Given the recent discussion about cell phone conversations on the bus, I thought I'd share this PSA, spotted earlier today on an eastbound 27:

"Too much. Too loud. Please be courteous when using your cell phone on the bus."

I realize I'm probably in the minority on this, but I don't find anything inherently wrong with cell-phone talking in transit. After all, you can't expect silence on the bus. Folks are talking to each other, babies are crying, the driver is calling out stops over the PA ... you get the picture. If the conversations are quiet and about subjects that are appropriate for public consumption, I don't see the harm. When they're not, the problem isn't cell phones; it's rudeness. Loud, personal conversations are a no-no, whether on the phone or in the flesh.

Even though I'm not a big bus phone-talker, I think having the option is one of the (many) advantages of public transportation. Drivers must pay attention to the road, while we transit types can use our travel time as we see fit (see below)--even, if we so choose, to check on a restaurant reservation or catch up with Mom.

Your turn.

Despite Metro's official "no eating" policy, sneaking a couple of bites of something on the bus is fairly common, and, as far as I'm concerned, fairly innocuous. I figure, as long as folks aren't leaving trash or crumbs, there's not much harm in a bit of nibbling (on a Black Russian from Three Girls Bakery, for example) en route.

But what's with the trend of sitting down in the front and devouring a Styrofoam container of teriyaki like you're at the table? I, for one, am not a fan of listening to strangers slurp down their dinners while I travel. And don't even get me started on the smell. Which is why I was particularly appalled when…

On a recent 27 ride, Bus Nerd and I had the privilege of witnessing a senior gentleman attacking a bag of grocery-store fried chicken, Bus-Chick-meets-chocolate-ice-cream-style. (We were facing forward, and he was directly in front of us facing sideways, so we had no choice but to watch.) I found the sound (smacking after every bite?) and smell annoying, but, hey--I'm a "live and let live" kind of bus chick. The man wasn't (exactly) hurting anyone, so I gave him a pass. Maybe he was really hungry.

But when he started licking his fingers--[insert KFC joke here]--one at a time, and with relish, his behavior moved from mildly annoying to downright unacceptable. I turned to Bus Nerd.

"If he touches the pole, I'm going to kill myself."

Folks, I should be writing this post from the heavens. The man did, indeed, touch the pole, and many other parts of the bus, including the cord and the fare box. (How often do you think those things get cleaned?). He even left a lovely grease (or was it saliva?) hand print behind as a parting gift.

There is no basketball metaphor that covers a bus foul of this magnitude. Flagrant? Nope. Technical? Uh-uh. We're not even in game-ejection territory. We're talking league suspension, people, Ron Artest-style.

Just, no.

Back in August of '07, I posted a random list of books I'd seen people reading on buses. These days, the librarians are keeping track (thanks for the link, Laurie and David). Here's a taste of what they spotted:

Chocolate Flava: The Eroticanoir.com Anthology by Zane (Route 15 on 4/28)
The Life and Times of Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson (Route 77 on 4/29)
Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox (Route 77 on 4/29)
Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge (Route 7 on 4/29)
Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (Route 28 on 4/29)
Museums and Galleries of Paris / Insight Guides (Route 28 on 4/29)
The Waitress Was New by Dominique Fabre (Route 28 on 4/29)
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris (Route 66 on 4/29)

Check the post on Shelftalk to see the entire list.

And speaking of...

Today, on my way to West Seattle, I started Black Genius, a collection of essays that I bought for Bus Nerd a few years back.

And you?

This one in San Francisco:

[Christina Wu and Chris Little] got to know each other four years ago waiting for and riding the 31AX-Balboa express bus to their jobs in downtown San Francisco. Today, they will be getting married in a Muni-themed ceremony.

[...]

[Wu] and Little used to catch the morning bus at the same Richmond District corner at 25th Avenue and Balboa Street, and after a couple of months of noticing each other, he struck up a conversation before the express arrived.

"Muni wasn't my Match.com - at least not by design," said Little, 39, who works in Internet advertising sales. "But if I drove, I probably wouldn't have met Christina."

(Source: SFGate)

Thanks for the link, John.

Nerd and I have some stuff to take to Goodwill/Re PC--and a few other miscellaneous errands that will be simpler by car.

A Zipcar bus ad

I'm a very occasional car user, so this will be only the second time I've used Zipcar since the merger. I can't say I'm thrilled about losing a local company, especially given some of the less-than desirable changes we former Flexers have been subjected to. (Increased rates and decreased insurance coverage? Now cut that out!)

On the plus side, their Web site's easier to use.

The City of Seattle's One Less Car Challenge is back! This is an excellent, innovative program that gives people support (and incentives) to try living without a car for a limited amount of time.

There are two levels of participation. Level 1 (a "trial separation") requires that you live without your car (or, if you're part of a family, one of your cars) for a month. Level 2 (a "divorce") requires a year commitment to car-freedom. The incentives are dependent on the level of participation, but some of them include: gift certificates for transit passes, bike gear, and other car-free necessities; a membership in Cascade Bicycle Club; and free advice and support from folks who already know the ropes.

The program is popular (and limited), so if you're interested in participating, sign up now.

Unfortunately for Char and John, you have to live in Seattle to be eligible. As far as I know, Bellevue does not offer a comparable program, but this site provides information about undriving incentives for Bellevueites (Bellevue-ers? Belluvians?).

This month's Golden Transfer goes to my good friend Char (yes, the same Char who hipped me to the life-size pictures at Greenfest and to the height-adjustable heels) and her husband John, an Eastside couple committed to reducing their car use.

In 2006, Char and John moved from two vehicles to one. They didn't need cars to commute, and they usually spent their weekends together, so it made sense to share. Even when the car was available, Char would ride the bus "just because"--to head downtown or even to visit friends. (She's visited me on the bus more than once.)

Earlier this month, Char and John decided to take their car-lite lifestyle to the next level. They turned in the vehicle they were leasing and committed to living without a car for eight weeks. At the end of the trial period, they will decide whether to remain car-free indefinitely or purchase a used car with cash. (Guess which outcome I'm hoping for?)

Char and John, heading downtown on the 545

Car-free life on the Eastside has its challenges (to make errands easier, they're considering using a grocery delivery service and buying a bike), but, like car-free life anywhere, it also has many benefits. Char gives these reasons for dumping her two tons of extra baggage:

For me it's a combination of motivators:
1. Minimize my carbon footprint
2. Decrease demand for fossil fuels
3. Save more money and simplify my lifestyle
4. Increase my overall physical fitness level
5. Enjoy the social benefits of riding public transportation

I couldn't have said it better.

Thank you, Char and John, for your efforts. Even if you decide to return to car ownership, you will do so with a clearer understanding of your choice, and (I hope) a few lasting behavior changes. In the meantime, I'll see you on the bus!

I do OK with cute and comfortable footwear (though not as well as my girl Miranda) until it's time to really dress. I'm not big on "wear a pair, carry a pair," so on occasions that call for high heels, I usually just choose the pair that goes best with the outfit and resign myself to a few hours of suffering.* Fortunately for me, those occasions only occur a few times a month. For those of you who must wear dressy shoes on a regular basis, some hopeful news:

Over the weekend, my friend Char (not coincidentally, a newly minted bus chick) hipped me to these (and other) height-adjustable heels:

I ain't one to hawk products, and believe me, I'm not trying to sell you these. (I'm not really feeling the styles or the Salon Shoes prices.) I do appreciate the concept, though. Check the video.

* I have also been known to call a cab.

A 60-ish man is holding court in the front of the bus, talking to many of the other passengers, most of whom he seems to know. At Broadway, a handsome twentysomething with impeccable waves gets on. As Twentysomething passes, the older man stops mid-sentence, and in a tone bordering on reverent, says,

"Son, you could float a cruise ship on that head."

I had two favorites, but I finally settled on this one:

"14 to Summit here. 14 to Mt. Baker over there."

Extra brownie points for the stop/route knowledge.

The runner up:

"One of these has gotta be a snow route."

All of the captions were great, though. I can't wait to do that again.