From Ft. Worth, Texas: "Religious ads banned from Fort Worth buses," by Gordon Dickson for the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

The end is near for religious advertisements on Fort Worth buses. (Read more here.)

From Champaign, Illinois: "CNN Illinois bus driver loses job for hitting snowman in road," by Jeanne Moos for CNN

It's one thing if a bus driver loses his job for hitting a pedestrian, but how about if the man he hits is made of snow?
A hit and run on a snowman has cost a bus driver in Illinois his job. (Read more here. With video.)

From northern Vermont: "My Spectacular Odd Job: A Special-Needs Bus Driver," by Jim DeFilippi

My favorite job

A spectacular job? If the glory of human endurance is a spectacle, then the most spectacular job I've ever had is my current employment. I am a special needs bus driver-for the wheel-chair bound, the elderly, the sick, and the dying. (Read the whole story here.)

From Los Angeles: "An odd twist in a tale of honesty" [a Top Ten Bus Stories nominee], by Steve Lopez for the Los Angeles Times

After a seriously ill Vietnam vet turns in nearly $1,000 he finds on an MTA bus, the transit agency at first says he can keep the money if it is not claimed. But later he's told that's against policy.

(Read more here.)

From Good Magazine: "Best Bus Route in America Contest: Winners Announced," by Kyla Fullenwider

As we head into the busiest travel day of the year, when more than 42 million of us will be traveling at least 50 miles by car, we're excited to announce the winners of our Best Bus Route in America contest. The winners are not from one of the East Coast cities you might expect but hail from the Midwest where, apparently, public transit is alive and well—or at least much beloved by its riders. (Read more here. Spoiler alert: Albuquerque is not a winner.)

From Chicago: Absolut Vodka Commissions Bus Shelters

Absolut Vodka has commissioned a set of bus shelters in Chicago, bringing to life the worlds that embody Absolut Lemon Drop, Absolut Twist and Absolut Bloody. (Read, and see, more here.)

From Boston: "Man vs. T: Race through Hub," by Richard Weir for the Boston Herald

I raced the T and . . . the T lost!

In a Man vs. MBTA test of commuter cunning and stamina, I climbed on my old-school mountain bike in Cleveland Circle yesterday morning. Herald staffer Ira Kantor climbed aboard on a trolley. It was a race to the Common, two wheels against 24. (Read more here.)

From San Francisco: "Giants parade lifts BART to ridership record" from SFBART's Blog

This story originally appeared on SFBART's Blog at this address: http://sfbart.posterous.com/giants-parade-lifts-bart-to-ridership-record. This website no longer exists. A copy of the original story appears below.


BART carried the most riders of any day in its 38-year history on Wednesday -- 522,200 -- many of them going to cheer the San Francisco Giants in a World Series victory parade. The highest previous single day of BART ridership was Oct. 29, 2009, during an emergency closure of the Bay Bridge, with 442,100 riders.

The World Series parade day easily smashed that record by nearly 20% and -- while there were some issues with long lines and crowd control to be expected when moving a half-million people -- the day on BART was a relatively smooth one. In fact, BART's preliminary customer on-time performance figures for the morning commute, when the largest crush of people were heading to the 11 a.m. parade, showed a customer on-time rate of better than 90 percent.

"We are truly thankful for all the Bay Area residents who chose to take public transportation to this historic event, and are humbled to have played a part in this celebration," said BART Chief Communications Officer Linton Johnson. BART had urged riders to get to stations early and buy roundtrip tickets in advance, or, better yet, get an electronic Clipper card (www.clippercard.com) so they could move quickly through faregates without having to wait in ticket-machine lines. BART planned ahead and put additional resources in place to handle the crowds, such as extending train lengths, beefing up security and adding station personnel. The extra revenue generated by the surge in ridership helps offset those expenses.

BART's highest daily ridership on a sustained basis, without special circumstances or events, occurred in September 2008 when BART averaged about 380,000 riders per day. Since that time, ridership dipped, largely attributed to the economic slump and high unemployment that followed.  But it has begun to rebound this year and is approaching around 350,000 riders per average weekday.
 
Before Wednesday, the previous Top 10 BART ridership days were:

1. Oct. 29, 2009; 442,100; Emergency Bay Bridge closure


2. Oct. 30, 2009; 437,700; Emergency Bay Bridge closure


3. Oct. 28, 2009; 437,200; Emergency Bay Bridge closure


4. Sept. 8, 2008; 405,400; Oakland Raiders, San Francisco Giants games


5. Sept. 4, 2009; 395,300; Scheduled Bay Bridge closure; A's game


6. June 19, 2008; 394,400; Spare The Air Day


7. Nov. 2, 2009; 393,200; Bay Bridge reopened at 9 a.m. after closure


8. April 9, 2008: 391,900; San Francisco Giants game; Olympic Torch run


9. sept. 25, 2008; 390,600; Oracle Open World; San Francisco Giants game


10. Aug. 31, 2007; 389,400; Oakland A's; Beyonce concert; Bay Bridge closure

From Good Magazine: "Project: What's the Best Bus Route in America?" by Kyla Fullenwider

Bicycles can be chic, subways artful, but buses? Buses are not exactly the golden child of transportation. They're more like the red-headed step child: Deep down you know they mean well but they're just a little harder to love. (Read more here.)

From Portland, Oregon: "What results when an upper arm collides with a No Parking/Bus Goes Here sign?" by Lynette via Portland Oregon Daily Photo

I took this photo on Thursday as I waited to catch the bus at that same intersection.

Yes, I am the woman who solidly collided with the edge of the then upright sign. (Read, and see, more here.)

From NYC: "Take Me Out" by Atomic Tom LIVE on NYC subway (video)

"Take Me Out" by Atomic Tom LIVE on NYC subway

From Washington, D.C.: "Melissa on Bus Drivers," by Melissa for the People's District

“Public transportation has been a big part of my life for 12 years now. Since college, I’ve always relied on public transportation. Now, I work in Silver Spring and live in Adams Morgan. So, not having a car, I’m relying on my feet and on public transportation to get around. One thing that I’ve really appreciated about D.C. is the incredible metro rail and bus system. I think they run efficiently, especially compared to Boston where I was living before D.C.” (Read more here.)

From NYC: "Living garden on bus rooftop to add some rolling green to city streets," by Darren Quick for Gizmag

Finding room for green spaces in more and more crowded cities isn’t easy but NYU graduate student Marco Castro Cosio has hit upon the idea of planting gardens on some previously wasted space found on city streets – the roofs of buses. With New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) running a fleet of around 4,500 buses, each with a surface area of 340 square feet (31.5 m2), Cosio says that if a garden was grown on the roof of every one, there would be an extra 35 acres of rolling green space in the city. (Read more here.)

From Prague, Czech Republic: Forget Halo. Now there's Bus Driver!

Bus Driver

From Santa Fe: "Santa Fe Trails: Bus opera breaks boundaries of stage performance," by Julie Ann Grimm for the Santa Fe New Mexican

 Madi Sato performs Sunday in the bus opera Crosstown #5 forpassengers on a Santa Fe Trails bus.  The opera,produced by the local artists collective Littleglobe, is scheduled for performances next fall on the city’s Route No. 5 bus.  Sunday’s rehearsal was the group’s first test-run on a moving vehicle. - Photo courtesy of Chris Jonas/Littleglobe 

This story originally appeared on SantaFeNewMexican.com at this address: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Moving-performance
This link no longer exists. A copy of the original story appears below.



Punctuated by the hiss of air brakes, a city bus jostles to a stop. The stage is set. The curtains are already open.

A woman stands halfway down the bus aisle, her hands grasping the neck of a cello — not your average Santa Fe Trails rider. A belt around her waist is secured to one of the vertical bus railings; as she gently plucks the strings of her instrument, with the bus swaying unsteadily, her pizzicato sound doesn't stop.

When a violinist gets on the bus, followed by singer Madi Sato, it's clear this won't be an average bus ride, either.

A local artists collective called Littleglobe is preparing a mobile "bus opera" performance, scheduled to premiere for the general public on Santa Fe Trails next fall.

This weekend, writers, composers, musicians and actors performed a short test-run of the bus opera called Crosstown #5 for friends and family. Sunday's ride was the first time the group rehearsed on an actual moving bus, although for months they have been working out the project in a stationary bus, explained Valerie Martinez, one of the production's artistic directors.

A story unfolds as the bus winds through Santa Fe neighborhoods, past the barely wet riverbed near the city's historic center, through the humble west side and across to the tony east side. As characters on the bus wailed plaintive songs or delivered thoughtful spoken word, costumed participants along the route offered silent contributions to the performance.

A brilliant feathered bluebird drew a crowd by dancing on a tree along East Alameda. Black-winged angels and men in historic costumes reached for the bus as it drove by.

"What an interesting way to pull the community into the project," said preview bus rider Erica Gionfriddo, who said at first she wasn't sure whether she was supposed to look out the bus windows at the characters on the street. "People behind the bus driving in their cars just see this giant bird costume ... and we are all drawing on our own experiences with these places in town as we go through them."

Martinez, who served as the city's poet laureate for two years beginning in 2008 and is a playwright and teacher, shares artistic direction of the project with Acushla Bastible; Chris Jonas and Molly Sturges collaborate as composers.

Their production — still being written and subjected to a community engagement process — won't ever be the same twice.

"Sometimes we stop at a light for a few minutes, and sometimes the light is green. It's different every single time we make the run," Martinez said.

Those challenges are part of what makes the work so animated, said Bastible, whose credits include pieces for the Santa Fe Opera and her own company, Angel Exit Theater.

"It's a moving set, and we are moving through the set," she said. "It's the most beautiful set you could have, but it's also the most unpredictable set you could have."

Although the preview was in a chartered bus marked "Special," next fall's performances will be very public, Martinez said.

"Next year we will be on the line. It will be on the Crosstown, No. 5. A person will get on and pay their fare, and the opera will just be there. We didn't want it to be a tourist/visitor bus. We wanted it to be for everyone," she said.

Martinez said officials might add an extra bus on the regular route or make other changes to accommodate passengers next fall.

"It's logistically very challenging, but we are committed to that," she told riders after the performance.

Creating a performance piece on the bus is a way to express "some of our sadness over the fact that Santa Fe has become segregated," Martinez said. "I envision the bus as a thread that kind of pulls us all together."

City Transit Director Jon Bulthuis said art on buses isn't a new concept; city buses have been vehicles for murals, photography and printed poetry, and "Art in Public Places" money has been used to improve bus stops at several locations around the city. Live performance, however, isn't common.

"It's interesting and unique, and it's something that hasn't been done here. It's really in very few places that anyone has attempted to do something like this," he said. "There will be activities taking place on the bus, but people will be able to use the buses as they always have. ... This is kind of a bonus for the community and for people who do use the bus, and hopefully it isn't something that gets in the way of them using the bus for transportation."

Although he expected some resistance from drivers who might object to the project, Bulthuis said his meetings with Littleglobe and bus staff have gotten positive results.

"For the most part, people are supportive," he said.

Littleglobe is a nonprofit that supports artists through collaborative contracts. Funding for Crosstown is from Santa Fe Opera, New Mexico Arts, Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau, Black Rock Arts and other sponsors. To learn more, visit www.littleglobe.org.

From Kolkata, India: "Youth arrested for clicking woman's photo in Metro" (Hindustan Times)

A youth was arrested for clicking a photograph of a woman inside the Netaj Bhavan station of the Kolkata Metro Railway here Saturday, an official said.

A Metro Railway spokesman said the youth, Ganesh Rao boarded the train from Park Street and started clicking photographs of the woman with his mobile phone. (Read more here.)

From San Francisco: "The 38-Geary Fairy Princess," by David via Muni Diaries

She and her Mom had been getting on the 38 at Ft Myley/VA Hospital for three or four days. She had been visiting her grandfather. She was probably 4 or 5 years old. Dressed in her best fairy princess outfit with the wings and the tiara. She carried her wand with the star on top.

(Read the whole story here.)

From Moscow: "Moscow's latest lethal craze involves 'surfing' on trains," by Vladimir Kozlov for the Moscow News

Muscovites may have been stunned this summer to see desperate commuters climbing on top of jam-packed trains to escape the crush. But the scandal just drew attention to an even crazier phenomenon: young daredevils “surfing” on top of trains for kicks. (Read more here.)

From Colorado Springs: "Bus benches claim to reveal return of Christ," by Jeanette Hynes for KOAA5

While waiting for your next bus, you may have an urge to prepare yourself to wait for Jesus. Bus benches around Colorado Springs say: "Save the Date: Return of Christ, May 21, 2011." (Read more here.)

From Shenzhen, China: Proposal for a giant "straddling" bus [English computer voice over]

From Melbourne, Australia: "Commuters defend against the attack of the space invaders," by Deborah Gough for The Age

Being squashed up against strangers on public transport is one of the most uncomfortable everyday activities we have to endure, beaten only by sitting in a dentist's waiting room and standing in a crowded lift. (Read more here.)

From Washington, D.C.: "Metro passengers taken for a ride by impostor bus driver," by Rick Rojas for the Washington Post

Metro customers boarded a bus Friday afternoon as normal: paying their fares, swiping their SmarTrip cards and plopping down in their seats.

They were unaware, however, that the driver was an impostor. (Read more here.)

From Buffalo: "Bus driver saves 10 from blazing home, finishes route" (Associated Press)

A transit bus driver is being credited for saving 10 people asleep inside a burning home by pounding on the door. After his heroics, Richard Lucas got back behind the wheel and finished his route. (Read more here.)

From Chideock in Dorset, England: "Frail pensioner forced to take 14-mile bus ride when she wants to cross the road... because village has no pedestrian crossing" (The Daily Mail)

A frail pensioner who lives in a village with no pedestrian crossing has to take a 14-mile bus journey just to cross the road.

Partially blind Nancy Underwood, 89, walks with a Zimmer frame and is unable to cross the busy road outside her home because of the constant traffic. (Read more here.)

From NYC: "8 Million Stories: The Felons on the Bus Go Blah Blah Blah," By Sarah Khan (New York Press)

I knew he was sketchy as soon I saw him clambering up the steps of the bus.



Slightly hunched over, the man slithered his way down the aisle, shifty eyes darting from seat to seat, pausing momentarily at my row to stare at the open spot across the way. Then, without even glancing in my direction, he slid in next to me instead.

(Read more here.)

From Midvale, Utah: "Buying Friendship: A Bus Story," by Emily

Yesterday I met a really interesting guy at the bus stop. He came up to me while I was waiting for the bus that takes people from the Sandy TRAX stop to Provo. And he wanted to know if I had 50 cents, for his bus fare. "Probably not." I told him. "I don't usually carry much change. I'll check though."

As it turned out, I did have fifty cents, which I gave him. He sat next to me to wait for the bus. (Read more here.)

From Shangsha, China: "Water Slows Down Chinese Bus Drivers" (Weird Asia News)

The Longxiang Bus Company in Changsha, Hunan province has launched a new and very clever safe driving campaign. A balancing act in its own special way, the company driver now has a new passenger; a large bowl of water placed next to him. The goal is to not spill any, which can only occur with careful, purposeful driving. (Read more here.)

From Copenhagen: "Copenhagen buses play Cupid with 'love seats' " (Agence France-Presse)

"Even love at first sight is possible on the bus," said a spokesman for the British owned Arriva company to explain the two seats on each bus that are covered in red cloth and a "love seat" sign. (Read more here.)

From NYC: "Line Up to be Next Subway Idol," by Andrew Grossman for the Wall Street Journal

It was the annual daylong audition for new performers in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Music Under New York program. More than 60 musicians tried out for the chance to sing, play or shout—legally—in the city's most sought-after locations underground. That field was narrowed from about 300 who applied for audition spots. By the end, about 20 or 25 make the cut—an acceptance rate that puts the program on par with some of the nation's most selective universities. Results are expected within two weeks. (Read the whole story here.)

From Toronto: "When animals ride public transit," by Sarah Barmak for thestar.com

The grey pigeon stays close to the centre pole, like any other subway traveler. The train reaches Runnymede station, and on cue, she struts toward the doors, stepping through just before they close.

The video of the subway-riding pigeon, taken in February by Elaine Georgolios, has recently become more than a YouTube sensation. Sent to Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology, it has been shared and discussed by pigeon researchers.

(Read, and see, more here.)

From Ocean City, Maryland: "OC Rejects Bus Tattoo Ad," by Shawn J. Soper for The Dispatch

Tattoos have become more mainstream then ever in recent years and are showing up more and more in unexpected places, but residents and visitors should not expect to see an advertisement for a local tattoo parlor on a bus any time soon. (Read more here.)

From Minneapolis: "Walk on, Walk off," by Dave, posted on Bus Tales.com

I was on a 17, dt and 9th a young 20 something girl gets on and walks past the fare and asks if anyone has $.50 and one of the other passengers digs in his pocket grabs couple quarters... (Read more here.)

From Santa Fe: "Santa Fe train user gets free yearly pass," by Phaedra Haywood for the Santa Fe New Mexican

This story originally appeared on the website for the Santa De New Mexican at this address: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Santa-Fe-train-user-gets-free-yearly-pass. This link no longer works. A copy of the original story appears below.


Maggie Ryan of Santa Fe will be riding the Rail Runner for free for the next year. The University of New Mexico graduate student was awarded a free annual pass and other goodies Monday while en route to Albuquerque, when she was recognized as the commuter trains' 3-millionth rider. 

"It's so funny, and it's so great," said Ryan, who added that all of her friends have said if anyone deserved to win something train-related it is she, because she is such a "cheerleader" for the train link between Santa Fe and metropolitan Albuquerque. 

Ironically, Ryan said, she used to work in special events for a commuter train in Vermont, where her job duties might have included awarding prizes like the those she received Monday.



The 30-year-old said she's been taking the train to Albuquerque two to four times per week since Rail Runner service was extended to Santa Fe in late 2008.



"I sold my car in November," Ryan said. "I really didn't need it anymore. I was taking the train, which saved me tons of time and money. Now instead of having a commute, eating up hours of my day, I get three hours of solitary, uninterrupted, productive time. I don't stress out. I get to school feeling good and I get home feeling good."



The landscape architecture student said she uses her time on the train to read, write and work up designs on her laptop.



The trains, which run as far south as Belen and as far north as downtown Santa Fe, transport about 4,500 passengers a day, according to train officials.



The annual pass Ryan won Monday is worth $1,000.



As much as she loves the Rail Runner, Ryan does have one suggestion for train management.



"I think they should have concessions or something," Ryan said. "It would be nice to be able to get like a soda, or to have a Friday night Happy Hour train home."

Frm Aviemore, Scotland: "Coldest bus stop in UK given giant wooly hat" (newslite)

Britain's coldest bus stop has been found… and promptly given a massive woolly hat to help keep commuters warm. (Read more here.)

From Bellevue, Washington: "A Bus Meditation," by Claire Petersky

One day, I got on a crowded bus and took the one seat that was available in the front. It was only after sitting down that I saw the reason the seat was empty: two guys, both with some sort of mental problems (neurological, developmental, or psychiatric, I don't know), who were sitting up there talking to each other across the aisle in a loud and disturbing way.

Once I noticed them, it was too late to get up and hunt for another seat in the back of the bus without it's being really obvious why I was moving. So I figured, Here I am, make the best of it. (Read more here.)

From London: "Subway Seats On Your Feet," by Amy Alter for Treehugger

Now you can put the seats on your feet---the distinctive fabric from the seats of the London Underground (aka the Tube) have been made into shoes. The fabric was originally designed as part of the original over-all concept, including the iconic map of the tube system. Each line had its own pattern associated with it. Fabrics from each line have been hand selected and restored to their former, sometimes faded, glory. (Read, and see, more here.)

From Colorado Springs: "Ad Rejected Over Puppet Cleavage," by Deb Stanley for ABC News 7

A Colorado Springs billboard company has rejected an ad for a touring show because it shows a puppet's cleavage.

(Read -- and see -- more here.)

From Tacoma, Washington: "when Love speaks," by Angie

This story originally appeared on the blog Angie's Posterous at this address: http://kimangie.posterous.com/?tag=busstories. This website no longer exists. A copy of the original story appears below.


after work last night, i hopped on the 5:31 bus for Route 1 headed out to Spanaway. i slipped into a seat near the window, turned my phone volume back on, and sat contemplating whether or not i should sleep for the 50 minute long ride or read a book. as i was sitting there, i couldn't help but overhear a man talking loudly on his cell phone, across the aisle and two seats back.

he was talking to someone on the other line about how he had just gotten his test results back, and he was 98% cancer free, with just one chemo treatment to go. he went on to talk about his doctor was worried about how his potassium level was low though, being 3.1, while the average level was 3.6. then he went on to talk about how he was headed to Walmart to get a pair of headphones, just a cheap pair.

i know! its rude to eavesdrop on other people's conversations. he DID have a loud voice, and the bus was pretty empty. but i kept listening (and remembered all these details) because there was a louder voice inside of me... "angie... tell that man that I love him. and i want to heal him completely of his cancer.."

"um, God?"

i literally sat frozen in my seat, staring straight ahead, my hands gripping my bag and my right ear straining to hear more of the man's conversation, this time with his mom on the other line. as his smooth, Southern drawl continued to share the good news of his nearing victory with his cancer battle, my head was spinning as i conversed with God.

  "okay, God. i'm willing to do it. but HOW? when? WHAT TO SAY? should i just go sit in the empty seat in front of him and say.. hi im angie. im a Christian... no... God wanted me to tell you he loves you.. uh... i know its rude to eavesdrop but.."

"just tell him that I love him.. that I want to completely heal him to show him My love. don't worry, I will give you the words to say."

"alright.. but when? like now?! or maybe when we get to the transit center. he's going all the way to Walmart, so i have time... but if i wait too long, i might chicken out. oh wait. Kmart is the stop where i get off at. i can just stop him then and.. maybe i can pray for his healing from here..should i even do this?!"

"yes. he needs to hear from Me. it won't be you saying it, but Me."

"...and my faith without deeds is dead. i've let chances like this go too many times...i cant let this one go."

suddenly, the bus flooded with people and out of the corner of my eye, i saw the man getting off. WAIT. it was only 40th street.. i thought he was going on Walmart on 208th! i panicked for a second before i pulled the cord to get off at the next stop.

the bus stopped about 3 blocks away and i quickly got off. there weren't any streetlights, so i quickly walked in the direction of the last bus stop. i could spot the dark figure of the man walking towards me on the sidewalk. i kept walking, "God give me boldness. give me boldness."

when i finally reached him, i stopped him. "excuse me, sir. um, sorry to bother you.. but i was on the bus and i overheard you talking about how you were battling cancer."

"um yea, i am. how can i help you, miss?"

"well... hi im angie btw.." (nervous giggle)

"hi angie. my name's dennis." (handshake)

"nice to meet you, dennis. actually, im a Christian. and i (stutter stutter) when i heard you talking about cancer, i heard God telling me to tell you that He loves you. and wants to completely heal you."

"oh.. SWEET! thats so cool."

  "YEA.. so i just wanted to tell you that.. and um. could i pray for you?"

  "sure, that would be nice!"

so i did. in that dark corner of 40-something street and Pacific Ave, Love spoke. Love declared cancer to go away. for potassium to get back on track. for his family's health. and Love spoke for good things in 2010 :)

then i walked on, and he walked on.

i don't know if dennis was actually going to get headphones. and had i decided to sleep (which is 99% of the time that im on the bus), i don't know if i would have been given the opportunity to share that moment with dennis. loving God and loving people is such an honor.

"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you... whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." (John 14:15-17, 21)

From Seattle: "The angel who almost was ... a bus story of unrequited love," by Kery Murakami for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

One morning last fall, Jeff Wandasiewicz saw an angel waiting for the No. 54 bus. (Read more here.)

From Johnstown, Pennsylvania: "Irate woman hit bus driver with snowball" (The Tribune-Democrat)

A Johnstown woman who was not permitted to ride a CamTran bus because her pass had expired was charged with disorderly conduct after she allegedly hit the driver in the head with a snowball. (Read more here.)

From the U.S.A.: "U.S. bans truckers, bus drivers from texting while driving," by Ashley Halsey III for the Washington Post

On Tuesday, the federal government formally barred truckers and bus drivers from sending text messages while behind the wheel, putting its imprimatur on a prohibition embraced by many large trucking and transportation companies. (Read more here.)

From Plymouth, England: "Bus-riding cat killed in hit-and-run" (UPI)

A cat famous for riding the same British bus daily for four years was killed crossing the road trying to catch its usual bus, authorities said. (Read more here.)

From Orenburg, Russia: "Schoolgirl's amazing snow escape after being hit by bus - video" (Mirror.co.uk)

An incredibly lucky schoolgirl has become an internet sensation in Russia after a video showing her surviving being hit by a bus emerged online. (See more here.)

From Portland, Oregon: "The Trimet barber," by Joseph Rose for The Oregonian

Some TriMet bus riders listen to their iPods. Others read the newspaper.



Jared Weston Walter, meanwhile, passed time on the No. 33 line last week by sneakily cutting another passenger's hair with scissors, police say. (Read more here.)

From Hamilton, New Zealand: "Man makes bank robbery getaways by bus." (New Zealand 3 News)

A man who carried out a series of bank robberies in Hamilton and Auckland often made his getaway by bus, Hamilton District Court was told. (Read more here.)