Tomorrow's "Dump the Pump" Day III

Will it finally happen -- will insane fuel prices get us to actually ditch our cars? That's the hope behind Thursday's third annual Dump the Pump Day. It's the brainchild of the American Public Transportation Assn., and, with benefits like less congestion and air pollution, you'd better believe local transportation officials are hoping our car-addicted city will give it a shot. There's an online tool kit.

You'll get a free one-day bus pass in the O.C., where they've gone one better and declared it Dump the Pump Week. San Bernardino area residents get a similar offer from Omnitrans. You'll get a free one-day pass from Foothill Transit, says the Long Beach P-T, but you have to take a survey on the agency's website. You can bike, take Metro, work from home or, for the slackers among you, call in sick.

--Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times