The Beauty of Grunge

There must be fifty people waiting to board King County Metro route 194 express from SeaTac to downtown Seattle. It's an articulated bus, but with the luggage and overloaded backpacks, it's still gonna be a squeeze.

As I step on a woman with a large wheeled upright stands near the front asking, "Does anybody have change for a ten?"
I now recognize the wisdom of bringing small bills.
"I might." This forces me to quickly find a seat since I am dragging a large duffle and shoulder bag myself. So I slide next to a woman who has taken one and a half seats with an overflowing cotton bag.
"Do you have enough space?" She asks.
I'm not sure if she is being sarcastic, but I reply, "Yes, thanks."

As I dig through my bags to find the cache of small bills, another man--a Somali immigrant who drives one of those electric motor carts shuttling the elderly and disabled from one terminal to the next--has already given her a dollar.

Just gives her a dollar? Where are we...Seattle?

I finally dig out my bills and discover that, yes indeed, I have change for a ten.
"Ma'am, would you like me to break a ten, so you can repay that man?"
"Yes I would."
I change her ten. She turns around and pays the man, who smiles shyly.
"We're all here to help one another."

The fare on this express bus, which takes about a half hour to arrive downtown, is 1.25. I can't think of a better bargain for airport transportation. Once you arrive downtown, don't worry about getting around since the bus is actually free.

Wow, what a concept! Actually encourage riding the bus and getting out of the car by keeping fares low...Hmmm who doesn't understand that--oh yeah, the LA Times and MTA.

Almost 1/3 of Seattle residents commute without a car. That's twice as many as in Los Angeles, and it's actually quite a beautiful city to live in as well.

The thing is that for Seattleites riding the bus is almost a source of pride. In contrast to Angelenos, who have a shocked and worried look when I tell them I ride the bus...

A twenty something once asked me,"Isn't it dangerous for women...especially good looking women?"
I thought, "Uh, I don't want to push you to more rhinoplasty, but..."
I said, "Yes, attractive women do ride the bus."
She looked doubtful.

Perhaps she is picturing the grungy looking women who reside in Seattle, with their NorthFace waterproof jackets and hiking shoes--women who get their exercise from walking the steep inclines of the city rather than the steep inclines of the latest thousand dollar elliptical trainers--micro greenhouse gas generators--in front of TVs showing Al Gore's post Oscar interview--these Angelenos thinking, "Damn, I wish he was president."

"Here we are now
Entertain us"
-Nirvana