Theme 14. London Transport: Getting Around In The USA.

Buses in London are cheap, convenient, and give a frequent and comprehensive service throughout the Central area and the suburbs. Most bus stops show which bus numbers stop there, give details of where the buses go and may show a map of the other stops in the area. If you are not sure which bus to catch, other people in the queue will probably be able to help you.

At a “Compulsory Stop” all buses stop. At a “Request Stop” you stop the bus by raising your hand in good time.

On most London buses fares vary with the distance traveled. Unless you have a Go-As-You-Please ticket or Red Bus Rover you must pay separately for each journey; you cannot buy ordinary tickets in advance or in a “carnet”. If you do pay for each journey, please use coins and keep your ticket until you get off the bus. The bus conductor collects your fare on most buses, but on some you enter by the yellow front doors and pay the driver. If you’re not sure of the fare, say where you want to go and will be told the cost and, if you ask, where to get off. Children under 5 travel free and those under 16 generally pay reduced fares.

There are three ways to get from city to city without a car in the US. In some places, you can take Amtrak, the national passenger rail service. You can take a bus: Greyhound and Trailways are largest long distance coach companies, and both of them offer monthly passes. You can fly: there are dozens of airlines, both regional and national. Prices are not regulated, so airlines can make special offers that are sometimes cheaper than the train. There are also shuttle and commuter flights between some major cities that are close to each other.

Getting around a city on public transportation is generally not so easy as it is in most countries, but it is possible. Only a few cities have subways, but most of cities have some kind of city bus service. There are several ways to pay for bus transportation in the city. In some cities, you drop your money into the fare box. In others, you have to buy tickets before you get on the bus. In some you can buy a special pass to be used for the day, week or month. And in some you buy tokens, which look something like coins, and you use them to get on the bus or enter the subway.

Subways in cities are known by different names: Metro, subway, line, MTA, BART, and others.

The Amtrak timetable is small enough to carry in your purse or pocket and contains much more than arrival and departure times. Ask for one at travel agent’s or a train station – it’s free. You can change your Amtrak tickets to a credit card.

Shuttle flights leave New York from LaGuardia Airport, and Washington from National Airport. Shuttles to and from these and other cities depart once an hour from morning until 9:00 or so at night. You don`t need a reservation and you can buy a ticket on board. Prices are competitive with normal commercial fares.

If you can’t get where you want to by bus or subway, you can always take a cab. In many cities it is almost impossible to stop a cab on the street. It’s easier to call a taxi company listed in the Yellow pages and ask them to send a cab to your door. The meter will show the amount you have to pay. The driver will usually expect a tip of at least 10%/ In New York, cabs are everywhere on the streets and cabbies expect a tip of 15%.

Date: 2015-02-28; view: 1040