Buses World News: PUBLIC TRANSPORT WORLDWIDE * Australia - Commuters defend against the attack of the space invaders

"Take one socially and physically sterile environment, pack in more people than there are available seats, ensure most of the people are strangers, and you have public transport..."

Melbourne,VIC,Australia -The Age, by DEBORAH GOUGH -July 25, 2010: -- Being squashed up against strangers on public transport is one of the most uncomfortable everyday activities we have to endure, beaten only by sitting in a dentist's waiting room and standing in a crowded lift... A study has found that the invasion of personal space on public transport is annoying to passengers, along with more commonly known complaints such as costly tickets and unreliable services... The study from the Victoria University of Wellington by Jared Thomas,, now a transport consultant with infrastructure services company Opus, observed 1703 passengers and surveyed passengers (536) and car users (305) on their feelings about public transport... It found that about a quarter of passengers defended their space by sitting on an aisle, placing a bag or coat on the next seat or spreading out to take up more space, and another quarter withdrew into an activity such as reading or listening to music. Their measures worked, with 78 per cent of other commuters choosing not to sit next to ''defensive'' passengers. The study also found regular commuters thought defensive behaviour was rude... But Mr Thomas said the overall level of discomfort could be minimised if more socialising occurred on trains, trams and buses... (Picture by Rebecca Hallas -A crowded tram on Bourke Street, Melbourne)

Labels: public service Australia, public transport systems worldwide, studies