Google's Buses

I read this article in The New York Times by Miguel Helft entitled "Google's Buses Help Its Workers Beat the Rush" about how Google provides free bus service for its employees. Gee, it sounded so wonderful, but I found myself wondering why they were making such a big deal about it, compared to bus passes that other companies provide. In fact, my employer, The Evil Empire, provides a bus pass that lets me ride the local bus service in the Seattle, Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah area for free, including the express bus to the airport. Anyway, I get to the end of the article and finally read the revelation, that Google is not #1 as the most commuter-friendly employer:

For all their popularity, the shuttles have yet to earn Google the title of most commuter-friendly employer. The top spot in the Environmental Protection Agency's Best Workplaces for Commuters went to Intel, which allows telecommuting, offers transit subsidies to employees and helps pay for shuttles that bring workers from transit stops, among other benefits. Google tied Oracle for third; Microsoft came in second.

Intel is #1, my employer is #2, and then comes Google.

Crazy... why such a big deal about #3?

Yeah, I know... everybody's gaga over Google.

Seriously, writing an article about Intel, Microsoft, or Oracle, will get you no more than a stifled yawn, but just mention "Google" and ears perk up.

-- Jack Krupansky