Price-Social Situation

I originally decided to conduct my observation at a casino, but since I couldn't make it I decided to use public transportation to conduct my observation. I haven't taken a bus ride in years and I've never taken the bus from downtown. This week I rode the number 4 cottage grove bus from downtown to the south side of Chicago. This bus ride was different from what I've been familiar with growing up because it included a more diverse group of people. While waiting for the bus to arrive I stood at the bus stop alone for about two minutes before people slowly began to wait for their bus alongside me. I decided to begin my observation at that point.

Many people who travel downtown usually take some sort of public transportation to work or school because of various parking issues. Others travel to see different main attractions and to shop at the many stores in the area. These people are part of the actors whom I observed. Other actors included the bus driver whose primary purpose is to get travelers to and from various locations safely.While waiting for the bus I realized I didn't know exactly which bus to take because I've never taken a bus downtown. After asking a few travelers for assistance I finally got the information that I needed to get to my destination. While waiting for the bus I observed these actors doing different things. One person patiently waited while listening to music on a device, another was reading, while a mother was tending to her child. These actors appear to be business men, shoppers, tourists and students. Although they were all traveling on bus for different reasons, in this social setting they were all bus riders. Once the bus arrived, another actor, the bus driver,routinely pulled up, opened the door, and allowed the riders to get on. As I put money on I asked how much would it cost for a transfer and the bus driver informed me that transfer cards aren't provided on buses anymore but he gladly provided me with an emergency bus card without me asking and gave me a signal to quickly take my seat. In that instance I learned that his role was much more than just transporting travelers. The diverse group of individuals that got on and off the bus during the duration of my travel participated in many activities and the bus driver's activities all depended on the traveler's activities. My purpose of observing them was to see how different people from different cultures behaved in this social situation and how they responded to one another.

Majority of the actors were from various cultural backgrounds when I first arrived on the bus. As I continued to travel closer to the southside the group became less diverse and more of the travelers were African Americans. Also,the bus riders went from a majority of middle aged and older actors but later included an even mix of both adults and young children. When I first got on the bus people were reading, talking quietly on their phone, texting or observing other riders. As the ride moved to the southside riders who were picked up tended to talk more, talk louder, use profanity, argue with the bus driver about fair, or make conversation with strangers. Some actors seemed familiar with this type of behavior because they continued with their business while others, those who starred with amazement, appeared to be unfamiliar with that behavior. All groups demonstrated caring behavior when a mother with children, elderly person, or someone with a disability got on board. The bus driver, who seemed all too familiar with the diverse group of people, handled each person differently but in a professional manner. When someone tried to use an expired card, he politely stated that they knew they couldn't use the card and ordered them off the bus. When an elderly woman was getting on the bus, he lowered the ramp to make it easier for her without being asked. When a man in a wheel chair loaded, the driver politely assisted him as well. There was nothing significant or out of the ordinary on this particular bus ride. What I did notice was that some people, regardless of their race, responded to certain behavior that appeared to be abnormal, while others ignored it as if they have adapted to it. What I got from this was that those who were familiar with this behavior probably took that route frequently while those who weren't frequent travelers of this route were not familiar with the behavior.