An Urban Ethnography
Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies 4.1 (2008)
ISSN 1557-2935
Renee Human
University of Kentucky
Interview questions
- How often do you ride the bus?
- What route do you usually take?
- Where are you coming from and going to?
- Do you pay as you go or do you have a pass?
- Do you own a car?
- Are there any particular reasons why you choose to ride the bus rather than choosing a different form of transportation such as your own car or walking?
- When you get on the bus where do you usually sit?
- Do you know usually know any of the other riders? Tell me more about that.
- Do you know these people from the bus or somewhere else? Do you know their names or just by sight?
- Do you talk to people on the bus? Would you talk only to friends and acquaintances or will you talk to a stranger, too?
- You say that you are not likely to talk to a stranger, why? What is holding you back?
- Is silence preferable to talking to a stranger? Why?
- Do you feel self-conscious when you ride the bus or do you just blend into the crowd?
- Would you like to be noticed on the bus ? If so, how? Or do you prefer to not be noticed?
- What kinds of things would you talk about with a stranger?
- Have you ever had any interesting conversations with strangers on the bus? Can you tell me about that experience?
- What kinds of things do you think about when you are riding the bus?
- When you look out the windows, what kinds of things do you like to look at? Why?
(If on the bus:)
- Can you point out any special spots that have meaning to you along the way?
- Why is that spot special to you? Do you think about that often when you pass by here?
- When you think about that, does it make you happy or sad or do you experience any other particular feeling?
- Does feeling that way affect how you interact with others after you think about it?
- Is that information something you would share with someone riding with you? A friend? A stranger?
- Are there any other circumstances that affect how you act when you ride the bus?