I still can't figure out Minneapolis. Last night's showing of JUNO at the Uptown Theater was packed. The ten o'clock show started thirty minutes late because people kept streaming in. Of course, there was only one cashier, which created a bit of a bottleneck. A busy movie theater on an otherwise quiet night is a peculiar feature of Minneapolis. It's dark out, cold, most businesses are closed up, the streets and sidewalks are empty. It seems like there is nothing going on anywhere. But then you walk into some random restaurant, movie house, or music club, to discover that it's hoppin'. The energy level is up. You could be in New York. Minneapolis is a generally barren city full of small, disparate, pockets of activity.

The New Green Buses

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, on my way out of town, I noticed one of Minneapolis's new electric hybrid buses. It was hard to miss. The largest bright green vehicle on the road. The side of the bus was adorned with the possibly redundant slogan: Go Greener. I was really excited, I said, "Wow, look at that bus. I can't wait to ride in one." But when I was in Madison, Wis. for the holiday I noticed hybrid buses going up and down State Street. And then I remembered that NYC had hybrid buses everywhere. This isn't actually cutting-edge technology. So, are these really the first hybrid buses in Minneapolis, or is this just a new publicity campaign?

Some basic rules to consider when using a Minneapolis bus.
1. It's impossible to run after a bus with grace and confidence. There will always be another bus. Running after a bus that has already shut its doors and begun to pull away from the curb will only erode your self-esteem.
2. Just because you enter the bus by the front door doesn't mean you have to leave by the front door. When I watch some one walk all the way from the back of the bus to the front of the bus to get off, I think, there has got to be some insane primal instinct kicking in. There should be signs on the bus that say: Leave Out The Back Door, Already.