Several weeks ago, I ended up in an alley, chased by a dog.

It all started when I decided to address what I call my "Jeep problem."

In my foolish, pre-green days, I purchased a Jeep Liberty (used) which gets about 20 miles per gallon (compared to a Prius' 50 miles per gallon, for example). This means that I leave tons of greenhouse gas in my wake. I am really embarrassed to be driving around in an SUV while calling myself an environmentalist.

So, what to do? Do I trade it in and just pass on my gas guzzler to the next guy? Or do I drive it into the ground, so to speak, and then buy a greener ride? This is what some people call an "econundrum."

There could, however, be a way out of this dilemma. I could reduce my driving enough to make up for the extra carbon dioxide I generate. I already group my errands to drive less. Maybe I could do more, like take the bus. The Sun Metro buses run on natural gas, which emits only half the CO2 created by oil.

I know several people in El Paso who have committed to take the bus at least once a week. Radio personality and political blogger Jaime Abeytia is one of them. I asked him what his favorite thing about riding the bus was. "The weirdos," he said. "And being able to work on my laptop." I also asked fellow green blogger Karen Peissinger-Venhaus (http://advpei.blogspot.com) who takes the bus every day with her bike (buses have bike racks!) and she said, "I like that someone else is dealing with the crazy drivers for me."

So with these ringing endorsements, I took the Sun Metro bus for the first time. First disappointment: no weirdos. I don't know which route Jaime Abeytia takes, but there were only boring, regular people on my bus. To add to the lack of drama, the bus was on time, was not crowded, was clean and didn't break down. Planning my trip was really easy, thanks to the Sun Metro online planner where you put your departure point, your destination and the time you want to arrive, and voila! Your itinerary is all laid out. And the best part, it cost me only $3 for an all-day pass. According to a study by the American Public Transportation Association, the average American can save $9,242 a year by taking public transportation.

Now for the part where I get chased by a dog in an alley. While everything ran smoothly inside the bus, things outside quickly went to pieces. To get to my bus stop, I had to cross Mesa Street during morning rush hour in a spot without a crosswalk. I felt like the frog trying to cross the street in the video game Frogger. Then, when the bus arrived, I still had a way to go to get to my office. That's when I took an ill-advised shortcut through an alley and was chased by a dog.

That's not to say we shouldn't take public transportation. We should really do a lot more of it. The Census says that 79 percent of El Pasoans drive to work alone and only 11 percent carpool.

So if you decide to try the bus, here are some tips to making the experience more pleasant:


  • Plan your route.

  • Get to the bus stop early.

  • Have exact change.

  • Bring a book.

  • Wear comfortable shoes.

  • Stay away from alleys.