Ode to a bus driver

Most of us have taken public transit at one time or another. I'm sure we've all had our days where we bad mouth the system because either a bus was late, too full, rode right past us, or the bus driver couldn't drive. I've had many of these days.

I can't tell you how many times I've been waiting for the lights to change so that I can cross the street to the bus stop, and the bus that I was going to board goes flying past. And yet, when I'm early, they're generally late. Geeze.

The other day, I walked to the bus stop and such a thing happened. I was waiting at the bus stop then for a half an hour, until the next one arrived. Today, I was early at the same stop - and the bus was several minutes late.

We all hear or see transit ads saying "Take Public Transit". It's supposedly much better for the environment, convenient, and cheaper than owning a vehicle. The problem is that this just isn't true - not any more, anyways.

Bus fares for my local area have increased from $3.00 per trip to $3.10. The monthly pass has increased from $100 to $103. A similar increase was made last year. When you're paying this much to be waiting for buses that only come every half an hour and you still need to walk 10 minutes to your destination, it can make a person a tad cranky.

Today, though, I decided to have some reflection. Amongst a meaty sandwich smell, a mixture of B.O and perfume, and too-hot and crowded conditions, I had an epiphany. If I'm irritated by these small occurrences, how must the bus driver feel?

I doubt that they're making a great wage - although of this I can't be certain. Day in and day out these community workers need to be driving for up to eight hours in daily traffic, remembering to stop each time the "dinger" sounds, answer questions from people who are too lazy to look at bus schedules (and I include myself in that category), have a smile on their face and greet each person that comes aboard. They need to have their "game face" on all the time.... being courteous to everyone, although they don't always receive courtesy. 

It would be a much nicer place, I think, if we stopped and realized that bus drivers have bad days at work too - and maybe that's why they missed my stop and have been driving like a maniac. 

: D