Double Deck-ed Out

What comes to mind when we think of buses: fetid bathrooms, those yellow things we once rode to school, The Graduate’s (awkwardly poignant) final scene, Rosa Parks, "Further" of Merry Prankster fame, kindergarten ditties about wheels going round and round? Topping the list, however, just might be Things to Avoid. Yet after a 21st-century makeover and a 1930’s economy, intercity bus travel is ready for its close-up.

In a sort of "if you provide it, they will come" business model, a new generation of carriers now offers wireless Internet, cushy seats, cup holders, and outlets galore to charge your laptop, handset or iPod. So what’s the best bang for your bus? Noreen Malone in Slate offers a winning first-hand taxonomy (“Fung Wah is the only bus service I've ever used that prominently advertises the fact that it's legally allowed on the road”). And over at the travel site Gadling, Jamie Rhein offers tips on how to publicly announce your high-maintenance, dorky side: Bring a neck pillow.

If it’s been forever since your last Greyhound jaunt, you’re in for a few double-takes. Riders now tote briefcases and paw away at netbooks. My advice: Load your MP3 player with a plenty of Word of Mouth episodes, get your neck pillow just right, and enjoy the ride.

(Photo by Brad Smith via Flickr/Creative Commons)