Jaguar Versus Greyhound

Today's New York Times has a piece about our new Plan B. Before the market crash, one's Plan B may be to retire early and to open a modest book store. After the crash, Plan B may be taking a minimum wage job working at the discount book section of Walmart.

The top of said article had a great juxtaposition of two famous logos-- Jaguar and Greyhound. Artist Ji Lee cleverly reversed the Jaguar and turned the Greyhound counterclockwise by a few degrees, and voila, you've got the picture above. It's absolutely brilliant.

Diversity of experiences, that is one of the key themes of this blog. I've written about my fascination with rare Jaguars and cheap long distance buses. We need to ask ourselves, is riding Greyhound always worse than driving a Jag? Just because something is more expensive, is it necessarily better?

Once, I drove a borrowed X-Type for a long, leisurely drive. Except for the seats, which had no side bolsters, the interior was exquisite for a compact sedan. But the driving dynamics, brakes, steering, and transmission were more Dearborn than Coventry. The all wheel drive set up did nothing but add weight to the car and increase fuel consumption. The car, if anything, took away from an otherwise beautiful experience.

My Greyhound trip a few years back was challenging but rewarding. I met people from all walks of life-- German tourists, disabled grandmothers visiting their new grandchildren, a scary guy who wore sunglasses all the time (I later learned, ashamedly, that he was blind), migrant workers, and a guy who sat upside down (feet on headrest, head near floor) and farted. Each bus stop was a glimpse into American and Canadian life-- the misery of skid row in Seattle and Portland, the vibrancy of Vancouver, the desolation of every little outpost from Weed to Whitehorse. And the scenery can't be beat. All that, for less than a nickle a mile.

If the new Plan B is Greyhound, it may not necessarily be a bad thing.

CKY