Achtung Diese Ist Der Bus

A couple of days ago I went to do some politicizing at a mid town library.

Taking the bus seemed to be the most reasonable way to get there, since it was an easy trip, and with my antiquity working for me, the fare is less than gasoline.  Besides, I am just curious about the public transit in Phoenix.  It has a bad reputation.  I like to check reputations for myself.  The reputation is not deserved, it was not as fast as driving myself, but it was much more interesting, and it was exactly as advertised.  And the scenery was GREAT.  This was shot from Tatum and Bell, The mountain in the background is more than fifty miles away.  It is one of several double named landmarks in Arizona.  This one is Pinnacle Peak.    Another is Picacho Peak a bilingual Peak Picacho. Or picacho picacho or Peak Peak.  I do get a chuckle out of my home state on occasion. 

Phoenix has a fare system that favors old folks like me, I can pre purchase a bus pass for one day of unlimited use for a dollar and a quarter.  Younger folk pay two fifty, for one day, and a premium if they use an express bus with limited stops.  I bought my day pass at a grocery store close to home.  

That same corner with the distant mountains has more than a Mickey D's, there is wide selection of fast food, and some medium food too.  Phoenix has some supurb restaurants, ranging from the Chuck Box for consistantly great hamburger sandwiches to The Compas room where you eat and revolve for a panoramic view of the valley.

The buses themselves are quite comfortable, I rode on one of the newest, and one of the older models, not much difference between them except the new one had a pretty serious rattle.  It also had sun screens on all the side windows,  That makes taking pictures nearly impossible. 

The screens put a pattern on the pictures.
Not being in the driver's seat makes the windshield a poor second choice.  That little mountain in the distance is near Camelback Mountain.  I tried to get a shot of it for this but construction has hidden it. 

First step on the errand was to walk a couple of blocks to the Bus Stop on Bell Road.  Right on time, the bus was there, and I rode to Tatum Boulevard, got off the Bell Road Ride and waited a few minutes for the Tatum bus.  Rode it to Thomas Road, and rather than waiting for the Thomas bus walked three blocks to the library.  Nice trip, and it took about 45 minutes,  the car would have done it in thirty.  Not a bad trade.  The travel time would have been more if the transfers had been long waits. 

There is one real advantage, the time to enjoy the sites of my hometown.