r/Hamilton • u/cinono • 3d ago
Roads & Transit One thing I notice about Hamilton
I’ve taken buses in Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Etobicoke, Burlington, and Kitchener-Waterloo, but Hamilton is the only city where I hear so many people saying “thank you” as they get on and off the bus.
Hamilton might be a rough town, but this is such a nice touch
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u/theravenmagick 3d ago
yes! as a HSR rider I love it there's also some REALLY nice bus drivers, one night I was taking a 5 from downtown out to stoney creek and the youngest female driver I'd ever seen was driving. She was not only badass and didn't take any shit, but she dropped people off WITH directions to connecting buses and said "Have a great night!" to every single one of us getting off the bus, so maybe it's because some drivers are nice back. I also notice everyone says thank you. There's always an adventure on the Hamilton buses, I'm sad I wasn't on the one last year that got taken over by that guy who stole the bus but kept making the stops :P
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u/Frayed2017 10h ago
Had THE best Go Bus driver in Hamilton two weeks ago. She pulled up to the terminal, got off and announced that this was the bus to Pearson (important info for new riders) and answered everyone’s questions kindly and fully. It was great.
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u/DiscoStu691969 3d ago
I’ve worked all over the country and I hear “thank you” more in Hamilton than any other major Canadian city. Also, holding doors. Hamilton rocks at holding doors for people. Noticed the opposite in a few other cities that shall remain nameless.
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u/Potential_Focus_ 3d ago
Victoria also does it. Or used to
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u/DiscoStu691969 3d ago
100% agree! I was in Victoria 2 months ago and found everyone incredibly polite and helpful. Stayed at an Air B&B in Langford and the owners were the nicest people.
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u/Chrissy7319 3d ago
I always thank my bus driver. They make good money, but it's a shitty job.
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u/jurassicjon 3d ago
I look at them like the plumbers of the road. They take a lot of shit, and the people that use them generally feel grateful to have them. There is always that one fucker that has to have it spoiled for everyone else.
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u/brriceratops 3d ago
It's the lack of social barrier/boundary. People are more likely to speak up, for good or for bad, and more likely to encourage people to do the same (or correct them when they don't). Call Hamilton many things, it's not "cold"
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u/Altruistic-Garage544 3d ago
When I moved to Canada in 2008 I took the bus a lot with my mom before she got her G2. I was 12 at the time and it was the first time I ever saw people thanking the bus drivers. It was one of those experiences that stick with me - you hear about Canadians being very friendly and polite but it is different to experience it in person. That was in Mississauga. Glad people still do that here in Hamilton.
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u/J4ckD4wkins Stinson 3d ago
I grew up in Victoria, BC, and we always did that too. Went back to visit recently, and people were still doing it as a rule. It's just one of those things that makes you feel slightly more human as you go about your day in this crumbling world.
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u/conjecture_tech 3d ago
It was (and still is for the most part) a working class / blue collar city as well with a long history of unions and worker solidarity. That sort of attitude gets passed down through generations and manifests in actions like this.
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u/LibraryNo2717 3d ago
First thing I noticed when I moved here from Toronto. I never saw this on the TTC.
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u/prestigiouslotion 3d ago
Hamilton is a great city for this. Bigger city with a small town vibe. Mississauga used to be like this but no more
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u/rdubs89 Stoney Creek 3d ago
Thats what I always tell people about Hamilton. For a city with 570k people it feels like a tight knit community. We do well to support our local businesses, and we treat one another with kindness and empathy. It truly is a great city. Growing up I always dreamed of moving away from here, but I reazlied as I grew up and was looking for a place to buy that I really didnt want to leave Hamilton.
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u/arabacuspulp Blakely 3d ago
I think Hamilton is just full of hard working, down to Earth people, which is why I like it here.
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u/theninjasquad Crown Point West 3d ago
They actually don’t let you off the bus unless you say thank you.
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u/AnyEye8798 3d ago
Can confirm. It's illegal.
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u/theninjasquad Crown Point West 3d ago
This is why we have unions ✊
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u/AnyEye8798 3d ago
I love it when one person (usually me) says thank you and then you get a chorus of other people saying it as well.
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u/Admirable-Barnacle86 3d ago
I always try to do so (though I'm sure I forget when its real early or late). Costs me nothing, maybe it helps the driver. And 99% of the drivers are super nice and helpful, even when dealing with crap.
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u/miquelon 3d ago
I spent 30 years in Toronto, moved to Hamilton 6 years ago and this is one of those things I tell everyone about Hamilton, it's just so much more civilised.
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u/Dat-Tiffnay 3d ago
I always say thank you and thought it was odd nobody said it on the TTC when I was in school.
The bus drivers deal with so much bs; saying thank you is the least I can do to maybe brighten their day
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u/Remarkable-Pirate469 3d ago
As a Colombian who has been living in Hamilton for almost six years, I completely agree! I've used the public transit system here since day one, and I quickly got used to greeting and thanking the bus drivers. Since I take the same routes regularly, saying hi becomes second nature, and you even start missing the familiar drivers when they aren't on their shift. It's great because you build these small bonds of friendship, and the drivers are always very friendly too. It makes me feel incredibly proud of the city that welcomed us from the very beginning. Now I do the same on every mode of transportation I take, just like a true Hamiltonian
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u/Vivid-Birthday-465 3d ago
It’s so much easier to be kind and show appreciation to one another in a world that tries to break us down
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u/Animlfarm 3d ago
Bus drivers deal with so much BS plus driving in traffic and jiggling their spines around in those seats, the least we can do is say thank you.
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u/BoneZone05 3d ago
My grandma never had her license, and she always said thank you to the bus drivers, so us kids naturally picked it up. To be honest, it feels good to say nice things to people. Good lesson for anyone at any age 👍
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u/EagleOk16 2d ago
My son started playing "bus" with his little people last year. He is speech delayed but the people of hamilton taught him you have to say thank you when you get off thw bus, so every little person says thank you when they get on and off the bus. It's the sweetest thing ever.
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u/sometimesukulele 3d ago
i always thank the bus driver if i take a bus! also thank crossing guards when i walk my kids to school.
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u/riotstar 3d ago
Wild! Moved out of Hamilton 20 years ago and had never thought about this unique courtesy the whole time nor did I realize it was specific to Hamilton. What an amazing post that really captures life in Hamilton and being a proud Hamiltonian.
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u/rockoutboobs Crown Point East 3d ago
Im a regular rider and I know my regular drivers. If they are late I'll say something. I always am pleasant and greet them. I always say thank you, have a good day, have a nice weekend, whatever. They take so much shit from undesirables. I couldnt imagine doing their job.
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u/capunk87 3d ago
Not only that, if someone needs help navigating (as my mum often does when she visits) there are usually about half a dozen people giving directions and letting them know how many stops to go!
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u/Rare_Entrepreneur998 1d ago
Most cities people say thank you. Particularly in Canada
I am much older born in the 59s and I always have notice people saying thank you. It’s way to give back for the safe driving or waiting that extra last person trying to get on the bus.
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u/tornow1500 3d ago
I thank the bus driver out of habit because I grew up in Brockville where the only door on the bus is at the front, it’s also common practice in smaller cities like Kingston
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u/Lin-Manuel-Verandah 3d ago
I noticed it picked up a lot more since COVID ended. And 20 years ago it was barely a thing.
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u/0ldcastle 3d ago
I just got back from a week in Montreal and there were a number of occasions when the bus driver thanked me as I was getting off the bus. If was really weird.
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u/araw_araw 2d ago
When I was in Montreal last year the bus driver told me to have a good day after helping me get off at the right stop. I nearly asked him out. Then it got me wondering: Has this ever happened to me on the TTC? I just laughed quietly to myself.
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u/Serious_Hour9074 3d ago
My grandfather was an HSR driver way back in the day, I will always thank them for my ride.
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u/WeakestVFVSupporter 3d ago
Kitchener Waterloo also has the same behavior, but Hamiltonians are way more likely to thank the bus driver.
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u/detalumis 3d ago
It's very common in Oakville. That's the first thing I noticed when I moved here from Hamilton.
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u/Odd_Citron8057 3d ago
Ever since I moved to canada, Hamilton was the only city I've ever ridden the bus in. You're definitely right and it is the norm for most people
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u/Cheeky_Banana800 3d ago
It used to be the case everywhere, I have lived in Mississauga and Brampton so I know.
No longer.
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u/DivergentTea 2d ago
I grew up close to London in a small town - we were taught to say thank you getting off buses, trains and planes.
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u/ilovethemusic Westdale 2d ago
This is so true. When I moved to Ottawa, I realized this wasn’t a normal thing everywhere.
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u/No-Drawer87 2d ago
I mean, even those who take buses on joyrides follow the routes and make the stops. You better have fare though or they won’t let you on. Buses mean more in Hamilton than almost anything. Surprised we haven’t rooted against the LRT in solidarity with the tried and true HSR
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u/OddRevolution7888 2d ago
I live in Ottawa. I took the bus for years. I always said "Thank you" to the driver. Mind you, this was the 90s-2000s. I appreciated someone who could deliver me to home/office without me arriving feeling stressed.
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u/kuroonai 2d ago
This is one of the first things I noticed about Hamilton when I moved here. The city has its faults but I love this city. Hamilton is home!
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u/Silly__Rabbit 2d ago
I want to say this is a southern Ontario thing. I grew up in Windsor, went to school in London and then moved to Hamilton and in all three cities there were lots of ‘thank you’. Idk, the bus driver did their job and got you to your destination safely, a small thank you doesn’t seem unreasonable. I think it’s also the smaller transit systems and that on a TTC bus, nobody is going to hear you unless you exit out the front.
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u/Papyrus_Semi Westcliffe 3d ago
it started as a meme, but quickly evolved into local habit
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u/arabacuspulp Blakely 3d ago
This has been going on since well before memes existed. I remember people doing this back in the 80s and 90s.
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u/GreaterAttack 3d ago
I'll thank the driver if I get out from the front door. It isn't very nice to fellow passengers when someone bellows "THANK YOU!!!!" right in their ear, particularly when three doors down and the driver can barely see/hear you anyway.
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u/alexrainbowrose 2d ago
I love the HSR drivers! Lived in Hamilton my whole life and the HSR always gets me where I'm going. It disappoints me when someone gets off without thanking the driver since it is SO common. I've taken the bus in Oakville and Toronto as well, and do not see the same level of kindness. When I thanked the Oakville bus drivers, they looked visibly shocked that I did, and are always like "you're very welcome!!", makes me sad to think they're not appreciated up there.
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u/Judi_Chop 3d ago
Ya, it's really special. We are COMPELLED.
I see people fuming about the bus being late or missing their stops and they STILL mutter a thanks on their way off.
Spent 15 years in Toronto and I always knew someone was from Hamilton when they shouted THANKS from the back of a double bus.
Was pretty bummed to have to move back here, but the past year has really made me appreciate this city again.
Thanks!