LRT etiquette: Don't clip your nails on the train, and other transit tips

Feet on seats. Blocking the escalator. Boarding trains before other passengers can exit. 

It's been barely a week, but regular users of Ottawa's new Confederation Line are already compiling a list of pet peeves and other assorted irritations.

Sure, there's going to be a period of adjustment for many passengers as they get used to LRT, but some things are just common sense.

We asked etiquette specialist Julie Blais Comeau for some suggestions to make everyone's trip more enjoyable.

Getting on, getting off

Don't push your way onto the train car before other passengers have had a chance to exit. It's as simple as that.

"Etiquette is quite logical. You have to empty [the train] before you fill it up," Blais Comeau observed.

In other words, relax. The trains stop at the platforms long enough to get everyone where they're going. Resist the urge to push though the crowd getting off the train. 

If the doors are beginning to close, don't try to block them so you can get on. Wait for the next train. Make an exception if it's to help someone else in need —  a passenger with mobility issues, or a parent whose child is having a meltdown, for example.

"It would be very apropos to do something like that, to hold back the doors, so that everyone can be safe while [boarding]," Blais Comeau said.

The ups and downs of escalators

This one's easy, too: Up or down, stand to the right, step to the left. Blais Comeau compares it to driving on the 417: If you're out for a Sunday drive, keep right so people in a hurry can pass on the left.

It's a universal law that some passengers in Ottawa are just discovering, so try to be patient with them.

Close quarters

Personal space is at a premium on the LRT, especially during rush hour. Being aware and respectful of those around you, Blais Comeau says, means toning down that perfume and saving that snack for later in case a fellow passenger has an allergy.

Also, keep that backpack or oversized package out of the way to give others room to breathe, and avoid "manspreading" across several seats when you only need one. 

There are dedicated areas for bicycles. Please try to use them.

And keep your feet off the seats. Just don't do that.

Just give it up

There are folks who need that seat more than you do. They include pregnant women, people with reduced mobility, elderly passengers and parents with young children. When you see one of those people standing, offer them your seat.

"As Canadians, we have a global reputation of being polite," Blais Comeau said. "So, let's continue to let that shine."

We asked you for some of your public transit pet peeves.