Hey Cherie!

I just had the worst experience of my life. I took the public bus. I live in a big city, but I have never taken the bus to get from one place to another. I should say that I am 16. While you may think that's old to never have been on the bus, where I live everyone either drives or gets rides with their parents because it's safer.

Here are all the things that went wrong. I borrowed my friend's bus pass so I could board the bus; I didn't have any money on me. But after that, it was a disaster. First, I got off the bus at a stop that I thought was close to my house, but turned out to be really far away, since I never had walked it.

Then I went on another bus, except it zoomed right past my stop and a bunch of other stops. I didn't know that you need to pull on a certain cord to give the driver the signal to pull over when you want to get off. So I ended up like two miles past my house. I couldn't call home because my cell phone was out of juice and I didn't have any money for the pay phone. I had to walk two miles home. Fortunately, my parents didn't kill me because I was two hours late. I did learn some lessons, though, about being prepared.

— Sore Feet

Hey, Sore!

Let me guess the lessons you learned: 1) How to use the cord on the bus to signal a stop. Sore, there are some buses that have a strip on the wall that you press; watch the other passengers and follow. 2) That it's fine to ask to borrow someone's cell phone to call home. Better yet, ask the person — preferably an adult — if they would make the call for you, and then put you on. That way, your parents will worry less. 3) Plug your phone in every night as a habit so it's never out of juice. 4) Carry an emergency buck of change in your backpack for the pay phone. 5) Learn about collect calls. This is something remaining from the Dark Ages, where you dial "O" for the operator and request to make a collect call. The operator places the call, asking if your parents will accept the charges and pay for the call. Dad says yes, you talk, and the cost of the call winds up on Dad's phone bill.

Why don't they teach these lessons in school? Say in sixth grade? And call it Life 101? Makes sense to me.

Hey, Cherie!

Which would you rather be: very good-looking or very smart? My friends and I were debating this yesterday, and both the guys and the girls voted for very good-looking. Being very smart doesn't make you happy.

— Rather be Cute

Hey, Rather!

Umm, I hate to break it to you, but being very hot doesn't make you happy either. Neither does being very talented, rich or smart. In some future column, we'll talk about happiness and what it relates to. Readers, what do you think?

Cherie Bennett is a best-selling author of books for teens and young adults. Visit her website at www.cheriebennett.com. To find out more about Cherie Bennett and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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