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The Constant Rider Omnibus: Stories from the Public Transportation Front
Collected in book form are Constant Rider zine issues 1–7 which detail author Kate Lopresti's personal history as a patron of public transport. Anecdotes and accounts, from humor to hard times, are included in this compendium, as are observations, advice, reviews, reading lists, tales of drunken passengers, celebrity sightings, and overheard dialogue—making for a rollicking read.
125 pages, Paperback
First published September 11, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 2, 2022
i found this self published volume to be charming and very enjoyable. the old school zine feels even included typos and rusty staples. felt extra good to see spokane mentioned.
Read
March 26, 2025Fine but didn’t feel like continuing. Put back in Little Free Library
July 27, 2024
A very surprisingly pleasant find from the elusive Zine section of Portland’s Central library. Not only a time capsule of a diary but an outside perspective on personal parts of my own life. Will be happily adding this to my shelf soon
January 4, 2017
I love collections of zines. This is the first seven issues of a zine about taking public transportation, mostly in Portland Oregon. The stories and information were well presented and they were a lot of fun. A nice look at a city and its people by the focus of those who ride the bus or the train. My only complaint is that the last issue included had a more snarky, unkind tone that was in contrast to what was presented before. Kind of took a little of the shine off.
March 23, 2008
I received this book to review for the Feminist Review blog (http://feministreview.blogspot.com). As soon as I have written that review, I will post it here.
Ok, here's the review that I wrote:
This second edition of The Constant Rider Omnibus collects issues 1-7 of Kate Lopresti’s zine of “stories from the public transportation front.” The first issue dates from September 2000 and chronicles the author’s holiday travels during a week riding Amtrak and VIA Rail (Canada’s rail system). The most recent issue included is from spring 2005 and covers tales of “celebrity sightings” associated with public transit. In between is everything from bus riding manners and romance (issue #6) to what people on the bus are reading (issue #4) to tales of passengers traveling in altered states (issue #2).
Lopresti lives in Portland, Oregon and uses both her bike and public transportation to get around town. She encounters a lot of intriguing folks while en route, and she describes them with a sharp wit that really makes them come alive. Because Lopresti is gifted at relaying details, in just a few words she can reveal the people she comes across as multifaceted and real.
At her best, Lopresti does an excellent job pacing her stories, revealing just enough to keep the reader wanting more. Many of her narratives end with a clever “pow,” some witty remark that completes the piece and leaves a feeling of satisfaction. However, as a high school English teacher might write at the top of Lopresti’s composition, sometimes her pieces come to an end, but not a conclusion. Those stories left me wanting more too, just not in a good way. But a few bland endings don’t keep the collection from being a fun read. Overall, I was quite entertained by this book. I think Lopresti is a talented writer, and I enjoyed watching her abilities improve from one issue to the next.
This anthology is really perfect for reading on the bus or train. It’s slender, only 125 pages, so it is easily slipped into a backpack, messenger bag, or tote. None of the pieces are more than a few pages long, so it’s easy to read snippets on short rides or during short waits. Some pieces are amusing enough to read over and over again, so with this book in your bag, you always have a handy distraction if your travel plans go awry or you need to ignore a fellow commuter who seems to be getting too friendly.
Since spring is here, I’ve been riding my bike to work instead of catching the bus, so I read this whole book in a couple of big chunks while sprawled out on my bed. However, I really do recommend savoring Kate Lopresti’s words in smaller portions while commuting, during those times you would rather not bond with the bus driver or the other passengers.
Ok, here's the review that I wrote:
This second edition of The Constant Rider Omnibus collects issues 1-7 of Kate Lopresti’s zine of “stories from the public transportation front.” The first issue dates from September 2000 and chronicles the author’s holiday travels during a week riding Amtrak and VIA Rail (Canada’s rail system). The most recent issue included is from spring 2005 and covers tales of “celebrity sightings” associated with public transit. In between is everything from bus riding manners and romance (issue #6) to what people on the bus are reading (issue #4) to tales of passengers traveling in altered states (issue #2).
Lopresti lives in Portland, Oregon and uses both her bike and public transportation to get around town. She encounters a lot of intriguing folks while en route, and she describes them with a sharp wit that really makes them come alive. Because Lopresti is gifted at relaying details, in just a few words she can reveal the people she comes across as multifaceted and real.
At her best, Lopresti does an excellent job pacing her stories, revealing just enough to keep the reader wanting more. Many of her narratives end with a clever “pow,” some witty remark that completes the piece and leaves a feeling of satisfaction. However, as a high school English teacher might write at the top of Lopresti’s composition, sometimes her pieces come to an end, but not a conclusion. Those stories left me wanting more too, just not in a good way. But a few bland endings don’t keep the collection from being a fun read. Overall, I was quite entertained by this book. I think Lopresti is a talented writer, and I enjoyed watching her abilities improve from one issue to the next.
This anthology is really perfect for reading on the bus or train. It’s slender, only 125 pages, so it is easily slipped into a backpack, messenger bag, or tote. None of the pieces are more than a few pages long, so it’s easy to read snippets on short rides or during short waits. Some pieces are amusing enough to read over and over again, so with this book in your bag, you always have a handy distraction if your travel plans go awry or you need to ignore a fellow commuter who seems to be getting too friendly.
Since spring is here, I’ve been riding my bike to work instead of catching the bus, so I read this whole book in a couple of big chunks while sprawled out on my bed. However, I really do recommend savoring Kate Lopresti’s words in smaller portions while commuting, during those times you would rather not bond with the bus driver or the other passengers.
April 22, 2008
I used to ride the bus everyday from the east side of Providence, R.I. down to Kingston, R.I. and back again.Cover_omnibus For anyone who has ever traveled that route or travels it now, it's easy to relate to the feeling of going absolutely stir crazy on the bus...a baby next to you has just barfed all over his mother, two guys a few seats back are screaming profanities at one another about something involving a candy bar, and the woman next to you may not have bathed in the last six weeks. Could it get any worse? You're trapped at a dead stop in I-95 traffic for two hours with this wonderful group of characters with nothing to occupy your mind but the pressing urge to scream.
Enter The Constant Rider Omnibus by Kate Lopresti, this zine is an entertaining read organized into bite sized pieces that can be had on short bus trips or longer more grueling journeys. This zine is filled with great slice of life stories that at times remind you of the charm of public transit and at other times makes you feel like you're not alone on those days when you want to just scream.
Read more at:
http://www.planetofthebooks.com/plane...
Enter The Constant Rider Omnibus by Kate Lopresti, this zine is an entertaining read organized into bite sized pieces that can be had on short bus trips or longer more grueling journeys. This zine is filled with great slice of life stories that at times remind you of the charm of public transit and at other times makes you feel like you're not alone on those days when you want to just scream.
Read more at:
http://www.planetofthebooks.com/plane...
April 17, 2012
The Constant Rider is probably my favorite zine. What fortune, then, to discover this omnibus shortly after I had read most of the issues! The book compiles the first seven issues of The Constant Rider and features author Kate Lopresti's treks on public transit—including both long-distance trips and her daily commute on Portland's TriMet system. Highly recommended for reading on the bus.
December 18, 2008
Stories about TriMet are great!
February 10, 2011
Triple Crown Maffucci found this book to be intriguing and recommends it to anyone.
Read
May 24, 2013Meh
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews