What problems do you have with public transport?

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Hi everyone!

I'm trying to better understand public transport challenges people might encounter.

It helps me better work and understand how I may best support. I would love if you were able to share your experiences or advice!

1. can you give examples of where your public transport journey has gone wrong and what happened?
2. What would have helped prevent your public transport journey go wrong?
3. Before taking a journey - what would you usually plan for in advance?
4. What information could be given to you and where - in order to reduce your anxiety whilst taking public transport? (i.e live bus timetable information)
5. What is the best thing I could do to support or assist a person on the autistic spectrum take public transport?
6. what causes anxiety on bus's?
7. what causes anxieties at train stations or on trains?

Your insight to any of these questions could be really appreciated

Probably not very helpful, but my main problem with public transportation is that there isn't any in my area, except Uber and related things, which are too expensive. I live in a suburban area where it's expected that pretty much everyone has a car and drives.

Not so much being on the bus, unless it's really crowded. A fear of new/unfamiliar routes . Not knowing where to get off. Fear of getting off at the wrong stop and getting lost .

Public transport freaks me the f**k out and it's solely down to the people.

I just can't be around them, there are so many of them and what are they thinking, are they thinking, if they are thinking then why are they behaving in that erratic manner?

I would rather drive, than use public transport, wherever possible. I will only use public transport, if I have no other choice, and feel very uncomfortable in those crowded London trains.

I can't drive though.

the technical aspect of driving is fun and easy, but trying to anticipate what other drivers are doing or going to do it hurts my head and overloads me.

I had sworn I would never learn to drive as my sister had so many accidents, usually with cars running into the passenger side, where I was seated. I needed to take the leap, due to work, and had 3 months to learn at the age of 25. Hugely anxious, but determined. I went with an automatic as it seemed less stressful. I was shocked when I actually passed first time ... but very relieved. I used to find it so stressful driving across Melbourne city in order to get to Uni. Would come home after an hour’s drive so drained and need a bath to recover in for an hour, just to de-stress.

I find public transport is manageable, over time I've settled on these two self-accommodations to reach that point:

First, I always have my noise cancelling headphones and my mobile or laptop for distraction.

Second, I go out of my way to travel at off-peak times, catching the train at 6am and 3pm and avoiding the worst crowds.

I am overconfident and very experienced getting buses (not trains), but that still doesn't mean I don't have pet peeves that cause anxiety when using buses.


1. can you give examples of where your public transport journey has gone wrong and what happened?
Usually it's when bus drivers forget that you rang the bell for the next stop and they zoom right past your stop. This can be annoying if the next bus stop is quite a distance away and you're in an unfamiliar area.

2. What would have helped prevent your public transport journey go wrong?

When I first use an unfamiliar bus route, I usually tell the driver the destination I want to stop at (if it's a long journey), or the street I want to stop at (if it's a short journey), and just add that's it's my first time using this route. That way I can memorise landmarks without worrying too much about getting off at the wrong place. I usually sit at the front when unfamiliar with the route so that I can get ready.

3. Before taking a journey - what would you usually plan for in advance?
The times are most important, particularly if you're planning on getting more than one bus or train. Collect or download all the bus/train schedules that you want, revise them, then write down what times you are catching which bus/train and where. That way you don't have to worry about forgetting the times you have planned out. Revise and write down an alternative time for each journey in case of delays.


4. What information could be given to you and where - in order to reduce your anxiety whilst taking public transport? (i.e live bus timetable information)
Bus schedules are good, or you can look on the website of the bus company you are traveling with, or you could get a number in case you want to phone the company if you get really stuck.


5. What is the best thing I could do to support or assist a person on the autistic spectrum take public transport?

I'm not quite sure..

6. what causes anxiety on buses?
Well, for me it's people with little kids, especially if they make their little kids sit right next to me when there are plenty of empty seats available. Actually I don't like strangers sitting next to me when it's full, but at least there's a reason to sit there.

7. what causes anxieties at train stations or on trains?

As someone who is not familiar with getting trains, I would find it daunting to get trains by myself. I'm OK when I'm with someone else, even if they're not quite familiar with trains either. Two heads are better than one, as they say. But if there comes a point where you have no choice but to catch a train on a regular basis (ie, if you had a new job a train ride away), it is best to do a few practise journeys on the train with a friend or relative until you become more confident before having to do it on your own. That's how I learnt how to get buses independently. Now I use buses all the time!


I hope this helps.

Now that you mention it, I have nightmares about missing bus stops... I rode buses in college and as a young adult to work (because it was better than trying to drive into the city), and last year a bit in a city.

This post will be a learning experience for me also, b/c I am new to most of all this.

Worst experiences (not so bad): In high school, a man was harassing me on a subway, and I didn't know how to ask for help (thankfully he didn't follow me when I got off). In college I got on a bus going in the other direction out of state, and if I recall correctly a friend had helped me get on that bus - oops (thankfully I made it to my destination safely). Last year, one of the buses missed a turn and was off route and I was petrified it would leave me someplace I didn't know (thankfully it got back on route).

In college I kept it at a minimum and probably went with a friend first, or talked to the bus driver directly rather than relying on other methods. As a young adult I went at an uncrowded time and cross stitched. Last year the buses had someone that asked for destination, so that was easy enough.

Mostly I'll walk to avoid taking public transportation. I'm pretty sure in college it was one hour back up the hill from town - in freezing temperatures. Preferred.

When my husband suggested last year that I take a bus to and from work in a city we visited. I wasn't having it. I didn't care that it was 5 min and 30 cents and only three turns. I think he accompanied me a few times and then once I was super comfortable with its route (having watched it pass me repeatedly during my 30 min walk each way), I did take it a few times when desperately tired (senses dampened).

Kudos to your for finding a way to make it work (more or less)!

On trains I cannot deal with the cramming and having people I don't know touching me. I may not have a panic attack but I will probably hyperventilate, have chest pain and probably silently cry when I deal with this. I guess that would also be my main problem with buses. Loud noise in either case can be tough too but I deal with them better.

I don't think anyone can help me with the touching thing but I tend to wear earphones to help with the sound thing. Every person is different but for me personally having someone speak to me quietly helps ground me when I start to spiral but I wouldn't want to burden random passengers with that.

As for number 3, I usually just try to avoid packed transport but if I have to travel at certain hours, to go to school for example, I can't avoid it and may opt instead to take the buses google maps says are likely to be less packed.

For number 5 I really think it varies so much so you have to be able to read the person really well to know how to respond. Personally I like to be given space, even if its just an inch more and to have a sort of guide when I stat to spiral is super helpful for me as when I panic I cannot problem solve. So yeah for me personally a little more space, no stares and people staying calm and not panicking helps me out (if you panic, I panic more).

Hope that helps!

I don't drive any more... I feel I left a whole world of stress behind me on that one.

Public transport here is very good and both a train station and bus stops are about 100 metres from my front door.

Train: I always get tense when the train pulls in and everyone's rushing and pushing for a seat. My local station doesn't have a ticket office. It has a ticket machine but it's often not working and I still can't work out how to use it. So I used to get stressed about whether the conductor would come round to sell me a ticket or whether I'd have to queue at the destination station. A few months ago I was stopped at the station because I didn't have a ticket (even though the ticket machine was broken). I was treated like a criminal and utterly humiliated... I nearly had a meltdown. I subsequently got a smartphone and now I get all my tickets on my phone... much less stressful.

Bus: It takes longer, it's more expensive... and it's just too noisy, smelly and too many loud people. I only use as a last resort. I also get stressed about getting off at the right stop.