Comments on: Pet Peeve: Large Backpacks

By: inagoddesseye

inagoddesseye — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 01:55:08 +0000

Hi, Scott? I am 27 and I have Fibromyalgia. This is an exhausting, painful and completely invisible illness. For a good story about what it’s like, I would recommend http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/2004/11/the_spoon_theory.php.

I often ride in the handicapped seats. If anyone challenges me, I explain this to them as nicely as I can.

About the stroller…. yeah, that was me, too, when I had a 3 year old (I had no car, and was a single parent). What I found worked was sitting in the first forward facing seat and wedging the stroller into the space between it and the seat in front of it. It would be really great if some people had an easier time of things and didn’t have to take their strollers with them. Unfortunately, there are times that a long day of errands is ahead and there’s no way to give the child the rest/nap/snack spot they need without that huge SUV stroller.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 17:36:45 +0000

Your bag is not a defensive mechanism to keep ‘unacceptables’ out of the seat next to you. I have and *will* force people to move their bags to their laps in such situations.

Pet Peeve:

Anyone under 45 in the priority seating section, any part if it, without filling the rest of the bus. Yes, this means that being 19 and new to the 16/50 going to UofM does not entitle him/her to priority seating, let that person in the walker take your seat for crying out loud.

Pet Peeve #2:

Fold your stroller, please. Don’t bring your SUV stroller on the bus, either — leave that at home or with your car. They just don’t fold up enough to make room to get through.

By: Meg

Meg — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:34:43 +0000

I use the bus to commute to the U of M from Highland Park, Thus, I sometimes have to take the lively #16 bus. I sometimes put my backpack on the seat next to me and then if I see an “acceptable” person approaching the seat, I remove my backpack and put it on my lap.

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 18:40:25 +0000

I ride the bus with a sizable backpack, but I’ve sort of learned a technique for riding with it on the floor between my legs or on my lap… or if it’s a half empty bus, then yes, on the seat next to me – but I can’t even sit comfortably with it still on my back!

By: Loring Lad

Loring Lad — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 19:47:53 +0000

Is so much worse in Europe with Americans traveling with their ginourmous backpacks. Whenever i was wearing one, i would take it off and carry it IN FRONT of me. That way i could set it on the floor at my feet so it didn’t take up anymore room than my body. Most people are just compleatly oblivious to anything going on around them. Take a walk in the skyways on a friday, it’s so frustrating!

By: ellen

ellen — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:41:52 +0000

similarly, my bus pet peeves: when people leave their bags on the seat next to them, even as the bus becomes more crowded or when people in the front don’t make room for the elderly / blind / pregnant / parents with children. argh!