the daily hustle of people that still don’t know the rules or way to catch a metro.
Yes I am a person that likes a good moan and is always complaining about people and my surroundings but I have got to a stage where I cannot take it anymore.
The metros of Barcelona have been running for around 85 years. You would expect that the people that catch this transport would understand that it is PUBLIC Transport and not your own vehicle to get to your location.
The amount of times I run up and down escalators because like many others, I’m a person always on the go but I have idiotic people that still do not understand the meaning of stay to your right, or move!
Staying to your right is an obvious and very common process when walking anywhere. You walk through tunnels in the metro, stand to your right. You walk down the street and you are supposed to walk to your right. Walking or shall I say staying put on the escalators; you stay on your right. This concept is still difficult for people to for see. This is why I wrote how Barcelona is still a village. The people in this city still do not understand that the world is moving and we are becoming more and more cosmopolitan. Most people that are getting a bus or metro between 8 and 9 am are most likely to be going to work or to school or college. We are not getting transport out of pleasure but because it is necessary.
I am amazed by the amount of old women that travel on the bus in the morning. I am not going to be judgmental but I do always think to myself, is this lady on here to see what dramas will happen today or is she really off to somewhere important?
My daily route is getting a bus and then jumping off that and get the metro. My aim is to be at my work or home within 30 minutes. You don’t know how much frustration I feel when I get one person that slows me down. A bit like sliding doors, I feel like that person has changed the course of my day.
The first problem I see is the bus, and I know I am not the only one that agrees on this. But sometimes I am on the bus standing in the only space there is which is by the door. Now when I say I am by the door I am not literally there in front so no one can jump off. I am to the side of the door, so even a pushchair can fit past me, (I am skinny for goodness sakes). While I am standing there the most typical thing that happens to me and hundreds more of you that catch buses in Barcelona is: “¿Bajas?” I think to myself, Mr. the bus has just left the bus stop, we are more than 100 metres away from the next stop if I am getting off you will see because I will get off, and if I am not I’ll leave you way to get off!
They don’t get it!!! The person that is getting off the bus wants everyone to move out their way as if it is their big entrance to the awards ceremony or something. I get people actually get angry with me because I say, no I am not getting off yet I don’t move to the back of the bus.
I am not upsetting anyone; I am not in anyone’s way, so why get angry? That is the start to my morning; I finally jump off the bus and start walking very fast towards the metro. I cannot help but move fast, I am an active and anxious person and want to go from A to B with the least hassle possible.
So I run….I head towards the escalators. Now either two things will happen here.
Either the escalator is not working, which isn’t a problem when it is going down as it is not tiring. But it is horrible and pathetic that they don’t work when trying to go up the stairs.
When an escalator is “out of order” for more than a day, you would think they would swap the out or order one which is going up, with the one that is going down (especially when it is planned). We don’t need help going downstairs but we do appreciate it going up!
That’s one of the problems you may find, or the other one is you run…..head towards the escalator and someone is in front of you. Now, either they will carry on walking in front of you but slowly and you start to pick up speed hoping they will get the hint you are also in a rush but once you are 5 steps from getting off they come to a complete halt and you are at your speed and bang into them or almost do. What the F*ck? If you are on an escalator and going down them either STAND TO YOUR RIGHT or just move and carry on moving until you are completely off the steps.
It isn’t rocket science. Do you know the amount of times I see people walking and someone brings a halt and then people buckle like a game of dominoes? It isn’t at all hard to continue walking.
So I carry on with my journey, I get to my platform, maybe I sit down, depending on the minutes that are left for the metro to arrive. Lucky with this city, the metro is actually really efficient. I have never had to wait more than the minutes actually stated on the screen. It isn’t like London where it says “2mins” but takes minimum 5 for it to arrive. Here they have the minutes and seconds and the metro is likely to come a few seconds before schedule.
That’s one of the great things about the metros here, but then when you have delays don’t expect to be notified. The other day I was on the metro on my way to work, and the metro stopped in every stop for over 5 minutes! What a joke! No one told us what was going on, nothing. Not even an apology for the delays we are having. I ended up arriving late for work which isn’t an issue as long as I call my bosses but what is frustrating is I cannot tell them what is wrong or how long I will be because no one is telling us!
I get really irritated about these things. Plus people in the end were just walking off and walking to work. I wanted to do the same but I believe in sods law and I thought once I step off this metro the doors will close and speed off. So I waited. I ended up swearing out loud because nothing is done. People complain on board but then forget about it within 2 minutes. I guess that is better so you don’t end up having a heart attack but then how will things ever get done? We need to be heard.
My journey doesn’t stop there, I don’t want to drag this on but it is never ending. When you are running for the train the people that are getting on the metro seem so oblivious that people are in fact behind them and also want to get on. They literally stop at the doors and no one can fit on! I end up pushing the people. I don’t care what age the person in front of me is but I have lost a bit of respect for the elders. They take advantage and although they have their rights they also need to WAKE UP!
In the end there are only a few points that need to be highlighted for all of us to have a nice journey home.
1 – Always stand to your right. The Spanish criticize the Brit’s for being too correct but at least we can walk any road or corridor without knocking someone out!
2 – JUST MOVE!!! Move out of harm’s way, don’t dawdle in front of the doors or at least move and give space, you are not fat!
3 – Don’t ask me if I am getting off. If I am not getting off I will move and If I am getting off you will see.
With these three little examples I believe we will become better people in the public transport world.
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