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Fight or flight?

Passengers react differently to the knowledge that germs spread disease on buses. Most passengers are aware of the germs present, but some are oblivious of the deaths from, contracting a pathogen. The degree of avoidance varies between patrons, and when they are willing to take hold of the handrails. "Surfers" grab the rails as they are falling, "realists" hold on when there is a chance they will fall, and the "clenchers" instinctively hold onto the handrails.

"Surfers" are the passengers who avoid the buses with contaminated handrails. They stand parallel to the street, with their dominant foot towards the front of the bus, (to absorb the forward movements), and the other foot three steps behind (to absorb backwards movements). Their stable stance avoids contamination. As the bus cuts a sharp corner, "surfers" ride out the movements desperately trying to maintain their stance. "surfers" with experience balancing typically ride out the tremulous bus movements without touching the rails, even when "surfers" begin to uncontrollably fall they continue to avoid direct contact with the rails. without touching the rail they recover their stance by leaning their back against a wall, clasping onto a rail with a bus pass, or hook their clothed arm around a pole. If "surfers" are about to plummet to the ground they reluctantly grab the rail at the brink of falling. These passengers' reluctance to touch the contaminated bus rails is commonly associated with an inordinate fear of strangers' residual germs on bus surfaces.

"Realists" are aware of the imperceptible pathogens. They realize the potential dangers of infection. these passengers accept the inevitable germs on bus rail, and deal with it accordingly. Although, their knowledge acts as a deterrent these passengers find it unpractical to completely avoid the rails. They only use the rails to keep themselves stabilized in their desired spot, or when the