RETAIL/LEISURE : Oh, What Fun It Will Be to Ride a Shopping Center Sleigh Today

It is a dilemma that has faced nearly every shopper.

Lunch hour is an ideal time to head to the mall for a few precious minutes of holiday shopping. But after fighting traffic, finding a scarce parking space and taking a long stroll through the lot, shoppers may find that they have enough time only to paw through the discount table at B. Dalton and peruse greeting cards.

To simplify transportation to the mall, a midday “shopper sleigh” service to South Coast Plaza is being operated this month. There are five routes, each covering different groups of major employers surrounding the Costa Mesa mall. The routes are run on different weekdays.

The service is provided in Orange County Transit District vans operated by the South Coast Metro Transportation Management Assn., which has more than 40 member companies. Employees of member companies can ride the shuttle for free; everyone else will pay 50 cents a trip.

Routes and schedules are available from the association at (714) 545-7665.