When standing, do you generally hold onto the bars or the loop handles attached to the bars? What did you do this morning if you were on one?

E: Sounds like bars are the popular option here too, for many reasons. Hygiene was a big one I hadn’t initially considered. Thanks for answering, everyone!

  • Mars@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    All bars, all the time.

    Personally I don’t see any benefits for the loops, and a couple major drawbacks IMHO:

    • Loops are less stable and require more physical force exerted by the user in order to gain a minimal amount of stability by pulling the loop taught.
    • Loops feel dirtier and far harder to clean. Of course given that it’s public transit it’s not going to be fully sanitized or anything, but I feel like users can more easily take steps to protect themselves using bars (wiping the bar quickly before grabbing it, or shielding themselves by holding it through a piece of clothing).
    • Otter@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      It’s unfortunate for people that can’t reach the top bar, but I’d rather grab that over the loops. For the same reason

      Looking around, a lot of other people do the same

    • Rentlar@lemmy.caOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      I kind of thought the same on the bus this morning…

      I’d see the benefits mainly are for people which the bars are out of reach due to body height, or being stuck in the middle of the aisle far away from bars. Lowering them would causes people to bump into them getting up from their seat, and having too many vertical bars would give difficulty to accessibility to an extent. They have some sort of use.

  • Lauchs@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    1 year ago

    Don’t ride that often anymore but the occasional packed ride, all bar baby. I think the loops might be there for those who cannot reach the bar.

    • Rentlar@lemmy.caOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      I just figure it would have been interesting to see if anyone was holding bars or handles that morning. The morning I posted, 12 people were holding the upper bar, while 3 held onto the loop on the bus I was on.

  • Rentlar@lemmy.caOP
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    I left Toronto some months ago, maybe I have rose-tinted glasses but I find the TTC and other buses there were way smoother of a ride than in Vancouver (It was 4 to 1 holding bars on the bus I was on this morning). I’m seeing if it has any influence on the amount of people using bars/loops via informal poll. Let me know your thoughts.