Chinatown Bus

The votes are in on the NYC Bus Trip. We will ride GoToBus from Charlotte to NYC (Chinatown) Friday 7/30. Tickets are $60 roundtrip. I recommend the 9:45 PM bus since it's a 12 hour ride. That would put us there early morning. You can spend the next 24+ hours doing whatever you like. Returning Monday 8/1 (early am). Departure times are 8 & 10 PM Sunday evening. It has taken some time researching hotels, but I have decided to go another route. I have used this service in the past and have been happy. I found some great locations through VRBO.com (vacation rentals by owner) in Times Square, close to Broadway. For one night I found 2 1 Brs that can sleep 1 - 6 people or a 3br(2.5 bath) that can sleep 8-10 people. I would prefer to get the 3 bedroom 2.5 bath. All 3 are in close proximity to each other. http://www.vrbo.com/254342 http://www.vrbo.com/98070 http://www.212suites.com/3-Bedroom-nyc-vacation-rentals/Times-square-3-bed-3-bath.html Logistics: In order to reserve, I need to collect a deposit of $20 per person. It is NON-REFUNDABLE. The money can be deposited via paypal by Saturday 7/3 or if you are coming to the Meetup Thursday, I can collect it(cash) there. This signifies your commitment to the trip. The deposit is for lodging only. My paypal account id is: [masked] If you have RSVPed but have not paid your deposit or contacted me, I will decline your RSVP. The balance is due 7/15. Though there are 12 that have RSVPed, 1 does not need lodging and suspect a few may cancel. I hope not, but it is a risk. If we have 6 people go we are looking at max $80 per person (that includes deposit) for lodging. If you have any questions please let me know. Thanks, Carol

Date: August 1, 2010 Time: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Location: Philippe the Original Address: 1001 N Alameda St, , Los Angeles , 90012 Cross Streets: Alameda / Cesar Chavez Transit Directions: Driving Directions: Region: Downtown LA Phone: (323) 223-2767 Admission: $58 Website: www.esotouric.com/ Description: Turning the notion of an L.A. architecture tour on its ear, Esotourics latest bus adventure delves deep into the uncharted wonders of South Los Angeles, where some of the citys most compelling and unexpected landmarks rub elbows with stucco taquerias and seemingly endless sprawl. Inspired by the British architectural critic Reyner Banham, who Esotourics Richard Schave and Kim Cooper studied under at UC Santa Cruz, the four tours in the REYNER BANHAM LOVES LOS ANGELES series (South LA, Route 66, The New Chinatowns and The Many Downtowns) offer a fresh way of looking at the urban web of history, mass transit, migration and mystery that somehow holds L.A. together. This Esotouric bus adventure begins downtown and works its way south through Vernon, Bell Gardens, Santa Fe Springs and Downey, and through the past two centuries, exploring some of L.A.s seldom-seen gems. The bus goes into areas not traditionally associated with the important, beautiful or significant, raising issues of preservation, adaptive reuse and the evolution of the city. The locations all speak to the power, mutability and reach of the So Cal Dream. Submitted By: Esotouric

THIS EVENT IS FULL AND RSVP'S ARE CLOSED. For transportation, we�ll be taking Via Rail. Below are the details for Via Rail. Transportation: Via Rail Wednesday, August 4, 2010 Train 56 Depart Toronto (Union Station): 9:30 AM Arrive Montreal (Central Station): 2:42 PM Duration: 5 hrs, 12 min Sunday, August 8, 2010 Train 67 Depart Montreal (Central Station): 5 PM Arrive Toronto (Union Station): 9:34 PM Duration: 4 hrs, 34 min Via-Rail Cost for Economy � Special Fare, non-exchangeable, non refundable, $144.90 including tax (each train has approximately 30 total tickets at this price) Please note, however, that for any Via Rail tickets purchased after May 1, 2010, the new Ontario HST will apply instead of only the GST, meaning that this Via Rail ticket would then cost $158.70 instead of $144.90. Therefore, buying your Via Rail tickets before May 1, 2010 is recommended (you'll save 8%). Your Via Rail tickets must be booked through Via Rail. Their web site is http://www.viarail.ca. For the accommodations, we�ll be staying at Travelodge in downtown Montreal. Below are the details for Travelodge. Travelodge 50 Ren�-Levesque West Montreal, QC H2Z 1A2 PH: [masked] PH: [masked] http://www.travelodgemontreal.ca/ Cost: $82 per room per night for single or double, $92 per night for triple (2 single beds and 1 bunk bed), $102 per night for quad (2 single beds and 2 bunk beds). These costs do not include taxes Taxes: 15.5% (3.5% lodging tax, 7.5% PST, 5% GST) Metro: Place-des-Arts or Place-d�Armes (in-between the two) Room reservations will need to be made by June 30, 2010. I will e-mail those attending the reservation code which enables you to get our discounted group rates listed above. For the Travelodge accommodations, please note that people can share a room to keep the expenses down. Two people can split a double room, 3 people can share a triple room, and 4 people can share a quad room. When you share a room, your expenses go down quite a bit, so I would definitely recommend it. The trip is a while away yet, so you still have time to seek out a roommate. PLEASE NOTE: Everyone going on the trip needs to book their own hotel reservations and Via Rail tickets. I will not be booking hotel reservations or buying Via Rail tickets on anyone�s behalf. The itinerary is on the links below, which have maps and the name of the places we will be going to. Montreal Day 1: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/0b0e6b94cde883a927a517d7af513e0c Montreal Day 2 � Part 1: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/e0f26225050031df02d74f63ed1ba778 Montreal Day 2 � Part 2: http://www.batchgeocode.com/map/?i=faaf2839b05778aa070151a558e3605a Montreal Day 3 � Part 1: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/5ec7f5d4b48c338f000c451d41efb602 Montreal Day 3 � Part 2: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/411967e78d765ea904a3c42a20b40c7f Montreal Day 4 - Part 1: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/bf5da5ddd64f56c34aef041c51855db7 Montreal Day 4 - Part 2: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/dcc3f20675f8173e8c6a33d4f9d1f1a0 Montreal Day 4 - Part 3: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/01e6e5908371d6f48b1255d0555b7d89 Montreal Day 5: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/ee7f793a593cf17c2daf8fd1bdeb2320 Here�s another note about this trip. This trip involves a LOT of walking. We�ll basically be walking from the time we leave Travelodge in the morning until dinner. While we might have a lot to eat, we�ll also be getting lots of exercise, so bring EXCELLENT walking shoes. Also, below is the general schedule. Wednesday, August 4 Leave Travelodge at 3:30 PM � going to Appetite for Books, Marche Adonis and Gastronomia Roberto. Our Via Rail train gets into Montreal at 2:42 PM. Thursday, August 5 Leave Travelodge at 9:30 AM � go to the Old Port area. We have a reservation at Jardin Nelson at 11:30 AM. After Jardin Nelson and exploring the Old Port area, we are going to St. Laurent and have a reservation at The Main at 6 PM. After The Main, we are going to head over to Riz en Folie. Friday, August 6 Leave Travelodge at 8:30 AM � go to Jean Talon Market and Little Italy. Then we are going to La Maison du Cheddar, and then to Bernard Street, Saint-Viateur Ouest, and Fairmount Ouest. We then have a reservation at Lombardi at 7 PM. Saturday, August 7 Leave Travelodge at 8:45 AM � we have a reservation at La Cantine at 9:30 AM. We will then be exploring rue St-Denis and avenue Mont-Royal. We have a dinner reservation at Au Tarot at 6:30 PM. Sunday, August 8 Leave Travelodge at 9:30 AM. Then go to Atwater Market. Then we�ll go to Chinatown. We have a reservation at Ruby Rouge at 1 PM, which is our last stop of the journey. PLEASE BE IN LOBBY 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE MORNING DEPARTURE TIME. We may have to make some adjustments to the itinerary due to time constraints, but we�ll cover as much as we can. As for the cost, I have budgeted approximately $750 per person if two people are sharing a room at Travelodge. Here is how I came up with that number. Via Rail (if you buy your tickets soon, economy, non-refundable fare): $145 Accommodations at Travelodge (shared room): $190 Montreal Metro 3 Day Passes (2 passes at $17 per day): $34 Total Costs before meals and entertainment: $369 Meals and Entertainment?: $381 Total budgeted trip cost: $750 For the meals and entertainment portion, that part is a little harder to judge. I put in there $381, but we are not going to 5 star restaurants, and 2 of the days are partial days (Wednesday and Sunday), so you may end up spending less in this area (my number might be a little generous here). For the restaurants we are planning to go to, the main entree is normally under $20, and most are more around $15. I did not put souvenirs in this number either. Overall, I feel $750 is a reasonable number, but you might end up spending a little less. This is going to be structured as a culinary tour, and with this, there are a few ground rules that I need to please go over with everyone: Ground rules: 1.We need to start the tour on time at the designated times. If someone is late and misses the start of the tour, they will be able to rejoin the group wherever the next restaurant reservation is that day. I cannot chase down late comers during the day and slow the tour down. 2.If someone comes late to one of the restaurants where we have a restaurant reservation, we will be leaving the restaurant when those who were at the restaurant on time have finished, not when the late comers are done eating. 3.If someone wants to see other sites, or do other shopping, that are not on the itinerary, you can leave the tour, but please let me know that you will be going off on your own. I cannot delay the tour to look at or shop at non-itinerary sites. 4.Please let me know if there are any restaurants where we have reservations where you will not be able to make it. Some FAQs: Is any free time scheduled? None is schedule. Things are planned from the time we leave Travelodge in the morning till we return after dinner or going to a bar in the evening. Is there time for sight seeing? For food related places, there is a lot of sightseeing. But there is not time for sightseeing for things that are not on the culinary tour (i.e. Olympic Stadium, museums, etc.) What happens if I want to leave the tour? You should let me know that you are leaving the tour so we do not look for you at the different tour stops. One may leave the tour at any time if they desire to. If I leave the tour, when can I rejoin the group? You can rejoin the group wherever the next restaurant is during the day where we have a restaurant reservation. I will not have time to chase people down during the tour. What happens if I�m late for the meeting time when the tour starts? The tour will leave without you and you will be on our own that day until the group meets up again at the next restaurant reservation scheduled for that day. If I miss the start of the tour, when can I rejoin the group? At the next restaurant reservation scheduled for that day. Do I have to stay on the tour the entire time? No, you can leave the tour at any time but should please let me know so that we are not trying to track you down during the tour. What happens if I�m late for one of the restaurants where there is a reservation? You can join us. However, we will be leaving when those who were on time have finished their meal, not when the late comers are finished. What if I am not coming to Montreal by Via Rail and I miss the start of the tour on Day 1? You can try and meet us at Marche Adonis. I�m not sure when we will get to Marche Adonis, but it will be between 5:30 PM and 7 PM, as we will be touring before hand. So you may have a little extra time to hang out there. To get to Marche Adonis from Travelodge, go to Place D�Armes metro station. Then take the orange line metro to Cote Vertu. Then take 121 bus east till you reach Marche Adonis. It will probably take about an hour to get there from Travelodge. Do I have to eat with the group at all of the restaurants where we have a reservation? No, but you definitely need to please let me know if you will not be attending any of the restaurants where we have reservations so that I can update the RSVP numbers with the restaurant.

COME JOIN US TO SEE CHINA'S FINEST ACROBATIC ENTERTAINERS, CONTORTIONIST, HOOP DIVERS, JUGGLERS AND DANCER'S AT THE NAVY PIER'S SKYLINE STAGE. BEFORE THE SHOW WE WILL SPEND TIME IN COLORFUL CHINATOWN BEFORE HAVING A FAMILY STYLE LUNCH AT THE HOUSE OF FORTUNE RESTAURANT ACCLAIMED AS ONE OF CHICAGO'S BEST CHINESE RESTAURANTS BY CHICAGO MAGAZINE. Depart 9:45am and return 4:45pm Must have a minimum of 30 for bus transportation. Price includes: Roundtrip transportation, lunch in Chinatown and tickets to Cirque Shanghai. Must have payment by July 20, 2010. Pick up location TBA

Mott Circle Saturday, August 21, 2010, 1 â€" 2pm These “Finding Philadelphia” excursions allow new students the opportunity to explore Philadelphia - our extended campus - with peer leaders and other new students. (Bus leaves at 1:00pm , Advance sign-ups required at www.philau.edu/FYE ): A bustling downtown, Center City Philadelphia is a hub for commerce, dining, arts and culture, entertainment, health care, education, hospitality and tourism. The downtown itself, the nation's third-largest population after New York and Chicago, is compact, walkable and known for its neighborhoods and districts that include Old City, Society Hill, Washington Square West, Market East, Chinatown, the Museum District (located along the Ben Franklin Parkway), Rittenhouse Square, the Avenue of the Arts (South Broad Street), and Jewelers' Row

I want to create an itinerary for the short period of two complete weekdays (and the first evening) in San Francisco. These are the places/things I'd like to do: For sight seeing Ghiradelli Square Fisherman's Wharf Hyde Street and the other piers the market (I forgot the name) where so many vendors have all sorts of fresh foods-Embarcadero? the crooked part of Lombard Street Chinatown I want to see the Golden Gate bridge and Alcatraz, but don't want to tie up too much time for the actual tour where one goes inside- a water tour maybe? the victorian homes -Is it the Painted Ladies? For relaxation and experiences City Lights Bookstore beatnicks? Cafes and all Buena Vista Cafe, Vesuvius, Tosca, Cafe Triste, Cafe Greco, Cafe Grappa, Mario's bohemian Cigar Store, (maybe Dotties) And somewhere for drinks, piano, jazz, or anything else suggested I plan to purchase a 3 day Muni pass at the Airport and use the cable cars for transportation to and from my hotel in Union Square. I can use the bus also if necessary. My challenge is knowing which activities to clump together based on location, and the time it will take to do these things, such as day 1 morning, afternoon, and evening, day 2... Can anyone help me break it down? Oh, I forgot -I'm going to make reservations to take a Segway tour of Fisherman's Wharf for the first afternoon. Update: I booked a Segway tour of the waterfront in the Fisherman's Wharf area that will take place at 12:30 pm. (until 3:00). I wanted to get the 2:00, but it was closed. So, what can I do before that tour that morning, that is small and doesn't take much time, so as to not repeat what I will see in the tour? And then, I will have the next full day free.

Answer: Spend one of the mornings starting at either the Ferry Building or Ghiradelli Square and walk to the other end of the Embarcadero. Along the way you will see Fisherman's Wharf and where you would take a ferry to Alcatraz, were you to want to do that. For a tour of Alcatraz you'll want to make reservations about a month in advance. In lieu of this, you can take a bay tour on a boat that goes around Alcatraz and beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and back. I would do this the same day you see Fisherman's Wharf and Ghiradelli Square. "City Lights Bookstore beatnicks? Cafes and all Buena Vista Cafe, Vesuvius, Tosca, Cafe Triste, Cafe Greco, Cafe Grappa, Mario's bohemian Cigar Store, (maybe Dotties)" <
Question about the Chinatown Bus?

I want to take the Chinatown bus from Richmond,Va to Philadelphia, PA because I heard that was the cheapest option but I can't seem to figure out where I can buy my ticket in advance and if it actually goes to Philadelphia. Does anyone know... 1) If I can get to Philadelphia from Richmond... ( or does the Richmond-NY bus stop in Philly?) 2) Where can I buy my ticket in advance because I did not see anything online about that route 3) Is there a phone number I can call that is still in service and actually works? Thanks for your help!!

Answer: I think the Richmond Bus (Eastern Travel) only goes to NY or DC. From either of those two places you can take a bus to Philly on any of the chinatown bus lines or Bolt Bus or Mega Bus. And they all let you buy the ticket online.

¿i am turist i need help again? How much does the subway ticket? and how buy a ticket in the toronto subway?in which station is chinatown 5 stars to the best answer and the price of the bus n 192 from pearson to kipling

Answer: You can pay cash fare, which is $3 canadian, when you board the bus. Ask the driver for a transfer. The 192 bus will actually take you inside the subway station, the bus fare counts for the entire Toronto transit system (but not suburban ones) so you can board the subway without paying another fare. You don't need the transfer but it's better to have it just in case. To get to the main Chinatown, take the subway east from kipling to Spadina station, and change to route 510, Spadina streetcar (tram). This also comes inside the station so you don't need to pay another fare. Chinatown starts about 4 stops south of the station, between Spadina Avenue and College Street and somewhere near of Spadina and Queen St. Your fare is good for a 1 way trip. You're allowed to go as far as you want on the TTC but can't return. Transfers are free for a one-way route, and you can use buses, streetcars/trams, and the subway with that one fare. Most bus routes and many streetcar routes enter stations so you can walk between teh subway and the bus directly, but you can use a transfer and board the connection free at stations where they don't. You can just pay cash at most subway stations or surface routes. If you're staying a while you might want to buy some tokens (little coins that we use instead of tickets) that are $25 for 10, or 8 for $20, available at subway stations and many stores.

My family is going on vacation and we will be in the Los Angeles area for about 5 days. One of these days we are going to Magic Mountain, so we actually have about 4 days to fill. My family consists of two teenage girls and one 11 year old boy (who is used to being dragged to see places that he really could care less about). We have been to LA twice before, but both of these times were more to visit family than actually see the sights. However, we have been to Disneyland, Universal Studios, Venice Beach, the Chinese Theater, Olvera Street, and walked through some of Hollywood. The Getty Museum and the Museum of Wax are also not possibilities. So I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions? Other museums? Anything science-related? Historical buildings? Places to shop? Activities to do? The suggestion does not have to be an activity for the entire family. Here are a few of the ideas so far, so if you would like to give advice about these places that would be great too: - Santa Monica - Take a bus tour through Hollywood - Chinatown - Griffith Park - Shopping (where?) Thanks in advance!

Answer: Here are a few things you might like: The California Science Center (it's a museum that has stuff for both adults, teens, and the 11 year old). It's down by USC and there's a huge rose garden behind it that's nice to walk through. Then you can walk to lunch at a good Mexican place called Margarita Jones that's popular with the USC kids. http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/MainPage.php Santa Monica is a lot of fun. You can park once and go to the pier (which has games, rides, restaurants), the beach, and then also walk three blocks to the promenade which has a little nicer shopping and nicer restaurants. You can easily spend an entire day doing all of that. It costs about $8 - $15 to park right next to the beach. Bus tours through Hollywood are good. The best company for that is Starline Tours. You can make a reservation in advance or you can just walk to the lot behind Hollywood & Highland and get on one that leaves every half hour. That way you can be a little more flexible in your day. http://www.starlinetours.com/ Chinatown is fun but there's not a whole lot to see. There's a fun market to go to there and of course the authentic Chinese dim sum restaurants. Don't plan on spending a whole day there. If you like that kind of stuff, you might want to check out Olvera street which has a lot of authentic Mexican restaurants and cute little hand made things to buy. It's very close to Chinatown. http://www.olvera-street.com/ For shopping, I usually recommend The Beverly Center in Beverly Hills and lunch at Grand Lux Cafe, or the Grove/Farmer's Market. The Grove and Farmer's Market are connected so you can walk to both and both have great shops. There's more clothing stores at the Beverly Center. Griffith Park is okay... the best thing to do there is actually a sunset horseback ride but it's kinda pricey and it takes several hours but the view is amazing. You ride horses down to a Mexican restaurant, have dinner, and then ride back at sunset. http://sunsetranchhollywood.com/ I hope that helps. Have fun!!!

I travel 3-4x a month to Manhattan on either Megabus or Chinatown express. These are very good options considering price and so on, but I was curious if people had other ideas that might allow for more flexibility. I own a car and could drive to, say, NJ and do a "park and ride," or drive to Philly and take a bus from there for about $1. But not being to familiar with either Jersey or Philly, I'm unsure about parking options and security (how safe is it to leave your car overnight, for example). If I could, I'd drive and park in the city, but it seems too expensive. Thanks in advance for any constructive feedback

Answer: You can drive to NJ and take NJ Transit from either Hamilton or Metropark to New York City. The trip to and from the city take about 30 to 60 minutes and the fare is cheaper than taking the bus or Amtrak. The link below has all the information about the parking facility in both cities and the fare to the from New York City. Good luck Native New Yorker

Okay so I'm in LA to attend to some business and it's my first time there, I only have about 6 hours to actually see the city from 8 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon, then I gotta fly away. How do I see as much as can? What are some places worth visiting? I was thinking of going to City Hall to take some pictures, then to Little Tokyo, then to Chinatown, and then to the Toy District. What else? Please Near Downtown area. I don't know the bus routes either so I don't plan on taking the bus, just walking. My hotel is near city hall so I gotta meet back there at 2.

Answer: If you want to stay in Downtown here are some things to see: - Union Station = art deco old train terminal. Still used by Amtrak - Alvero Street = oldest street in Los Angeles - Philippes = restaurant that has been around forever - sells the original French Dip - Walt Disney Concert Hall - Downtown Los Angeles Library - Mueseum of Neon Art - The Grammy Mueseum I think Little Toyko might be kind of far to walk to. I think you can skip the Toy District = it's a bunch of stores like 99-cent stores sell hawking their products. It might be interesting to see but it's just crappy junk.

I have a job interview @ T&T supermarket on Monday and I live near Chinatown East Broadview station, I found 2 routes: 1. Subway to Warden, 17 bus to T&T or 2. Subway to Warden, 68 bus to t&t. which way will be faster?

Answer: The second one. T&T is along Warden Ave., so the #68 buses (which run on Warden) are a much more direct route than the #17 buses (which run along Birchmount Rd, and only end at Warden). You'd be further east if you're on Birchmount. Plus, the #68 buses run much more frequently than the #17 buses. If you take the 68 bus, it'll drop you off at the bus loop north of Steeles, and you'll have to walk about 5 minutes north to T&T. I'd tell you to take the 68B if you're travelling to Markham because it'll drop you off right by T&T, but you'd have to pay an extra fare after Steeles for just one stop, and I doubt that it'd be worth it. Good luck with your interview!

I will go to New York this thursday and come back on monday.Friday, Saturday and sunday I will be able to explore the city for the first time and other days probably airport and hotel check in and outs. I will stay in a hotel in long island city which is close to subway. I dont have a car with me.I am not an american and want to see as much as I can. My priorities are a skyscraper with a good view (it can be empire state or chrysler, or if it makes sense both), central park, MET, chinatown and little italy, statue of liberty, ground zero, wall street, broadway , times square and anything else you might suggest. I dont know if American Museum of National History is a must, as I have limited time. I wont do shopping. Where and when should I start and finish? Should I take grayline bus tours? Thanks for your help.

Answer: grayline bus tour is worth taking.. when you go to 34th street. The history you will not learn walking around so.. i woudl do the hour bus tour and be able to get a great view on some interesting things. Museum is not a must see. It takes a whole day to get through it (half through it). Dont worry about that. DAY ONE: Start are ground zero... walk through wall street (see the bull) on your way over to walk to.. go to south street seaport... Take train up (6 train to soho)- little italy and china town are there. I think china town is more a must see than little italy! Little italy is like 3 blocks long. Also walking over the brooklyn bridge is so cool to do if you have nice weather! DO IT! you will get amazing pics. Soho is really nice--- great shopping but... i like the buildings and just the vibe there more than anything. DAY TWO: Go to 34th street (take the tour)- go up to top! Walk over to madison square garden (5 minute walk away)take a pic and say you have seen it! take train up to central park... walk central park. some cool things to see are.. the zoo (cool to see if you dont have a zoo near you) then walk to carousel, then walk through the stage area to the fountain (famous shots in a million movies) over to the boat house- Chill out and just enjoy the park- it is such a nice place... pack a lunch and a banket eat there! All these things are between 59th (bottom of park) and 72nd the park is much better but I like this area the most. DAY THREE: really depend son what you like? if you enjoy the history part- go to ellis island and statue of liberty and then maybe head to times square at night to see the lights and eat in one of the million places there!

Im planning on going to Lollapolooza this Aug and im in the process of booking a hotel. the cheapest one i could find was in Chinatown. I was going to go on google street to see if i could determine if it was a decent place or not... but it didnt work for some reason. So... Is Chinatown in Chicago a good area? and if anyone knows of some cheap hotels in chicago that are along a bus rout, that would be great to know as well!!!

Answer: it's not the best part of town but it seems safe enough. and the food there is amazing! lollapalooza here we come!

Answer: You did not say what part of New Jersey. If you want to go to Jersey City - go to New York and come back. Better to include destinations instead of states. This is my help from Washington, D.C. United States of America. Please pick a "Best Answer", even if it is not mine. That way we can tell if we really do help people.