NYC often gets a bad rap when it comes to politeness. New Yorkers are accused of being rude, obnoxious, impatient, abrupt. Well, I would argue otherwise, at least based on my experience riding many buses here. Buses are part of the surface transit system and for people in wheel chairs, with baby strollers, shopping carts and mobility-assistance devices like walkers, they offer a more accessible way to get around than the subway.

The problem is that all these devices on a NYC bus can make it a challenge to get around them. You can add into the obstacle course inside a city bus the shopping bags we all seem to be carrying, which are often left on the floor around the passenger who has them.

You need to be fleet-of-foot and with a very good sense of balance to maneuver your way around everything, especially when the driver accelerates after a stop or a red light.

However, the point of this is not to dwell on the obstacles but to point out that I’ve never witnessed an experience when a passenger verbally takes on someone with any obstacle (carriage, cart, bag, etc.). People simply and stoically make do. The tolerance might suggest that people appreciate the difficulties and challenges of living here, and having to get your child, your groceries, your laundry, whatever… around.

I applaud that tolerance and understanding by my fellow New Yorkers and hope it helps correct some of the less attractive stereotypes.