Etc...

Hey, pal, can't you read?

Imagine the reaction of passengers aboard a public bus in Tokyo one day last week when a disturbed young man rose from his seat, announced that he was a hijacker , and demanded to be taken to Haneda Airport. Now you might imagine that the other riders would be frightened. But they might just as well have been amused . Why? Because (a) he obviously wasn't carrying a weapon and (b) the bus was en route to Haneda anyway. Yes, he was arrested - for forcible obstruction of business.

Arlington, Va., has been rated the "best walking city" in the nation by the American Podiatric Medical Association, a group with a strong interest in what people do with their feet. Walking, the association says, is one of the best exercises for feet, and in Arlington people apparently do a lot of it. Surveys indicate that 35 percent of residents there walk for exercise. Second among the 200 cities, despite its many steep streets: San Francisco. Fourteen criteria were used to evaluate the cities, among them the percentage of people who own baby strollers, buy athletic shoes, and go backpacking. The APMA's 10 best walking cities:

1. Arlington, Va.

2. San Francisco
3. Seattle
4. Portland, Ore.
5. Boston
6. Washington
7. New York
8. Eugene, Ore.
9. Jersey City, N.J.
10. Denver