Wheels of the bus go round n round

Some passengers were not required to pay, and the new general manager, Amy Foerster, had initiated a systemwide audit, including fare boxes. She said the fare problem was sweeping, but she didnt know how much money had been lost over the years.

She discovered the problem because she got on the buses herself, rode the routes and witnessed what was happening.

This is good, hands-on management, or, maybe more accurately, management by the seat of her pants, on the seat of the bus.

And now, since her cover is blown, she has hired some informers to ride the buses on her behalf, to be her eyes and ears and to help her detect abuses in the system.

Thats a job Id like to have: Professional bus rider and snitch. Of course, I like riding buses though I havent in several years and have generally had good experiences. The spy part would be a bonus.

A lot of people dont have a fondness for buses, maybe because they rode them to school daily. But for me, bus trips were the exception, not the rule, and my memories were good ones.

Growing up, in grade school, in rural Kansas, we rode a bus to take Red Cross swimming lessons in a nearby town. With nothing more than towels and bathing suits, wed sing ‘100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall regressively and tunelessly until the trip was over or there were no more beer bottles left to sing about.

Swimming lessons are still a rite of summer, but the bus trips of yore seem to have passed.

For farm kids, the academic year almost always meant long bus trips to and from school, but I never had the pleasure, instead walking the six blocks to school, often when the temperature was below freezing. Talk about child abuse!

But there were always the year-end field trips and other activities that required us to board the yellow bus. On those occasions, busing was always a social affair where who sat with who was a hot topic, as were the card games.

Then there were the long bus trips to and from football and basketball games during high school. The rides out-of-town were full of anticipation, the ride back depended on the outcome. Either short and full of energy, or long and depressing.

None of those trips required anybody to pay a fare or keep track of money. They did require an understanding of the cooling system a row of windows on either side of the bus with cantankerous latches that had to be adjusted to everyones satisfaction, which of course was impossible.

I once rode a bus to Orlando with my wife and our first two children. I thought it would be an adventure. She thought it was a stupid idea, but agreed to do it if I bought a portable TV set to help kill the miles and rented a luxury car when we got there.

We carted the kids, a car seat, suitcases, diaper bag and the TV there and back again on a Greyhound. I felt like a pack mule most of the trip. We actually were able to get TV reception for one 20-minute stretch along the Gulf Coast. In short, the TV was dead weight.

Other than having to lug everything in and out of the bus at every station, and having it break down in the middle of the night, it was a great trip, and one we still talk about. As for the Caddy we rented, the kids threw up in the back seat. That may say it all.

My experience on city bus lines is more limited. In junior high, I got my pocket picked in Washington, D.C., and had to bum bus fare to get back to Falls Church, a suburb. Were talking about less than a buck here, but it was embarrassing. Other than that, for a new teen tourist, riding back and forth into the city on my own was one of my first tastes of freedom and trust.

When I travel, I sometimes hop the local bus just to look around. Its cheap and relaxing.

The only complaint I can think of is the heavy diesel smell that usually hangs around this mode of transportation. You get used to it, but sometimes when a lot of buses are congregating at a station, the fumes are enough to make your head swim.

Recently, Ive thought about trying our bus line. There is a bus stop about a block from my house. I keep thinking about riding it every time gas prices start going up.

But then Ive got to figure out the schedule, and plan my comings and goings around their schedule, not mine. And I cant go home for lunch. So thus far I have only thought about doing this.

Like most things, I figure the reality probably isnt as fun or exciting as it sounds, that the more you ride the route the less romantic it becomes.

Ive also thought that buying a bicycle and riding it to work would accomplish the same thing, but have about convinced myself that summer isnt the time to be pedaling back and forth to work.

Being a bus rider or bus spy sounds better, and I wouldnt have to sweat nearly as much.