Top 5 Crazy Cool Bus Stops
Written by John Mackey
#1 – Home, Sweet Hammock
You can assume the hammock was not part of the original plan devised by the city of Vancouver, but was actually the brainchild of an industrious local citizen who just needed to lie down for a while. But maybe, just maybe, Vancouver government leaders are like, you know, dialed into the scene, man. Maybe in Vancouver, the Man can be cool, man. More likely, this star athlete is training for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics in a new sport called, “One-Man Bobsled to Nap Land” and he’s showing some gold medal form without moving a muscle.
#2 - Casar de Caceres Structural Awesomeness
You have to hand it to architect Justo García Rubío - he sure threw down a whopper in the small Spanish town of Casar de Caceres, Spain. The white molded concrete folds haphazardly in gentle rows like kneaded dough or a spiraling conch shell. If there’s a stiff breeze, I wonder if waiting bus patrons hear the ocean.
#3 - Yosemite Falls Bus Stop
Sometimes it’s not about the bus stop, but where the bus stops. This rustic stone and wood bus stop isn’t the main attraction when you’re waiting for the 3:12 YART (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System). The magic is being in the center of one of the most scenic spots on the planet. Standing near the base of seasonal Yosemite Falls, your view never falters as you gaze across the valley floor and the meandering Merced River, surrounded by the towering walls, dramatic spires of El Capitan, Sentinel Dome, Royal Arches and Glacier Peak. All fall into line and seem to acquiesce to the sheer polished cliffs of mighty Half-Dome…come to think of it, I think I’ll catch me a YART right now.
#4 – Gigantic Watermelon
For various and complicated reasons, I don’t think this bus stop would exist in the United States without a politically correct dust-up. But in Japan, as we can all see in their game shows on YouTube, anything goes. This watermelon bus stop in Ishaya, Japan doesn’t seem like a popular hang for the local juvenile delinquents, but can you blame them? I think most serious commuters would opt for a bus bench instead of waiting inside for Cinderella’s fairy Godmother to turn it into a chariot.
#5 - Guarana Antarctica Soccer Frenzy
Next year, the most popular sports tournament in the world returns to whip fans into a fury of nationalistic fervor. No, not the Olympics, we’re talking the glory, the guts and the “Goooooooals” of World Cup Soccer. That was obviously the not-so-subtle intent of these football goal posts placed around bus shelters in Sao Paulo, Brazil to promote the World Cup and some sort of carbonated Brazilian soft drink probably bottled by PepsiCo. World Cup is huge in Brazil. Next to Carnival, it’s the biggest event in the country, because, well, Brazilians are literally possessed with soccer. I imagine winning the World Cup just adds to the fiery fervor.
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