A Ritual Poem I did for my Creative Writing class:
Get to the bus stop fifteen minutes before it comes
Making sure you get a good seat
Try not to hold up the line when you walk on if you have five millions bags with you
And make sure you have your ticket already in your hand
As soon as you sit don’t forget to put your bags on the seat next to you
When other people start boarding DO NOT make eye contact
No eye contact would mean less chance someone would sit next to you
Do not talk.
When you’re at work or school all day you do not want to hear noise on the bus
Bring a jacket because it’s -2 degrees on the bus ALWAYS
Put your headphones on, sit back and relax, and enjoy the ride
I advise a xanex
In summary, you're suppose to be a nasty mean person when you're on any type of public transportation so that you get to have more space around you to relax.
This is what I have learned after commuting on the NJ Transit and Staten Island local buses for the past two years. No one wants to sit near you if you look weird or mean or fat or if you're digging through your stuff in the seat next to you.
You must fit in as much as you can so you don't look like an outsider- like keeping quiet on the bus and not holding up the line when you get on. These details are not communicated, but as a commuter who is on the bus/train frequently you learn the secret language very quickly.