San Diego GreenLife

by Erick Pettersen

Last month, on a random weekday afternoon, I rode the trolley around San Diego just to see what I could see. I got on at the Fashion Valley station and took my seat across from a random trolley rider. Looking out the window, scattered clouds reminded me of the blessings of living in San Diego.

Wishing I had brought my iPod, which has allowed me to escape into my thoughts on many trolley occasions, I glanced at the cover of the book the gentleman across from me held. Something about duct tape.

Moments later, perhaps after he recognized the expression of curiosity on my face, he told me about the book, that it teaches people how to make various crafts, such as jewelry, as well as home fix-it solutions, such as plugging leaks, with duct tape.

After he finished explaining the contents of the book to me, he told me he could make a bikini out of coat hangers. At the thought of his humorous joke, I chuckled, and the trolley pulled into the Old Town Station.

After we stepped off the car, we walked across the platform. He pulled out a small portfolio and showed me pictures of coat-hanger and copper-wire bikinis. He made them to enter into the San Diego County Fair, or to give as gifts.

Astonished at his unique talent, my investigative personality took over. I asked him more questions about his extraordinary pastime. I asked him for an interview, he declined, and I said I understood. When the trolley that would take us south arrived, I stepped on to one car and he raced off to another.

At the American Plaza station, near the corner of Broadway and Kettner, I got off the trolley bound for the Convention Center and waited for the Orange Line — the trolley goes out toward El Cajon.

Always trying to think of ways to maximize my time, when the trolley arrived, I boarded, sat in a seat with no one around, and began to write this column. Every once in a while, I looked out the window; though, since I had ridden the Orange Line before, I didn’t expect any new sights.

So I was surprised when the train arrived at the Lemon Grove Station, I noticed two older buildings behind a tree. One of the two, a light yellow building, with a high front wall, looked like a saloon from more than a century ago. I wondered if the sports bar that took over, some years ago, carried any of the same types of beers or served descendants of the original saloon’s clientele. Maybe it never took on the persona of a saloon. Maybe a movie director built a movie set to look like a saloon; though, no matter the history of the buildings, they come with a history.

For the next couple of stops, I wondered how far I would ride. The Orange Line and the Green Line connect at several places. I looked at my watch. Less than an hour before my scheduled rendezvous in Little Italy. Since I did not know how long it would take to get from the Grossmont Transit Station to Fashion Valley, where I had parked, I got off. The trolley pulled into the station, a banner hung on a brand new apartment complex that read Ecofriendlyapts.com, and I stood.

Unlike the subway systems of major cities that spider out, San Diego’s trolley system circles around the city; though the Blue Line does go down to the border. I find it humorous that both Boston’s subway’s Orange line and San Diego Trolley’s Orange Line stop at Massachusetts Ave, which Bostonians call Mass Ave. The SDSU station reminds me of the subways, because the trolley goes underground for a short distance; though, I wouldn’t trade miles of being able to enjoy the sun for miles of tunnels that leave riders to guess when they will see daylight again.

At many of the stops, along the Trolley routes, large shopping centers or malls, apartment complexes and housing community, and even Qualcomm stadium invite people to take part in many San Diego pleasures not always easily accessible by car. At some of the stops, such as the Fashion Valley Mall, large parking structures allow those who might live a ways away from the Trolley to avoid more traffic than they need to. For those who like to ride their bikes or just not like to depend on some of the stations offer bike lockers.

Now, as I close this column, which I wrote while riding above freeways, behind green apartment complexes, or alongside parks and golf courses, I sit in my car and wish I could take advantage of many San Diegans’ ability to enjoy the hidden side of San Diego. Today, I met a kind stranger and had a nice discussion, learned about a new book, got a couple of ideas for articles, discovered a couple of old-time saloons, and enjoyed San Diego’s weather. And I did it all for just $5.