Transfer to the Fruitcake

Today I was thinking that there must be some way to jazz up public transportation in a way never before realized. Some idea that could make a person's travels about the city a more enjoyable riding experience. Then it hit me.

Buses.

No... a bunch of buses didn't hit me. But an idea about buses did. Riding the bus is usually a boring ordeal, with all of them looking alike with similar numbers. That's no fun. But what if buses were decked out in different themes to make each trip unique? Like... have a bus done up in a Hawaiian theme, or a Christmas theme, or a Medieval theme. Wouldn't you be more happy about taking the bus somewhere if you knew when you got on, it would be like Christmas? Sure you would! Don't even argue about it.

And why stop there? The bus has a simple and common shape to work with, so why not make them look like other things? Like loaves of bread, Kleenex boxes, Lego blocks, submarines, toasters, milk cartons, you name it and they'll make it. Companies would jump at the chance for that type of advertising; why slap a poster on the side of a bus when you can turn the whole thing into a giant driving example of your product? It would be like a crazy parade going on all the time!

Also being confused about which bus to take would be a thing of the past. Every bus that runs a certain route would have a specific theme or shape. You'd have to be dumb as a brick to screw that up.

"Why the hell are you so late? You were supposed to be here half an hour ago!"

"Sorry, man. I took the Snickers bus and ended up on the wrong side of town."

"Well I told you to take the Duck Bus!"

"Which bus is that one?"

"The one that's shaped like a giant goddamn duck!"

You see? No more second guessing about whether you have to take #367 or #376. If you ride a fifties style diner to the mall...you're gonna remember.

This idea would make public transport easier and more fun to use, it would add color to cities around the world, and it would pay for itself with big brand names financing the whole transition. It's 2007, and I think we're ready for this kind of change. Plus, in a world where so many people dislike their jobs, it would be nice to look forward to the commute.