History Main / BusesAreForFreaks

* This trope is nowhere near as pronunced in Britain as it is in the USA and a bit of ValuesDissonance appears to be going on. however, Creator/JasperCarrott does a stand-up routine on how, every time he gets on a bus, he appears to have a neon sign invisible to everybody except The Nutter On The Bus, to whom it is an invitation to sit down nest to Carrott even if every seat on the bus is otherwise free.

* UsefulNotes/{{Amtrak}}'s long distance trains have this reputation, especially in the coach classes, as they serve rural areas along their routes and have little security.

* Unfortunately, there is [[TruthInTelevision a real-life basis for this trope]], considering that sexual harassment is a major problem on public transportation even in developed countries.

While buses are most commonly portrayed in a negative light, other modes of public transportation have been derided before. Additionally, this trope focuses on a US-centric viewpoint of public transportation; as for various reasons buses have historically been viewed in a more positive light in other nations, this trope tends to be downplayed in fiction originating from outside the United States.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': the one time Harry takes The Knight Bus, it's full of odd and colorful characters. TheFilmOfTheBook takes this idea and runs with it. Mundungus Fletcher, who was pretty much unsavory as a career choice, rode it on the regular.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' tends to make fun of public transporation. There's Homer Simpson's refusal to ride the bus because they tend to be full of, in his view, "jerks and lesbians". Ironically, because of this, Marge is able to find him easier in "El Viage de Mysterioso de Nuestro Jomer".

* Music/WeirdAlYankovic- His song "Another One Rides The Bus" (parodied from the Music/{{Queen}} song "Another One Bites The Dust") portrays the bus as being smelly and crowded, and makes mentions of bums, perverts and freaks riding it.

* Aversion, especially in college towns and larger cities. Due to the higher cost of driving and parking in dense cities, as well as the number of households that voluntarily choose not to own a car, bus ridership is often more reflective of the middle class as a whole. Bus services in suburbs often serve as feeder services for more "respectable" transit services like commuter trains, so they will be more often full of white-collar professionals who want to avoid the hassles of driving and finding a parking place during commute hours.
* A common benchmark of mental development in the late 1940s was that a nine-year-old child should be able to [[FreeRangeChildren independently]] take the city bus to their EverytownAmerica city's downtown, such as to the central library, and return home without requiring the direct assistance of adults. (Now a ForgottenTrope outside of {{Kid Com}}s and the like with the StrangerDanger concerns of TheEighties onward.)
* Despite the uncharacteristic nature of the event, a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Tim_McLean gruesome, random, murder]] on a Canadian long-distance bus in 2008 confirmed a lot of people's prejudices.

* Due to the poor service frequency as well as meandering routes, bus ridership on suburban local buses is often primarily people without access to a vehicle. This can range from repeat DUI offenders to the physically disabled - the common thread being that due to their social status, they are effectively forced to use public transit while the norm is car travel.

* UsefulNotes/{{Amtrak}}'s long distance trains have this reputation, especially in the coach classes, as they serve rural areas along their routes.

* Aversion, especially in college towns and larger cities. Due to the higher cost of driving and parking in dense cities, as well as the number of households that voluntarily choose not to own a car, bus ridership is often more reflective of the middle class as a whole. Bus services in suburbs often serve as feeder services for more "respectable" transit services like commuter trains, so they will be more often full of white-collar professionals who want to avoid the hassles of driving and finding a parking place.

* Aversion, especially in college towns and larger cities. Due to the higher cost of driving and parking in dense cities, as well as the number of households that voluntarily choose not to own a car, bus ridership is often more reflective of the middle class as a whole. Bus services in suburbs often serve as feeder services for more "respectable" transit services like commuter trains, so they will be more often full of white-collar professionals who don't want to drive for whatever reason.

* UsefulNotes/{{Amtrak}}'s long distance trains have a reputation as a mode of transportation for railfans and assorted freaks and weirdos. [[EvenNerdsHaveStandards Most people would rather sit next to the freaks and weirdos]].

* Aversion, especially in college towns and larger cities. Due to the higher cost of driving and parking in dense cities, as well as the number of households that voluntarily choose not to own a car, bus ridership is often more reflective of the middle class as a whole.

* General Motors. [[https://www.flickr.com/photos/rllayman/9006896 here]]. GM ran advertisements in Vancouver, BC promoting the Chevy Cavalier in 2003. The destination sign above the windshield reads "Creeps & Weirdos", a not-so-subtle dig at common preconceptions of transit users. Due to public outcry about the implied offense against bus riders, the advertisement was pulled shortly afterwards.
* Starburst Fruit Chews. An advertisement titled "Bored to Death" revolves around a conversation on the bus between a zombie and another rider with bagpipes. Watch it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdUSpiC8MsU here]].

* ''Webcomic/{{IDGet}}''. One gag strip shows StrawberryShortcake clearly uncomfortable taking the bus, as other passengers gather around her to smell her hair.

->'''Del:''' Ever travel by bus before?
->'''Neal:''' No.
->'''Del:''' Your mood's probably not going to improve much.

-->'''Bus Driver:''' You girls watch out for those weirdos.
-->'''Nancy:''' [looking over her glasses] We ''are'' the weirdos, mister.

Since the early 2000s, bus ridership as well as the image of bus transportation has increased positively. Compounding factors such as reinvestment in service, a newly-found focus on environmentalism, Millenials postponing getting their drivers license, as well as an aging [[{{BabyBoomers}} Baby Boomer]] population reluctant to drive have all contributed to increasing ridership. To some extent even intercity bus travel has shed its prior image; legacy operators like Greyhound as well as new entrants such as Megabus compete on factors such as internet availability and express routes that don't stop in every farming village with three people.