Magic Bus Finds a New, Safer Home
By Timothy Ott
Fairbanks Transit System Bus 142 arrives at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at the Engineering, Learning and Innovation Facility's high bay structural testing lab.
Photo by JR Ancheta
One of the more notorious artifacts on display at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is Bus 142, also called The Magic Bus, or as I thought of it when I first laid eyes on it, “That’s the bus from Into the Wild.” For others who are newcomers to UAF, it may also be one of the things that leaves the strongest impression on them. Why would an old bus that has not been able to drive since 1960 be so memorable?
As I said, it is famous. It was on the cover of a bestselling book and the posters for the blockbuster film based on the book. When I tell friends and family back in the lower ‘48 about the UAF campus, Bus 142 is one of the first things I tell them about because it is the one thing we have here with which they are familiar.
It is worth noting how visually striking the bus is. Its shapely, round contours contrast with the right angles of the block-shaped buildings of campus. It is vintage, vividly painted mint green with moments of yellow, striking in such a way that I could see it used as a decoration in a trendy restaurant or club, except for its size, which also draws the eye towards it. Some days, I find the bus rustically charming, whereas other days it seems ugly. However, it always stands out from its surroundings.
The story of the bus is also compelling. The image of Bus 142 is a symbol of a romantic idea of wilderness. It is part of a story of idealism, of someone who boldly separated from a society that had become dissatisfying to him for reasons many of us can relate to, reasons tied to the shallowness of a society centered around capitalism and consumerism. It is also a story of tragedy. This someone was a real person with a name: Christopher McCandless. He died and other people died on pilgrimages to see the bus. These deaths raise complicated questions about the ethics of venturing into the wilderness, questions about preparedness and how one impacts both other people and the natural world. It also brings to my mind issues of what risks you can take with your own life in your personal time, and raises the question of what is wilderness (if the place where McCandless died was really wild, what was a bus doing there?). Whatever else can be said about McCandless, his story is compelling to many, in part because his motivations are relatable, and in part because it shows that although wilderness can be a wonderful and rewarding place, it is still very dangerous.
In the series of articles I am writing, I want to tell readers the story both of McCandless and of the bus itself, as it is a striking part of our history and community here at UAF. When we get the chance to walk inside the bus, once it is ready to be on exhibit, it is my hope that the faculty, staff, and students of UAF walk into it with an understanding of its history and what it means to our community.