The rules of public transport that every gentleman should follow

Public transport is one of the biggest social minefields the modern gentleman can face, yet one that many of us come up against on a daily basis. Some of the situations we find ourselves in on public transport are not ones that we will likely face anywhere else, so it’s often difficult to know how to act correctly. We’ve sorted that for you gentlemen: here’s how.

Proxemics is the study of human use of space and the effects that population density has on behaviour, communication, and social interaction. Nowhere are these effects more visible than on public transport, when personal space is more precious than ever before. The invasion of such a space can trigger a reaction, ranging from discomfort to anger, and even anxiety. Given that having consideration for others is one of the many things that qualifies a man to be a gentleman, a true gentleman will do everything in his power to delay the encroachment of someone else’s personal space until absolutely necessary. Admittedly, this is not always the easiest thing to achieve on public transport but, if an effort is made to make others feel as comfortable as possible, it is sure to be appreciated.

A gentleman should never place himself in the the aisle seat and thus deprive others of a seat by blocking the empty one by the window. Equally, your luggage – no matter how nice it may be – does not need a seat. Often, the argument is made that people do this in order to avoid climbing over others when they get to the next stop. And while this does show some consideration for others, surely the other person in question would be willing to move out for you when your desired destination is reached?

Everyone and their mother wears their headphones on public transport, even if sometimes there isn’t actually anything playing. If you’ve decided to brighten up your commute with a bit of music, please know when to control the level. You may like it, but not everyone else will. Admittedly however, investing in a quality pair of headphones such as these should minimise the chance of this becoming an issue.

Preparation is everything, gentlemen, and while many people feel that this is a good way to shave a few seconds off their commute thereby saving them time overall, often this has the opposite effect. The wallet often blocks the contact between the travel card and receiver, and therefore means you’re likely to hold up the rest of the world while you remove said card from your wallet. Instead, make sure you know where your card is at all times and always come prepared.

Whether that constitutes standing in front of the doors on the tube when you’re nowhere near your stop, leaning on a pole put there to provide support for multiple people, standing at the top of escalators or not stepping to one side to allow others to leave the train . None of these are acceptable, and yet we have all fallen foul of them from time to time. All we can do is try and make sure we are as aware of our surroundings as possible to make sure that the numbers of people we inconvenience is kept to a minimum.

This really should go without saying, but it is something that doesn’t happen often enough. It is one of the first things gentlemen are taught at a very young age, or at least they should have been, but if you see someone who is less able to stand for whatever reason, and there are no other seats available, a gentleman should always give up his seat willingly. Again, asking this question can always be a little awkward depending who you are asking but even if they refuse it is always better to have asked in the first place than not to have asked at all. Never ignore those around you, gentlemen.