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I‘M7 Franklin Blvd.
F.ugcne
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485-8226
CALIFORNIA
MALE
Nigh* Stand
Not J^t A One ,
16TH
TICKETS
$15
On Sale
Now
Mgcrs
//IGH ro»6
rrrc buffet < I Inner
every ut^hl (or our
customer*
4|)in - Hpm
747-0307
535 Main St.
Springfield
Tha Graan Tortoiaa picka up aava rat waiting paatangart Sunday In front of PLC. Tha
portation" la availabla from this location aight timaa a walk.
■pfiSBbjTanwn'
"altarnativa Irani
Take ih the sights with a tortoise
□'.‘Alternative transportation" of
fers option of seeing more for less.
By Laura Ennis
f rrwatd Contributor
Painted in three shades of reptile green, the for
mer Seattle transit bus eases around (he comer
and strips right times a week liehlnd PLC on Kin
caid Strool.
Resembling more a dusty remnant of the 1‘HiOs
than the psychedelic magic bus it recollects, the
Croon Tortoise opens its doors to the young and
old.
R HI K )R I I {R *S NC >THB( X ) K
Some passengers urn middle-aged hippies with
barefoot kids Dili most urn In their 20s Some
people come to take advantage of the cheap fares
and carry on it (took to block out the swaying bus
and Its passengers.
The first time 1 rode the Tortoise. I felt a bit re
bellious for taking "alternative transportation "
And I enjoyed the curious, sometimes suspicious,
looks of the diners at the Albany truck stop,
where we stopped to fill up.
Hut to my surprise, the Tortoise is unusually
laid tan k and has less of the rowdy, eccentric bo
hnvior 1 prepared myself for
“No obnoxious behavior is allowed on the
bus," said brie derrick, general manager of Green
Tortoise World Headquarters in San Francisco.
"Whether it's induced by alcohol or upbringing."
Away from the bus, passengers tain do whatev
er they want, smoke or drink But onto on the
bus, they face a shortened trip — thoy'll bo
thrown off if they bother the other passengers.
Kiclers sprawl out on soft benches at RV-slyle
tables to sing, talk, play cards, and listen to mu
sic. (Green Tortoise Is the only bus lino in the
world that screens driver applicants for their mu
sic taste as well as their driving skills, according
to a New York Timm feature on the Tortoise.)
The cost is less ihun Greyhound (SI0 cheaper
to San Francisco), and tho ride is much different.
"Wo try to solve everything people hate about
the bus." Gerrick said.
This means, whether going up or down the
West ('oust or across the country, the Tortoise
stops during the day for passenger-cooked meals
(no greasy diners), hiking and camping excur
sions and swimming breaks (skinny dipping is al
lowed, if not expected). The idea is to sec the
sights during the day and sleep at night when tho
bus covers the most miles.
"It's like life," said passenger Gonzales of the
Bay Area. "The passengers lough and talk to each
othor.”
Tho Tortoise also travels around tho country
during the summer months — going to Baja, New
Orleans and tho Fast Coast. These five-to-H-day
excursions with their slumber party atmospheres
have also captured the interest of the white collar
world.
The WulI Slrti-t luurn.il, Tho Now York Times
and Now Yorker magazine have all featured the
Green Tortoise. But while tho articles praise the
"hair-raising trip,” as described by Tho Now York
Times travel writer, few readers will travel the
Tortoise.
"They like to read about us," said Gerrick.
"They gawk and think it's Interesting. But they
never ride."
Other unlikely passengers who show interest in
the Tortoise are retired people from Florida.
"They hear ubout our cheap fores,” said Ger
rick "And while they're welcome to come, I
don't think the Tortoise is what thoy'rc looking
for. So I tell them there's no bathroom and ask
them to bring their sleeping Iwgs. That usually
kills their Interest."
While not ulwuys ideal — it’s hard to gel a full
night's sleep on the road und one’s adaptability to
group living must l*> high — the Tortoise offers
an alternative, inex|>ensive vacation.
"It’s like a family vacation with easygoing par
ents," Gonzales said. “Wo can dance and sing and
they stop for you to go to the bathroom."
Reservations for the Green Tortoise can be
made by calling <137-3603.
Swan** Pttato fteakl
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