Getting a ticket on public transport is a bit like signing a silent social contract. The rules are unwritten but self-evident: You stand on the right side of the escalator to keep the “left lane” free for people in a hurry, choose your own pair of seats instead of the seat next to a stranger and take off your backpack during rush hour.
Petri Kajonius is an associate professor and personality researcher in psychology at Lund University. He believes that these standards play a particularly important role for Swedes.
– Sweden has an incredible respect for individuals, which is why we rarely speak to each other on public transport. Instead, we expect everyone to catch up and adapt themselves to the standards, he says.
Facts.Common unwritten rules – written down
● Stand on the right side of the escalator, walk on the left side and never stand in the middle.
● Do not speak on the speakerphone.
● Wait for passengers to disembark before boarding.
● Do not occupy more than one seat with legs or bags during rush hour.
● Do not sit next to someone if double seats are available.
● Take off your backpack when it is full.
● Keep your clothes on, even if you are hot.
● Do not put your feet on the seat. Taking off your shoes will NOT help.
● Leave seats free for the elderly, pregnant women and the injured.
● Speak in a normal conversational tone.
Unwritten rules exist everywhere in everyday life in the form of common sense and etiquette. It can be about not coming to a dinner party empty-handed, not talking about money, or never taking the last piece of coffee bread. But unwritten rules and norms are becoming particularly important in public transport.
– If someone doesn’t follow them, some people’s social power can become so strong that they feel bad, says Petri Kajonius.
That’s what he means can create a peculiar paradox – we respect each other so much that we avoid confrontation.
Pontus Strimling is head of research at the Institute for Future Studies and professor of sociology. He agrees that the unwritten rules in public transport are particularly important.
– Unlike a party, which you can leave if you are disturbed, on public transport you are stuck in a limited area with other people. It places the highest demands on mutual consideration. Humans have a basic need for social order. When someone violates a norm, even an unwritten one, it feels wrong and makes the world more unpredictable and unsafe, which is problematic in itself.
Unwritten rules are unspoken social codes that everyone should know, even if they don’t exist in black and white. Pontus Strimling explains that they remain unwritten because the rules are too complex and situational.
– When we write down rules, they are things that are clear and simple, for example, you can’t bring a dog or ice cream on the bus. But when it comes to not being too loud or taking up too much space, things become unclear. What is enough storage space to record? It’s difficult to draw boundaries, he says.
Although unwritten rules can lead to frustration and confusion, Pontus Strimling believes that human behavior in public transport is determined by a growing capacity for empathy and a willingness to be considerate of other people and is therefore a sign of greater cultural development.
– Consideration is something that everyone appreciates. For example, while the importance of following traditions is only important to some people, this means that unwritten rules are more strongly supported and constantly evolving, he says.
