What constitutes the most annoying rider behaviour on the TTC is not as easy to determine as one might think. Ultimately, there's just too many egregious violations of basic etiquette to choose from. What's worse, after all, having a high school kid with an enormous book-filled backpack continuously bump into you or being tucked into a two-seater on a packed train with someone who hasn't showered in days?

I'd have to say the latter, but I've always believed that I have an abnormally acute sense of smell. What about people who blast their music so loudly that it seems as though it must originate from hidden speakers rather than earphones? Worse still, what if it was Nickelback?

There have, of course, been various campaigns to improve rider etiquette -- both official and unofficial -- but I'm not convinced that such efforts have always targeted the worst behaviour. Leaving gum under seats and pop cans to do a Sisyphean roll on the subway floor (litter seems to be less of a problem on streetcars and buses where a driver is within sight) are surely an annoying, but they don't tend to make me consider engaging in a physical altercation with the responsible parties.

So let's help the TTC do a little market research for their next set of etiquette posters. What rider behaviour bothers you the most on Toronto public transit? There are 12 options to choose from, but if you think I've missed a noteworthy sin, let me know in the comments section.

Photo by asianz in the blogTO Flickr pool.