Being a bus driver can be stressful, but the perks make up for it. You work on your own and spend the day cruising around in an expensive vehicle with a 350-horsepower engine. You’re also part of a tribe, and you get to give that fun little two-finger wave to other bus drivers.
And yet, what I love the most about being a bus driver is something else entirely. It’s when I’m pulled over at a bus stop to let some passengers get off and others board, and in the side-view mirror, I see some poor, desperate soul sprinting to catch my bus from a block or two away.
Some drivers don’t even give this person a second thought, departing as soon as everyone is safely on board in order to stay on time. As for me, I choose to stay right where I am, even if I’m running a few minutes behind and I see the other passengers impatient and worried about being late for work.
I wait, continuing to watch the desperate passenger outside getting closer, twenty-five meters, twenty, fifteen … They finally get to the door, huffing and puffing but smiling and relieved, for they have made it. I have kindly waited for them, or so they believe.
But no. The second I see their shaky finger extend to press the green button to open the door, I speed off like an F1 driver in pole position. Full of elation, I glance in the side-view mirror, and the last I see of that sucker is a pair of arms raised in the air in exasperation. I know what I’ve done, and best of all, they know what I’ve done.
Pulling this off requires perfect timing. If you depart a second or two before the running passenger gets to the door, he or she will assume you just didn’t see them. Also, you need to take into account congestion and upcoming traffic lights. Imagine you get stuck at an intersection for several minutes and the irate person catches up to your bus. “Hell hath no fury like a sprinting passenger scorned,” is the old saying.
So while it’s fair to say that being a bus driver is not always easy and has its ups and downs, don’t feel too bad for us. Some of us find joy in the simple things.
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Kevin L. is a bus driver in Luxembourg
