Saying goodbye to and thanking bus drivers in German-speaking Switzerland.

The present study investigates the dynamics of leave-taking and thanking on buses in rural versus urban settings. Employing a mixed-methods approach, Study A involved an online survey with 1000 participants from 125 locations in German-speaking Switzerland, while Study B observed 236 passengers' behaviors in urban and rural contexts whereby contextual factors such as location of exiting, time of day, and passenger demographics were systematically varied. Results revealed an urban-rural divide, with rural areas demonstrating more frequent leave-taking and thanking. Factors like door location on the bus, number of exiting passengers, and passenger age influenced the realization of these speech acts, with front-door, solo exits and older passengers displaying more leave-taking and thanking. Furthermore, in rural areas, bus drivers often initiated the interactions. Subsequent qualitative interviews after the conduction of Study B revealed several possible reasons for the urban vs. rural divide: in the rural countryside, bus lines can be geographically more exposed. Roads can be dangerous, particularly in wintertime. This could increase the probability of wanting to bid farewell to the bus driver and to express gratitude for bringing them home 'safely'. This research sheds light on the subtleties governing social exchanges within public transportation contexts. • This is the first study to examine sub-national variation in leave-taking and thanking between bus drivers and passengers. • Findings reveal a rural vs urban divide in these speech acts: countryside people use more leave-taking and thank you. • In the countryside, behavior is influenced by factors like place of exiting and passengers' age. • Qualitative interviews show differences in social networks and bus line make-up to affect realization of these speech acts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]