''Hello, I work in transit marketing. I like your website and what you do for transit. Do you do work in the US? Would you like to expand to this market? If so, maybe I can help.''

It was a dream come true for 34-year-old Mr Mikita, labelled a geek as the boy who stood in the streets of Canberra for hours waiting for buses to photograph and sketch.

He used to pester ACTION so much it invited him to the Kingston depot to see the mechanics pit and talk to the drivers.

Now providing transport companies with graphic design services for timetables and marketing, he's leading the Australian sector and has a huge cardboard models market abroad.

He rates the attention to detail in his graphics as the world's best, a view confirmed when that email arrived on July 2.

Texas Capital Metro's vice-president of marketing, Mr L'Amie is also chairman of the Washington-based American Public Transport Association's marketing committee.

''At APTA, apparently they know who we are. Apparently a lot of people around the world know who we are,'' Mr Mikita said.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times