Bus Seats: A Seattle and LA Comparison

It seems like no matter where I go, ExperienceLA haunts me helps me see the world through a special lens. This past weekend I roamed the area of Seattle, Washington which included experiencing King County public transit. So I could talk about the different things you get to see and the differing, but individually complex/rich histories of places outside of LA's spiffy, sunkissed bubble, but the purpose of this entry is to discuss something that turned my head around while on transit - the seats.

First off - aesthetics! At least on the King County buses I was privvy, the upholestry is this great map design of the area - and I couldn't help but think, that would be interesting to see in LA format. Can you imagine? The huddle of just the distinct cultural areas of Downtown alone, where Chinatown meets El Pueblo and is only steps away from Little Tokyo? Not that there's anything wrong with the artsy, historic seat designs now (inspired by the 1930s and 40s ticket designs) - just that I wonder if I'd feel more on the move if I had that sense of LA space.

Secondly, comfort! While I'm glad for the current chairs - it says a lot about a chair when you can sit comfortably for a 2-hour bus ride from Disneyland to Downtown LA (I've done the route twice - this carless girl had to make it to the an SC football game one time!) - I did like the comfy, cushy ones of Seattle. They reminded me of the kind you can have on the commuter bus.

So I guess the above is merely to say, that the seating was just...different and that's what makes traveling so much fun. Because it's the little nuances that make a place distinct - even seats on a traveling bus.

-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Web Coordinator