Metra looks to customers for help with ‘Ride Nice’ campaign

Metra is looking to its customers to help choose the next topics of its Ride Nice campaign posters, which address common rider complaints on trains.

The first round of campaign posters were released in July 2016 and addressed riders who hog seats, block aisles, talk too loudly, or put their feet up on seats, Metra said. Excessive personal grooming on Metra trains was also addressed.

For the next round of campaign posters, Metra is looking for new common complaints, such as littering on trains and “manspreading,” a term for when a male passenger takes up too much room on a seat by keeping his legs spread open.

The polls are open at http://www.metrarail.com for customers to weigh in on others’ suggestions, or to write their own, Metra said.

“The first posters were humorous and gentle reminders that we’re all sharing the same space and should be ever-mindful of courtesy,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno. “We’ll adopt the same tone for the next posters. We are simply trying to use this modest campaign to get our customers to think about how their behavior impacts others.”