Closing the doors only after everyone is fully aboard prevents falls and caught limbs, and waiting until riders are seated or holding on keeps them from being thrown when the bus starts moving. Both habits belong at every stop.
Riders should hear the reminder before the bus has completely stopped, so they have time to collect their carry-on items and nothing gets left behind. Giving it is part of the driver's job, so there is no reason to wait for someone to ask.
Seats are normally not allowed in a bus aisle, but a charter bus hauling farm workers is an exception and may have as many as 8 folding seats there. Even then, riders still need a clear way to reach the exits.
The standee line marks the back edge of the driver's area, and riders who are standing must stay behind it. This keeps people from crowding the driver or getting in the way of the driver's view.
Bags in an aisle or doorway can trip riders and delay anyone trying to reach an emergency exit, so the aisle must be clear before the bus starts moving.
Many carriers have rules on matters such as smoking, drinking or playing music, and announcing them as the trip begins heads off disputes before they start.
Baggage and freight must be tied down or stowed so it cannot shift, and it must never block the aisle, a doorway, or any emergency exit. It does not have to belong to a rider.
Buses normally may not have seats in the aisle. The exception is a charter bus carrying farm workers, which may use as many as 8 temporary folding seats there.
Reminding riders to take their carry-on items with them keeps belongings from being left behind when they get off. Opening the doors before the bus has completely stopped could cause someone to fall.
Riders who stand must stay behind the standee line, and no one may stand ahead of the back of the driver's seat. Standing farther back is allowed on a bus designed to carry standees.
Carry-on baggage and freight must be stowed so the driver can move freely, every rider can still escape through any door or window in an emergency, and nothing can fall or slide onto passengers. All three conditions apply at once.
When riders are kept off the bus until departure time, there are fewer chances for belongings to be stolen or for the bus to be damaged while it sits waiting. Taking charge of passengers' valuables is not part of a driver's job.
Federal rules require a clear aisle on every bus, so a seat may be placed in the aisle only if it folds up on its own and opens the walkway whenever it is empty. This keeps the path to the exits free for riders.
Whenever the bus arrives at a stop or the end of the line, riders should hear the location, the reason for stopping, the next departure time and the bus number. Both details listed belong in that announcement.
Bags and cargo must be stowed so they cannot fall on riders, do not get in the driver's way, and never stop anyone from escaping through a door or window in an emergency.
Luggage or freight among the riders has to be stowed so it cannot strike anyone if it falls or shifts, must leave the driver free to move, and must never block an aisle, a doorway or the way to any exit.
Bags sitting in an aisle or doorway can trip riders and can hold people up on their way to an emergency exit, so those spaces must always be kept clear.
Buses that permit standing must show how far forward standing riders may go, usually with a 2-inch line on the floor at the back of the driver's seat. Every standing rider has to remain on the rear side of that marking.
Riders who stand must remain behind the standee line, which is marked near the front of the bus; nobody may stand ahead of the back of the driver's seat, so the driver's area stays unobstructed.
Every question in this set has its own page with the correct answer and an explanation.
