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Urban Survival Tip #1

Best Way to Get to Santa Cruz The best thing about the Highway 17 Express is not the colorful drivers, some of whom seem only recently to have abandoned careers as carnies, or the relief of not doing battle with the phone-yapping, tailgating nitwits on 17. No, the best thing about the Express is the seats. They're cushioned, comfy and recline enough so that nosy passengers like us can peek through the crack at the guy in the row behind them. And once the turquoise coach hits the road, there's no stopping it. It's just the wind, highway and riders all the way until the ocean air. At $2.25 a trip, the 17 Express is not cheap, but then it's truly not much more than the cost of gas, not to mention wear and tear on the car and medication for one's fragile nerves. For regular commuters, the $65 monthly pass is a steal. Certain pro-environment companies (you're reading the product of one) will foot the bill for the bus pass if employees leave the polluting clunkers at home. 831/425-8600 or 408/321-2300 [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]