Carpools
For rainy days and Mondays
that can always get you down
Sometimes cars are inevitable.
At least they sure look good as
you peer out the window on
wintry mornings and watch the
rain pour, knowing you’ve
somehow got to make it to school
in five minutes — dry.
In moments like this, the bike,
the skateboard, and the jogging
shoes somehow lose their appeal
and your alternative tran
sportation philosophy surrenders
once again to the auto.
For those who have a hard time
completely shucking the motor
vehicle in lieu of an alternative
mode of transportation, car
pooling may fit the bill.
And what’s more, University
car poolers, especially faculty
staff members, enjoy a few added
benefits in the way of parking.
Carpool parking permits
available through Campus
Security allow groups of three or
more University persons to
purchase one parking permit
good for one year for $18.
That’s half price off a regular
faculty-staff parking permit, and
the same price as a student
permit.
With at least three students
sharing the permit, the cost to
each individual in a carpool is $6.
Persons who wish to carpool to
campus must fill out application
forms with Campus Security. The
nicest thing about carpool
permits is their transferability.
Unlike regular parking permits
which must be attached semi
permanently, carpool permits are
mounted on cards or plates and
are transferable from car to car.
Reserved carpool parking
permits also are available for an
additional $18, totaling $36.
Regular reserved permits cost
faculty-staff members a
whopping $72 and students $54.
The carpooling idea, however,
hasn’t caught on around campus
too much. Linda Johnson,
University parking clerk, says
about 50 carpools are formed
each year, mostly by faculty-staff
members.
Other carpooling set-ups are
available for longer journeys. The
Ride Board, located outside Suite
1, EMU, enables drivers and
riders to pair up for common
destinations.
Users of the board fill out index
cards with information: whether
they are driving or whether they
want a ride. Then the cards are
posted for others to see.
Switchboard is another link for
riders and drivers. Persons
calling this hot line, 686-8453,
can get information on rides to
just about anywhere in the
country.
Switchboard operators are
much the same as the Ride Board
index cards, linking riders and
drivers for carpooling ventures,
GM gambles with downsized cars
DETROIT (AP) — General
Motors (GM) took one of the
industry's most expensive
gambles on record when it shrunk
its 1977 large cars and pushed
them at buyers conditioned to
believe “bigger is better.”
GM isn't saying how much the
downsizing cost. But it has said
capital expenditures for calendar
1977 will be about $3.5 billion.
Its redesigned large and luxury
cars for 1977 were about a foot
shorter and up to 1,000 pounds
lighter than they had been a year
earlier. The company has worked
a similar disappearing act on its
1978 intermediates.
Ford left its big cars big except
the Thunderbird, which it
downsized to an intermediate.
The full-sized GM and Ford cars
were similar in cost, but the
Fords vrere inches longer and
pounds heavier than the GM’s.
That set the stage for a dash
one magazine billed the “Battle of
the Titans.”
With the model year nearing its
end, both companies claim
victory.
Ford looks to the January-July
sales period for proof. During
that time, it gained 37 per cent in
big and intermediate car sales —
about 24 per oent alone in full
Extra preparation
may cut air fares
By JERI MACK
For the Emerald
Lags and 10-speeds are good
for daily and weekend jaunts,
but longer travels usually require
something more.
For those trips, plan ahead
and reserve space on the bus,
train or plane that you’re about to
board.
In addition to peace of mind,
planning ahead is the key to
lower fares. For travel within the
United States, Freedom Fares
can reduoe costs up to 25 per
oent.
To qualify for the fares,
reservations must be made and
tickets purchased at least 14
days in advance. In addition, the
trip must be at least seven days
but no more than 30 days in
length
For international travel, a good
value is the proposed "Super
Apex” fare, which if approved by
the Civil Aeronnautics Board, will
go into effect Nov. 1. Under the
Super Apex fare proposal, a
roundtrip ticket from Portland to
London would cost $404 plus $3
tax if reservations are made at
least 45 days in advance and the
trip is 14 to 45 days in length.
In comparison, a charter trip
without the Super Apex fares
from Vancouver, B.C., to London
costs $389 plus $3 tax for the
same amount of time. In other
words, Oregonians can’t beat the
price from Portland unless they
can get to Vancouver roundtrip
for less than $15.
There are also special weekend
fares for shorter, more spon
taneous ventures when tickets
are purchased at least two days in
advance. The weekend travelers
must leave on a Saturday and
return before midnight the next
day or on any Saturday within 30
days of departure.
Some special weekend rates
are available for only oertaln
cities.
For Bay area fans, San
Francisco is included and has a
weekend fare of $81 roundtrip
from Eugene, compared to the
regular rate of $126 roundtrip.
For help in figuring travel
plans, visit a travel agent. Travel
agencies do not charge service
fees because they are paid by the
airlines. In addition, the In
ternational Education Center,
Room 202, EMU, x3721, offers
travel scheduling services to
students.
• DAY PACKS •
canyon & camp trails
• JACKETS •
Peterstorm Bukflex
^ Foamback
jackets & anoraks
thru Oct. 28
lower level EMU
OREGON WILDERNESS SUPPLIES
sized Fords, Mercurys and
Lincolns.
It contends GM in that time
was up 12 per cent in full- and
mid-sized cars, with about 20 per
cent of the gain in large models.
GM doesn’t quibble with Ford’s
figures, but prefers to look at
those for the model-year-to-date.
That takes in last fall, when Ford
was hit by a month-long United
Auto Workers strike just as 1977
production was getting into gear.
GM’s strategy called for
downsizing its large cars in 1977,
intermediates this fall and
compacts sometime in the future.
Ford redesigned its compacts in
1975, intermediates last year and
will tackle the big cars in the next
few years.
Ford admits it will have to
downsize eventually because the
entire industry has to meet the
same federal fleet mileage
requirements.
This year, the average fuel
economy of all cars made by any
company has to be 18 rap.g.
Ford’s average dipped to 16.3
m.p.g. for 1977 because it sold
more larger cars than smaller
ones.
Although the trend of the
industry is toward smaller cars,
there are still buyers who insist
on the top of the size lineup.
“Some people have to have the
biggest thing on the block. I’m
sure some potential Cadillac
buyers went to Lincolns because
of that in 1977," the General
Motors source said.
“We're up against the same
thing this year,” he added. “Yes,
we’re worried. But we’re not as
worried as we were a year ago.”
although they offer a wider array
of contacts because they serve
the entire state.
Switchboard also is a
telephone coordinator for the
Grey Rabbit, a privately-owned,
collectively-run bus system
which travels cross country at
rates considerably lower than
Greyhound and Continental
Trail ways rates.
Grey Rabbit is a loose-knit
affair with nine buses traversing
the country. “Frank’s Bus" serves
Eugeneans, although according
to Switchboard director Larry
Wheeler, the bus is temporarily
out of service.
When Frank’s Bus does run,
however, it leaves at 8:15 p.m.
Friday from Growers Market, 454
Willamette St., and heads south
to Berkeley.
Another bus leaves Saturdays
from Berkeley and heads south to
Los Angeles and then east.
A Eugene-to-Berkeley trip on
Frank’s Bus costs $15 one way
and a Eugene-to-New York jaunt
is $75. Pets can ride for $5 and
children ages 3 to 12, half price.
(Babies ride free.)
Grey Rabbit operators prefer
passengers keep their luggage to
three pieces per person, although
they will move all of a person’s
belongings if the luggage is
properly boxed, according to
Switchboard.
In addition to low rates, Grey
Rabbit operates a fairly mellow
system. The buses, which are
normal commercial-size buses,
are complete with mattresses and
comfortable seats for a relaxing
ride.
Reservations for Grey Rabbit
travel are necessary and can be
made by calling Switchboard.
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