I saw a young man about 25 years of age running for the bus, which was accelerating away from a stop. He was yelling encouragement to his friend whom I did not see. He was running fast with an arm outstretched toward the platform safety rail, clearly waiting for the precise moment to launch him up into the bus. I was sitting on the bench seat in the lower deck with a clear view of the action. The bus was half full and I sensed people sitting around me watching the action as well. Just as the bus was getting faster and moving into a line of accelerating traffic, he grabbed hold of the rail with one hand and pulled himself in. He had been running in between cars and dodging bikes. All the while the conductor was watching passively from his ‘cubbyhole’.The young man didn’t enter the bus. He simply curved his back against the safety rail and let go, riding the corner with his feet balanced wide on the floor, hands in pockets. He was clearly showing off, enjoying the attention of the bus passengers. I watched the conductor watching the young man. He had obviously seen his type before and did not see the need to tell him to move from the door. The man jumped off before the bus stopped at the next stop. I assumed it was to catch up with his friend.

This man was clearly a seasoned traveller. He could ride the bus through feeling the corner, knowing how the bus turned and how to jump on when it was accelerating.

Becoming a seasoned traveller is a requires long term experience. Most travellers have an understanding of the dangers of the bus and acknowledge this through their negotiation of the space whether it is the platform, the narrow staircases, the step into the lower deck or the aisle. People stand with feet balanced wide, holding onto any available safety rail and try to wait for the bus to stop before getting on or off.