lutfSrmctO/e*’ I‘M7 Franklin Blvd. F.ugcne ] 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 Opticolor Film 135/24* 100ASA -J99 LM