A dollar twenty five an hour to ride mass transit is a nice deal, but for the five dollar day pass I would have preferred the same destination at two fifty per. Laugh laugh, we can't often dictate outcomes. The Burbank Community Band was playing what was termed on open rehearsal at a Pasadena residence community in which a few members live. Hey, I was going to take the Orange Line to the Red Line to the Gold Line.

And cut off a Slauson? No, the Slauson crossing Blue Line didn't figure today. But I had bitten off enough.

When "Pasadena" is mentioned, one thinks of the Old Town area and also I think of a quaint neighborhood a few miles north where an aunt and cousin lived.

But what is the mind set when, on the map section furnished by the band, I see the 210 Freeway, Gold Line positioned in the center, and think I'm looking at where the Pasadena Freeway comes into town? The Gold Line basically follows the former route of the Super Chiefs and emphatically did not run with any freeway coming from the direction of Union Station.

My destination was well east of my not so well researched projection.

Bereft of the above clarification, I left Van Nuys about 8, arrived at the Golden end of the line close to 10, force marched, clarinet case and crammed traveling band in hand, through a neighborhood in which I expected to see Huell Howser expounding on a collector and/or abode of a forgotten but high lineage European immigrant, and got my instrument together to make the break strain of the opening number, "Semper Fidelis."

Going back was more sedate but indeed, it was another two hours. Time for better research!

Back in Blue Bossa, for a little shopping and home to dinner, I was stopped at an intersection and observed the current "Death from cigarette smoking is seldom quick and never painless" ad on the back of a city bus. As it moved out of the way here on the corner was a young lady, a live body---for now---waving an "All cartons: $24.95" sign.

That'll buy five more Metro day passes. Better to stay in transit.