On tours, bus excursions, etc., I wonder what is the proper behaviour, and what to do about bus busters...meaning people who refuse to queue, or hog all the front seats. If you are young and spry, you can get into the front of the line always before the elderly, and thus grab the front seats (for better viewing, easier on and off), but it seems rude to me. Should the quickest among us always get the best, or should we save a few at the front for those who can't move as fast. While on cruises, it's always the same few people who get the front seats, because they run to the front and jump on while others just can't keep up.

Although it is not my preferred way to travel, I took 2 7-day Cosmos bus tours (Ireland, Scotland) with a friend in 1997. The first day on the bus, our tour guide explained their rotation system. Wherever we were that day, we would move one row back the following day and the back row would move to the front. (Or maybe it was move one row forward, and front row move to the back.) This would continue over the 7-day trip. May not be perfect, but it is better than what you describe. No one, as far as I know, complained about the system. I don't know what could be done for one- or two-day tours.

Generally people are asked to get to the bus by a certain time and know the set time well in advance. It is not a race. The young and spry have no advantage. To the contrary, the less spry, who may tire more easily, may get to the bus earlier than those who are enjoying their activites too much to cut them short. Thus the less spry have the edge advantage in getting the best seats. If the seat is important to you, stop what you're doing sooner, or get dressed sooner, and get to the bus at or before the requested meeting time.

On a river cruise of France a few years ago, the bus seat grabbers made the trip very uncomfortable for the rest of us. They would send a member of their family to wait by the bus and then grab the front seats and save the rest around them with coats and purses. They would also grab the shady side of the bus. <BR>It was good in a way though because it became clear to me that I would never subject myself to the tour scene again and I haven't. <BR>

I mean when you are on a cruise..etc., and you go to the meeting place for a day tour, they give you a colored letter/number (i.e., blue b 4) and when it is time they call your number. Then everyone busts down the ship's hall, down the stairs, out the gang way, and hustle to the bus that says B-4, and on. If you want to take excursions while on a cruise, you must deal with this. I think they should assign seats on the bus too, giving the more slow people a chance--not always last and to the back.

I've never experienced a system like that. My experience has been that older people and extremely prompt people usually sit in front. Sometimes people don't want to sit in front, and then I do because i like the view. But these haven't been real bus tours--just short runs on a bus when changing hotels on walking tours of 6 to 15 people.

Sitting in the front is not really a big deal. On most multi-day tours that I have been on, most younger people choose to sit in the back. More people are interested in the window seats. Besides, the buses have huge windows, so there is rarely a problem where people sit. In fact, I've been on tours where the rotation method that Betty mentioned was used, however, after a few days, people didn't find it important to change. But, it was a good way to meet other people on the tour.

Thank you all for reminding me just another reason why I HATE group tours!!!

This REALLY, REALLY bothers Sandi.