Was on the M15 local uptown yesterday and my cousin visiting from out of town asked why I yelled "thanks" over my shoulder getting out the back. I didn't really have an answer, just said that's how I was raised. Do people still do this? I feel like I only hear it on the M15/M101 or late night Bx lines. If you're exiting from the front, that's automatic, but from the back the driver probably just sees a blob on the camera. Am I doing too much?

EastHarlem_E, you're not doing too much. I do it on the local buses in Flatbush, but I'm not making a speech. It's more of a "thanks" aimed at the mirror. On SBS or the articulated routes, forget it. Third door, the driver can't hear anything and the people next to you are already annoyed you got a seat. I save the full voice for when I get off by the front or when a driver actually waited for me at a stop. That's when it counts.

Wait, I didn't know the mirror thing was a thing. I just moved to NYC last fall and I've been doing the awkward nod to the little sign that says "exit here." Flatbush_Fi, which mirror do you aim at? I tried saying thanks on the Bx12 local once and I was the only one, so I stopped. Do drivers actually see you wave in the mirror? I thought they were just watching traffic.

EastHarlem_E, I don't think there's a single rule, and that's fine. I've lived off crosstown and uptown routes most of my life. On the M96, if you're getting out the back first door you might catch the driver's eye in the mirror; on the newer buses the camera angle is mounted high above that rear door. I usually do a small raised hand toward the mirror rather than a full shout, especially if the bus is crowded and a lot of other noise is happening. It reads less as "tourist proving something" and more as acknowledgment.

I do make an exception for the late-night local route, often after 11 p.m., when the driver is one of the only people moving on the streets. If I'm the only person exiting at a dark stop, I'll say an actual "thank you." I have had drivers flick the interior lights or wave back. It's a tiny thing, but it changes the mood. The front door is non-negotiable though; if you're face-to-face with the driver and can't manage a thanks, the bus ride is not the issue. Flatbush_Fi is right about SBS.

landmark_lina, I'll add a little history to that. I was around when the back door wasn't automatic. That old push-bar-and-step-well setup meant the driver had to buzz or open the back door manually, so you were acknowledging a physical act. I still said "thank you" then because it felt like the driver was doing you a favor, not just watching a sensor. Now the doors open because of a beam or a tap strip or a camera, so the dynamic changed.

I still say it from the front, and I'll give a nod toward the mirror from the back if the driver slowed for me or held the bus. But I don't think young people who stay quiet are rude; they just didn't grow up with the old rear door. The city is loud enough without everyone yelling into the middle of the bus at 7:45 a.m.

Like landmark_lina said, save the full voice for the front. The B61 driver having to swerve around double-parked cars on 9th Street deserves a standing ovation, not just a thanks. But I see too many people scream "THANK YOU" from the back like they're at a concert. Just do the little wave. If you're front door, say it like a normal person. Done.

Gowanus_G, the B61 is a whole different animal. Okay so I'm not totally losing it. Tried the mirror wave this morning on the M15 local. Driver gave a sort of two-finger salute from the wheel. Felt like we had a whole conversation in two seconds. My visiting cousin can stay embarrassed. I'll keep it on local routes before 9 a.m.

Thanks, Flatbush_Fi and landmark_lina. Update: I did the mirror wave too on the Bx12 local. The driver didn't wave back, but he did nod a little and it felt less weird than the silent awkward stand at the door. I think I was doing the "stop looking at me" face before. This thread is saving my commute.