New Buses

While I can appreciate the newest buses on the line for their "green" quality, I'm not all that crazy about them, comfort-wise. The seats are arranged farther apart from one another, which makes for fewer seats on the bus (but no fewer passengers - more folks must stand). While this is fine for the really fat fatties (and they are legion), for me, there's entirely too much room between my knees and the seat in front of me, leaving me clinging for dear life to my bags lest they slip off onto the filthy floor.

The seats themselves, although placed farther apart to accommodate gigantic guts and the occasional very tall person, somehow feel narrower. Rather than actually being smaller, I think the seats have a new un-ergonomic curve, which make them somewhat uncomfortable for those of us who are wide of ass. They may be higher off the ground as well, as I can't quite put my feet flat on the ground. After an hour ride, one of my legs has usually fallen asleep.

The windows no longer open sideways; instead, there's a transom window at the top, which requires passengers to stand before opening them, preferably with the help of the passenger seated in front or behind (the handles are spaced quite a distance apart). Also preferably when the bus is not moving, which leads to falling, sometimes on me.

The last several models of bus have had baseboard heat, creating a 4" thick bump protruding from the inside wall of the bus at about ankle level and taking up valuable leg room. When the heat is on, it's a bit like riding a motorcycle in shorts. I'm surprised I don't have a permanent burn mark on my right ankle (as I normally prefer sitting on the right side of the bus). The bus drivers sit in isolation in the front and can't really tell what the temperature is like for the passengers; occasionally this leads to having the heat on when it's unnecessary (as on recent mornings). Heat on + inability to open windows = uncomfortable passengers.

Woe is me when I start having hot flashes. By that time, the whole fleet will probably be new. :(

Posted by theminx on MTA Diaries.