On the Bus

Very very silly front page article in the Seattle P-I today explaining how to ride the bus (actual quotes: "The bus is not going to be exactly like your car" and "The bus doesn't take credit cards"), followed by this even sillier (but at least self aware) response from the Stranger.

Clearly Seattle desperately lacks for public transportation, and I consider it a positive development that rising gas prices are finally forcing commuters to consider alternative means of getting around. But if King County Metro really wants to get folks on the bus, I suggest exposing them to the exquisite sketches of Gabi Campanario. Campanario is a graphic artist and illustrator from Spain who has been living in Seattle for a few years, working as a Seattle Times staff artist and keeping a blog of his professional and personal illustrations. As far as I'm concerned, the high point of his work is the hundreds of sketches of his daily bus trips that he makes in his Moleskine notebook. The sketches of people and scenery are all done rapidly, and feature little scraps of context and commentary - "one scary looking dude," "guy with long beard lights up," "Super long legs," "Oops! She got off!" - that feel and sound just like a bus ride. Honest and sometimes annoyed, but refreshingly non-judgmental. Maybe he's seen you!