by Michel Kordas

Created on: July 07, 2007

Yes, you can ride y'all for free, on public transportation, as far as i am concerned.

I lived in Chattanooga, TN. It is a blessing to ride the elcctric buses for free all around downtown. Chattanooga is the city of progress- moving from an industrial base - to a touristic approach of letting people ride for nothing. All you have to do is ride a bicycle on the River Walk and you will understand. In return, people spend money on businesses, drinks, ice cream, food, entertainment,lodging and a little moonshine too. It is taxed so it comes back in another way. Now they have the River walk festivals with local bands and that too brings a lot of tourists saying "whoah" we can ride for free.

From the main terminal on Main street, you can hop around on Broad street, go to the library and check your email for free, enjoy the main attractions to the Aquarium, the walking bridge over the Tennessee river listening to a band of guitar players and taste some good burritos at Q doba. The electric buses are manufactured around Chattanooga. No noise, no pollution and moving at a rabbit's pace. You can even eat a free meal given to the poor on some evenings at the park on the corner of Martin Luther King and Main. This friendly approach is setting a precedent and Chattanooga, the rising hill in Cherokee should be named the friendliest city.

All the USA cities interested in expanding their businesses to attract dollars should be taking a trip to Chattanooga. Handicapped people, homeless, broke or wanting to enjoy a free ride, sing along with Johnny Cash..."when I got to Chattanooga, I was so drunk I kissed the exit pole..and took a free bus to enjoy some more whiskey." Only the cops were vigilant and hauled him away...

Not so some would say but we need a little imagination. You should have seen the smile I got from a colored lady fishing cat fishes in a big way. Too bad the electric bus does not yet cover the Chicamauga dam route. You would see a lot more fishermen. Free is not exactly free though. Everything has a cost and the nature of cost is to let everybody ride the bus gratis. Blessings from on high when people say "God bless you and welcome to Chattanooga" Enjoy our buses and tell your friends they don't have to walk around down town. The electric buses will pick you up and take you for a ride all the way to the base of Lookout Mountain. Up there, General Bragg could not have free buses to move his troops when in 1863 the Union soldiers closed on him after Wautahachie. From Sunset Rock, you can take binoculars and see how good it is to ride the electric bus. A long walk up these hills will help you see why it is better on four wheels than walking around y'all.

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