OPINION & EDITORIAL
One-stop riders cause bus overcrowding
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Also by Janell Wise:
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by Janell Wise
Monday, October 3, 2005
As the days start to get colder and the snow starts to fall, an already problematic situation on campus is going to get worse. The problematic situation I'm referring to is student use of the 80, a campus bus route that most, if not all of us have ridden during our time in Madison.
Though I'm a huge fan of the 80 and I think it's a great resource — especially for those of us who take classes at the far ends of campus — recent abuse of the bus has to be curbed. The abuse of the 80 by students of all ages is making it unpleasant for those whose home location mandate using the bus on a daily basis.
I'll admit that I was guilty of misusing the 80 on occasion early in my college career, as I think most of us are. There were definitely times when I could be seen riding the bus from the Memorial Union to Bascom Hall; too lazy or too cold to walk up the hill to class, even though it took longer to wait for the bus than to walk. However, never did I chronically abuse the bus system or take part in the rude, oblivious and sometimes downright inconsiderate behavior I have seen from people riding the bus lately. In fact, after seeing the widespread problems with the 80 connected with one-stop riding, I realized the error of my ways and stopped using the bus altogether.
This year, taking classes on west campus and using the 80 on a daily basis has opened my eyes to the pervasive and irritating phenomenon of one-stop riding, especially since it's made me late for class on more than one occasion.
We've all seen it: people crowding at bus stops in front of Humanities and the Memorial Union between class periods, with the sole intention of riding the bus up the hill to Bascom Hall and Social Sciences. Although this may seem relatively harmless, what is more problematic is the mentality people take on while trying to board the bus.
The pushing and entering the bus from the back door are bad enough, but not letting people on who are physically unable to walk up Bascom Hill or have to travel longer distances is fairly low, especially among those able to make the walk in a fairly short amount of time.
Bus overcrowding and one-stop riding are not new issues and they come up every year when discussions take place about the allocation of funds for the 80 bus. In the past, several suggestions have been made as to how to curb this behavior, including removing the Bascom Hall stop or reinstituting a small charge for the 80 bus. Though either of these options might do their part to curb one-stop riding and bus overcrowding, these options would also penalize the individuals who legitimately ride the 80.
Most of the problems, however, don't lie with the availability of a free campus bus but with the behavior of individuals using it. Though people would argue the bus is available and free and they should be able to use it however they want, that doesn't take away from the fact that these problems could be curbed if everyone simply showed some common courtesy for others and used the 80 more responsibly.
If you see a large group of people waiting for the bus and you have class on Bascom Hill, do the responsible, courteous thing: walk up the hill and let students with classes farther away get on the bus and get to class on time. The same holds true for a number of situations, including letting people on crutches, or senior citizens who are waiting to use the bus get on ahead of you.
Having a free campus bus is a wonderful, convenient privilege and I hope that it can stay free and accessible to those who really need it on a daily basis. One has to wonder, however, if the irresponsible, discourteous actions by a few aren't going to end up ruining the system for everyone else.
Janelle Wise (jwise@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in political science and journalism.
Anonymous (October 3, 2005 @ 6:51am):
Welcome to Madison, Janelle, where "my reason for being is better than yours. Oh yeah, I'm way more important than you! Believe it, Miss Floormopper, yer nothin' around here! Outta my way, the princess must get to her Fundamental Principles of Management lesson without unnecessary delay. Gangway, one side, one side. Driver, it fells a bit stuffy back here. Kindly eject the standees at the next convenient stop. GET OFF MY FOOT, ASSHOLE!! I JUST BOUGHT THESE HIGH-HEELS!! DON'T PISS ME OFF!! I CAN GO FROM ZERO TO BITCH IN 1.3 SECONDS..."
Anonymous (October 3, 2005 @ 7:28am):
Great article. I have a broken leg and have no choice but to ride the 80, but often can't get on because I'm crowded out by able-bodied riders who outrace me to the bus. And even if I get on the bus, it's very rare that someone offers me a seat. I end up holding on to the railing for dear life, trying not to fall, while people with two healthy legs avoid looking me in the eye.
Anonymous (October 3, 2005 @ 12:15pm):
Ah yes, the bane of all liberal/socialist programs: attempting to allocate based on need.
You said the solution yourself: charge a small fare. Its the best and most fair solution. It immediately attacks the cause of the problem, which is lazy people "freeloading" the bus. I put "freeloading" in quotes, because they pay their tuition just like everyone else, and they have the right to ride the bus too. But charging a small fare, 25 to 50cents would be enough of a hassle to convince plenty of people to start walking.
Another thing to consider, reducing the number and frequency of stops. This whole thing is a simple supply/demand problem. Unless you want to accomodate a bunch of lazy slackers by running more buses more often, reduce the demand.
--steve
Anonymous (October 3, 2005 @ 12:25pm):
A massive "prisoner's dillema". Hundreds of lazy students are the prisoners. Each has the incentive to ride the bus. If I ride, but most don't, then I get an uncrowded plesant bus ride. If I don't ride, then others do, and I'm resentful of them. If we all ride, then we all have a crowded crappy ride, but none of us has an incentive to stop riding (punishment) so the others can be rewarded.
What's the reward for not riding? A warm and fuzzy feeling? Good luck with that.
Anonymous (October 3, 2005 @ 12:44pm):
Something free being abused by students who dont need it? Unheard of!
I suppose you wouldnt have a problem charging for a parking pass for moped users on campus (a good and practical idea btw). Why not charge the bus riders?
Other, but very stupid, idea would be to still give the bus pass away for free, but you could reject your bus pass and get $50. There has got to be a good reason to not ride the bus if you want to reduce ridership.
Anonymous (October 3, 2005 @ 2:14pm):
So basically one person has more right to use the bus system than another, due to the fact they have to go a longer distance or they might be late for class. Does it really matter how long of a ride someone is taking, if the bus is stopping anyways. As for being late to class, maybe leaving a bit earlier would enable you to get to class on time in the case of having to actually walk to class. You can get from Langdon St, all the way to Engr Hall in a ~15 minute walk, but maybe walking that fast is too rough on you?
Anonymous (October 3, 2005 @ 5:54pm):
"Free" goods are always over used (and abused). Might as well decry the law of supply and demand as "unfair".
Anonymous (October 3, 2005 @ 9:14pm):
Quite possibly the most ridiculous editorial ever. Is this what the Badger Herald editorial page has stooped too? Can they not find any material better than posting some girl's rants about the bus system... Please, find some more relevant material. If this is all the President of the Memorial Union has to offer in her first column then this campus is in trouble and your editorial section in even bigger trouble.
Anonymous (October 3, 2005 @ 9:40pm):
Janelle, you must've been pressed for ideas when you thought up this one.
Anonymous (October 3, 2005 @ 11:45pm):
Paying seg. fees for something makes it free?
Anonymous (October 5, 2005 @ 1:39am):
Hey Janelle,
I really love your article, and I do believe that people should exercise more. Gees, I can never understand how people can eat fries and chips everyday without even trying to move! Your article is excellent and I hope that you won't mind if I share it with my PHS 780 class. In fact, I did that already and my professor loves your article too! Way to go, and I like your brain =)
Oh yeah, I hope that you won't mind, but I'm gonna post your article on my dorm door too!
