Jul. 8--More people are jumping on DART's trains. After a record year in 2008, that trend is still on track.

On average, more than 65,000 people a day are riding rail during the week, according to Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

That compares with 63,000 riders during the same period last year -- when gasoline was pushing toward $4 a gallon. (Regular gas is now selling for about $2.40 on average, according to DallasGasPrices.com, a Web site that monitors prices.)

The down economy has people throughout North Texas looking for ways to scrimp, and for many commuters, that makes the train an easy decision.

What can prove more difficult, though, is negotiating the system for the first time -- from buying a ticket to learning the Blue Line from the Red Line.

Then there are the rules of the rail -- questions of etiquette, good manners and, of course, safety.

When should you give up your seat?

Should you avoid eye contact?

Is it OK to dig into that Big Mac?

That's where tried-and-true tips -- a survivors' guide of sorts -- might come in handy.

Katherine Thompson of Bedford started riding DART last year after she began working in downtown Dallas.

Her advice for the novice: Plan ahead.

She mapped out her route online and got the hang of things within a week.

"The hardest thing was finding a lanyard for my DART pass," she said.

Here's a tenet Gil Trythall has tried to embrace:

It's a big city. Expect the unexpected.

Trythall and his 14-year-old grandson, Sam McIntyre, take the train downtown whenever the teen visits from New Mexico.

For them, rail adds spontaneity to their day.

"You never know with public transportation what you're going to see," Trythall said. "One time a guy got on and he had a Bible and started preaching."

Then there's DART regular Henry Tawanknee. No need to be scared on the rail, but stay alert, he warned.

As he sees it, the biggest problem with riding the train: Disruptive young people.

It's DART's most common complaint, officials say.

Tawanknee rides at either the front or back of the train to distance himself as much as possible from unruly youths.

"The younger generation really curse, and they have no respect for their elders," he said. "We were on last night, and we heard them talking about sex and drugs."

Tips for riding the rail: Be safe and be nice

DART doesn't allow:

--Open alcoholic beverages

--Lit cigarettes

--Leashed animals (except service animals)

--Flammable liquids

--Profanity

--Eating

--Panhandling

For your safety:

--Hide valuables before boarding.

--Don't run for your train. That's when many accidents occur.

--Don't wait at the edge of the platform.

--Late at night, sit in a car close to the train operator.

--Stay alert. Don't tune out by sleeping, listening to music with headphones or talking on your phone.

--Don't stare at unusual people. They can become agitated.

--If you think you're being inappropriately touched, but aren't sure, assume that you ARE being touched and move.

--Always know your location. You must have your exact location if you call 911.

--Report any unattended bags.

--Know the neighborhood around your station -- what stores, restaurants and businesses stay open late.

As a courtesy:

--Let riders off before you get on.

--Move to the center of the train. It makes boarding and exiting the train easier for others.

--Don't push your way into an overcrowded car.

--Don't hold the doors or push anything in the doors to keep them open. It's rude and unsafe.

--If you are able-bodied, give your seat to pregnant women, the elderly, the infirm or people with strollers.

--Keep your packages from banging into people around you.

--If you don't get a seat, make sure you hold on to a pole. No one likes riders falling on them.

--Keep your bags on your lap or on the floor in front of you -- not the seat next to you -- if you're sitting down

--Keep your feet off the seats.

--SOURCES: DART; Dallas Morning News research

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