Greetings from the Motor City

Day 1 in the D:

Hotel lobby
Our hotel lobby
Detroit Historical Museum
Detroit Historical Museum
DHM 2
More from DHM
Winter blast skating rink
Cars on display in front of the Winter Blast skating rink
Ice sculpture
One of the many car-themed ice sculptures
Lots o' cars
Lots o’ parking

Now, even a bus chick can appreciate a sexy set of wheels, but dang. I am not surprised that cars are important here; it’s the reverence that’s throwing me. And trust me, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Speaking of ice…nope, not even going there.

Despite the cars and the cold, Detroit is great fun as always. The best part so far: the live music at the Blast. We haven’t ridden the bus yet on this trip (more about why later), but we will tomorrow for sure. We did ride the People Mover, which is like Seattle’s Monorail, except much cheaper and somewhat more useful.

And now, I’m off to rest. I will leave you with a tribute to one of my very favorite Detroiters, spotted this afternoon at the Detroit Historical Museum.

Original Bus Chick

Paying to play

Bus Nerd and I do our best to limit air travel–in part because of the ridiculous amount of fuel it uses. This sucks a little because we like to go places. And sometimes, we need to go places. Like this weekend, for example. We’re headed to Detroit to visit his family (missed them over the holidays) and (this was his idea) participate in Detroit’s Winter Blast. The tagline for this event: “A Detroit celebration!” Hey, when it’s 12 degrees outside, I’m in no mood to celebrate. I’d rather sit in my Gail’s kitchen, drink a cup of something hot, and play with Hope, her newly adopted bulldog/lab. But I digress.

I first heard about TerraPass back in September. In a nutshell, it’s a company that helps individuals offset their carbon emissions by assessing fees for environmentally damaging activities (such as driving or flying) and donating the money to various clean-energy projects. It’s a reasonable concept, but I’m afraid it gives the impression that people (specifically, people with money to spare) can continue unsustainable, earth-damaging habits and then “undo” the damage by writing a check. (The FAQ on TerraPass’s website addresses this somewhat.)

Of course, you don’t need TerraPass to donate to alternative energy projects, but they do make it more convenient. They partner with major corporations, so you can pay up at the time you make a carbon-unfriendly purchase, and they even calculate the “cost” of your activity. We paid our fees ($17 per person–cheap, considering) through Expedia. It still feels a little like so much guilt balm, but I’m glad they’re out there–if for no other reason than to remind people of the impact of their choices.

And you know I’ll be rockin’ one of these snazzy luggage tags they sent us:

Carbon-friendly luggage

Maybe we’ll get noticed on the 194.

And speaking of unique bus stops…

In the process of excavating my inbox (which I ignored for most of the month of January), I found a gem: a series of photographs of Soviet-era roadside bus stops–in Russia, I think–sent to me about three weeks ago by Sound Transit Andrew.

While many of us are aware of the elaborate splendor of the Moscow underground, it is easy to overlook the phenomenon of the common roadside bus stop as an example of soviet art and design letting loose and becoming a little weird and crazy.

They “let loose” alright. The stops are all pretty insane. They’re also really, really isolated. There’s a horse hanging out at one. Seriously.

I wonder what the maximum walking distance is for their trip planners.

Speaking of good news…

Yesterday, April from Northgate e-mailed to tell me about a new development at her stop at 15th & Northgate Way.

Over the weekend, someone placed what looks like a handmade wooden bench [there]. I take the 73 or 373 to the UW almost every day–but this morning was the first morning I could sit while I waited.

She also sent a picture of the bench:

A public service

I love it when people surprise me with evidence of creativity and kindness (and resourcefulness, and generosity…). Thanks, April! As one of my very wise readers, “Port Townsend Chris,” once said, “Bus people are awesome!”

Good news for bike nerds

Three-bike racks!

One of Metro's new bike racks

From a Metro press release:

Currently, all Metro buses are equipped with two-bike racks, but that isn’t enough on some routes where bicyclists must wait for an open rack on the next bus. The addition of a three-bike rack has been long awaited by bicyclists, especially those who want to travel across the State Route 520 Bridge where there are no bike lanes. That is why the first of these racks are being installed on buses assigned to routes that travel between Seattle and the Eastside. …

The purchase and installation of the [three-bike] racks is being funded through a $195,000 federal grant, which should cover the cost at the first two bases. More racks will be installed on the rest of the fleet as funding becomes available, plus any new bus purchased in the future will come with a three-bike rack already installed.

Metro has installed the racks on nine buses so far (Bus Nerd’s already seen one), and they’ll be adding about 25 a week for the next 10 weeks.

I’m (still) not much of a biker, but I know a useful improvement when I see one. This is goodness–except maybe for the drivers, who’ll have to maneuver already enormous buses with those big ol’ contraptions on the front. And of course, we still need to find a safe, warm environment for folks to learn how to use ’em…

Super Bowl Sunday (aka Original Bus Chick’s birfday) was a 1070

Last year, Bus Nerd and I spent Super Bowl Sunday in Detroit with our friends, Tosha and Keith. (The fact that they watched the game at Ford Field and we watched it at a bar across the street from the stadium is a minor detail.) This year, we spent the day at Tosha and Keith’s house in Kirkland.

It was worth the six-bus round trip (there: 4 + 255 + 254, back: 254 + 255 + 48)–even the transfer at Montlake on the way home–just to see Prince do his thing. (It doesn’t get better than “Purple Rain” in the rain.) The icing on the cake: victory for the Colts. Despite my mild distaste for Peyton Manning, and despite the fact that we were watching at the home of a Chicago native, I was pulling for Tony Dungy’s boys.

Then again, when your friends feed you fried fish, potato salad, chicken wings, and brownies with ice cream, does it really matter who wins the game?

The good book(s)

My new friend Jeffrey, aka “Bus Man,” the same man who is responsible for Busfather‘s brief but memorable visit to my house, recently gave me these:

A bus chick's page turner
My favorite is the one on the left. Betcha can’t guess why.

Transit operating handbooks, baby! Soon, I will know everything there is to know about Metro routes, rules, and regulations.

Jeffrey, you’ve created a monster.

Eastbound 4, 3:45 PM (or, “We do more before 9 AM…”)

Back of the bus: A group of teenage boys is antagonizing a fortysomething man dressed in work clothes and boots.

Boys’ ringleader: “Man, I make more in an hour than you probably make in a whole day.”

Fortysomething man: “I make 54 bucks an hour.”

BR: “Seriously? What do you do?”

FM: “Electrician. Journeyman.”

Random boy: “You work every day?”

FM: “Seven days a week.”

BR, calculating: “Dang–you’re pulling in some serious cheese.”

The bus reaches fortysomething man’s stop, and he gets off.

BR, to his friends: “I’d stop hustling for a job that paid like that.”