When did it become "cool" to sit at the front of the bus?

[Scr77]

My flight is at T80 and I've logged in to select the best seats at the front of the aircraft. Being a rural, travel hours a day for school kind of kid, it occurs to me "when did it become cool to sit at the front"?

Many similarities exist between the school bus and aircraft. ie. you board via the front and those at the back are last off. Even in school, kids have status. Sure, it's based more around coolness or popularity than any sort of achievement or importance, but everyone reading this knows that the cool kids would sit at the back of the bus!

So, feel free to comment during this miserable Victorian Sunday afternoon as to why we now want the front of the bus! Is it all about being so important that we can't spare a few minutes to get off? Is it that we aren't traveling with other cool friends? Is it that the bus driver thinks we're more important if we're closer to the front? Or is it the bad experiences we had at the back of that school bus many years ago!

I'll start by saying, I was never a cool kid at the back of the bus, but I learnt not unnecessarily stand in the aisle while travelling because a cool kid would dack you!

 

[ausfox]

As a senior of 189cm length, the front of the bus saves a lot of pain.
Unfortunately my inner peasant stopped me from moving to the front of the bus for too many years.
I have overcome this problem.

 

[Scr77]

As a senior of 189cm length, the front of the bus saves a lot of pain.
Unfortunately my inner peasant stopped me from moving to the front of the bus for too many years.
I have overcome this problem.

I agree and I can understand when it comes to having business available. But in an 'Economy only bus" we will still aim for the front of economy. Do we "feel" closer to Business at the front of economy?

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm possibly the least cool person on the planet. Being at the front of economy (or, preferably , in the 2nd row of business, has a couple of advantages for me.

* Mainly - quicker to get off. When HLO that means quicker to get a taxi or uber. Later you call, the longer the ride will be away and the longer your wait.

* More likely to get meal preference

* Quicker to an exit if needed

But I don't want to be in row 1 of business or economy - restricted leg room in domestic economy and too close to the galley or toilets or bassinet seats in international domestic or business.


Can someone remind me - in the 'old days' - where was the smoking section - at the front, or behind? It was the first few rows, wasn't it?

 

[ZigZagWanderer]

Can someone remind me - in the 'old days' - where was the smoking section - at the front, or behind? It was the first few rows, wasn't it?

I seem to recall that it was at the rear. I always thought that the idea was the air was refreshed from the front. That was probably completely wrong.

 

[Scr77]

I seem to recall that it was at the rear. I always thought that the idea was the air was refreshed from the front. That was probably completely wrong.

Smoking section at the rear of planes fits with the cool kids being up the back Of the school bus!

 

[ZigZagWanderer]

As a senior of 189cm length, the front of the bus saves a lot of pain.
Unfortunately my inner peasant stopped me from moving to the front of the bus for too many years.
I have overcome this problem.

This is my response too. At 1.93, it's even more necessary for a comfortable flight.

I also used to also have an inflatable camping cushion for any flights over a couple of hours in economy (on those few occasions I couldn't afford business these last 20 years). Without it, my nether regions get numb and uncomfortable, despite the copious padding.

 

[Matt_01]

I have posted many times, to me a plane is just a bus with wings and have been commuting via an aircraft since 2008/9. I have experimented with R28/29 to get out by the rear stairs and better OH bin space but this often did not work out. My status allows me to pick any seat on the the aircraft domestically which is normally QF R1 or R4 and with VA R1 or R3/4/5, international with QF row 2 or 4 on the a330 or R3/5 on the 789. Prior to covid I used to have my own preferred seating based on carrier and aircraft type.

 

[VPS]

If it's a double decker bus then you have to be up the top at the front so you can pretend you're driving.

On a plane I do like to be as far forward as possible. I only have little legs so 1A is fine

 

[jb747]

* Quicker to an exit if needed

But perhaps closer to any accident. That was a drawback (!) to my seat. You get to any accident first.

 

[clifford]

But perhaps closer to any accident. That was a drawback (!) to my seat. You get to any accident first.

A couple of microseconds maybe...

 

[Forg]

I have posted many times, to me a plane is just a bus with wings and have been commuting via an aircraft since 2008/9. I have experimented with R28/29 to get out by the rear stairs and better OH bin space but this often did not work out. My status allows me to pick any seat on the the aircraft domestically which is normally QF R1 or R4 and with VA R1 or R3/4/5, international with QF row 2 or 4 on the a330 or R3/5 on the 789. Prior to covid I used to have my own preferred seating based on carrier and aircraft type.

This preference by carrier & type I understand … my work had a project in The ‘Bane in 2010/2011, Virgin was consistently cheaper at the time so I flew … probably only a half-dozen times I guess. But unlike Qantas they used the rear doors, so I’d choose the back of the ‘plane, especially as I was only up there for a few days at a time so didn’t need to wait for checked luggage. Well … until it rained the first time, they only used the aerobridge when it rained.

 

[JohnK]

When I was young I loved to sit at back of the bus going to school.

On airplanes best to sit at the front as I hate sitting down the back. I find the aircraft shakes more down the back and people take too long to gather their 3-4 belongings.

 

[Scarlett]

It’s quieter and smoother closer to the front of the pax cabin. Works for me.

 

[drron]

But perhaps closer to any accident. That was a drawback (!) to my seat. You get to any accident first.

As Dave Allen said I‘be never heard of a plane backing into a mountain.
But back in my school days it was’nt the cool kids that sat at the back of the bus. I was there with the other nerds. So I want to know when did it become cool to sit at the back of the bus?

 

[OATEK]

Ever since my first ride on a #19 across London (as an adult) I have loved the front of the bus on the upper deck. Reprised this on a couple pf bus rides in London in the last month - a great view and the sensation of feeling the bus might topple sideways at times ads to the fun.

However, I was a fan of the back of the bus on 747s, particularly the CX version, when I travelled Y as the 2-seaters near the back had a bit of space beside the seats for long legs etc. These days, my arthritic joints clamour for somewhere close to the front of the bus to lay my weary head on flights.

 

[Scr77]

…..But back in my school days it was’nt the cool kids that sat at the back of the bus. I was there with the other nerds. So I want to know when did it become cool to sit at the back of the bus?

Hmm, this must break some sort of universal law. We’re there any cool kids on your bus?

 

[VPS]

Ever since my first ride on a #19 across London (as an adult) I have loved the front of the bus on the upper deck. Reprised this on a couple pf bus rides in London in the last month - a great view and the sensation of feeling the bus might topple sideways at times ads to the fun.

However, I was a fan of the back of the bus on 747s, particularly the CX version, when I travelled Y as the 2-seaters near the back had a bit of space beside the seats for long legs etc. These days, my arthritic joints clamour for somewhere close to the front of the bus to lay my weary head on flights.

that's a nice bus route - I do like #11 too. I could spend all day on a London bus sitting at the top at the front

 

[dajop]

Who ever said all the AFF-types, or anyone for that matter, clamouring to be at the front of the aircraft were "cool"?

 

[clifford]

When I was young I loved to sit at back of the bus going to school.

When I was young (late teens), I was quite happy to sit down the back of the bus (because that's all that was on offer).

The bus was a BEA BAC-111 from LHR to MAN (and vv) and I was paying the youth fare of GBP 5 each way.

A great introduction to frequent flying.