Introducing Ride with Care

If you ride the bus with any regularity, you’ve probably encountered at least one—ahem—behavior that gets on your nerves.

Perhaps it’s the seat hog who’s decided their bag needs a place to rest more than you do. Or the person who talks on the phone like it’s a microphone. Maybe it’s the passenger who waits patiently at the bus stop, only to suddenly fumble for cash upon stepping up to the fare box, holding up the trip for everyone else.

Don’t get us wrong: We appreciate all of our riders, and we’re here to serve you. But we know some of you have a few pet peeves that make the ride a less-than-pleasant experience. We see it. We get it.

That’s why we’re rolling out Ride with Care, a rider etiquette campaign we hope will be a friendly reminder for passengers to be courteous and respectful in those all-too-common scenarios. We’re focusing on eight subjects in particular:

1. Strollers must be folded and kept out of the aisle while on the bus.
2. Have your fare or pass ready before you step onto the bus.
3. Leave the priority seats near the front of the bus for senior citizens and riders with disabilities.
4. Keep bags, backpacks and other items off the empty seat next to you.
5. Empty cans and bottles are not allowed on the bus.
6. No manspreading. One seat per person, please.
7. Be courteous of other passengers when talking on the phone.
8. No smoking on the bus or within 25 feet of a bus stop.

Most of these are existing policy, not new rules. Ride with Care is a reminder that we hope will help riders avoid some of the common safety issues that occur on the bus. Throughout this year, you’ll see some eye-catching phrases on display in our buses reminding passengers of these rules. For example:

Some of them are light-hearted. We’re not here to scold anyone. Being considerate and kind to your fellow passengers makes the ride better for the whole bus.

We developed this campaign in partnership with a group of students at Washington State University Vancouver. Students in Prof. Narayanan Iyer’s PR Management and Campaigns class helped create the slogans that you’ll see displayed on the bus. They also created implementation strategies and other ideas as part of the project, some of which are now being used for the Ride with Care campaign. Many thanks to Prof. Iyer and his students who helped make this possible.

As always, many thanks to the riders and communities who support us every day. We’re proud to call Clark County home.

Now be good, everyone.