#38. On the Bus
Yesterday, I took the bus somewhere new, when I went downtown for an Uncommon Path interview and a visit to the Central Library. The weather was beautiful and the bus ride… long. It was about an hour and a half each way on the #4.
Some things I learned:
- There are TVs in some of the buses. There’s no audio, but they show information about the bus line, weather forecasts, horoscopes, and brief headlines.
- The buses have scrolling signs announcing each stop, along with a clearly audible PA system (Take note, NY subway!). This is soooo much better for newcomers than the “guess where I’ll stop next” system on the Big Blue Bus.
- The #4 leaving from downtown is supposed to arrive about every 15 minutes, but I waited about 1/2 hour. Good thing I didn’t have any plans!
- The area around Broadway and 5th is filled with people who are high, trying to get high, or coming down from a high… until the cops show up. Then there’s nobody in sight.
In related LA news, the Expo line was just approved. Metro for everyone!
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Actually, a lot of the blue busses have announcement systems and the newer ones have the scrolling light announcements too. And bus drivers on busses that don’t have them are supposed to yell out the stops, though I can see how that would get old really fast.
Next time, take the 720! Pick it up on Wilshire. It’s the express bus. It only stops once every mile or so (which means you may have to walk a while to get to the nearest stop, but you’ll probably still save a ton of time overall). The 720 can be painfully crowded though, so you have to decide whether time or comfort are more important to you.
Busses are so darn reliable in Spain. Even at 4am. I miss that.
By Amy on 03.10.06 10:08 am
Amy, good to know. It’s interesting how every bus is different, even on the same line. I guess I should have looked into the express routes. I didn’t want to walk much, and mta.net recommended the 4. Darn them!
By Melanie on 03.10.06 2:08 pm
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