Meet Jose Melendez​

Jose Melendez is a Southern California bus enthusiast who rode LBT for the first time in 1982. His love for buses and public transportation began at an early age when he started collecting bus schedules and transit guides from local transit agencies. 

His first trip aboard LBT was when he was 11 years old. Jose vividly remembers his first ride to the Transit & Visitor Information Center and visiting nearby Shoreline Village. 

Jose’s favorite bus route has always been Route 171, which was previously known as the Land Shark. 

“The Land Shark used to travel along Pacific Coast Highway into the City of Seal Beach and the buses that operated that route used to have sharks painted on them,” said Jose. “That route allowed me to explore parts of Seal Beach I wasn’t familiar with and I always enjoyed spotting the shark.”  

In his free time, Jose likes to travel, visit new cities and attend different community events. “With the pandemic, it has been a challenge to find safe events, but the few that I have found I have been able to get there by riding LBT,” shared Jose. 

In the future, Jose hopes to see the painted sharks make a comeback on LBT buses operating on Route 171. For those of you who may not be familiar with the Land Shark, take a look at this ad from LBT’s archives advertising the “Beach Bus,” also known as the Land Shark.

Thank you for riding LBT, Jose!