Living in a small town, I don't ride public transportation much. But riding The Bus on Oahu was a good experience. First, there are all kinds of people. Hawaii has people of every size shape and color. There are a couple of universities there, and tourist from all over. We met Australians, New Englanders, Brits, Californians, Texans, a guy with a British accent from South Carolina (He said he was a double southerner coming from SC and South London.)and just about everywhere else. Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Filipinos, Germans, French, Middle Easterners and Italians are everywhere. There must be some Mexicans there, too, because the food is great.

Next is the view of the island. We crossed the mountains from Honolulu to the wet side several times and saw mountains, cliffs, jungles, beaches rainbows, and reefs, all from a seat on The Bus.

And then there is the cost. Riding The Bus is cheap on Oahu. $1.50 will take you absolutely anywhere on the island. If you are a student or old enough for a Medicare card, the cost is 75 cents. The drivers are friendly and helpful and just about anybody you see will give you directions. The only problem is that sometimes you don't speak the same language.

Buses have bike racks on the front, so if you have a college ID, a bike, and a roll of quarters, you can explore on the cheap for days and days. Many roads are designated bike routes.

In the days of my youth, I lived in Nashville where there was a bus system very much like the one on Oahu. The price of a ride was a dime then but everything else worked about the same. If a bus wasn't going exactly where you wanted to go, you just asked for a transver which you used at various transfer points. It works the same way in Honolulu. Even the money machine at the front sounds the same. So does the little bell that rings when you pull the stop cord.

Or if money is not a problem, you can rent a car. But what's the fun in that?
Howard