Bus Driver Buddies*

This may sound odd to some of you, but I have some bus driver buddies. I have always been polite to bus drivers / transit workers, but after living in the city, there weren’t really opportunities to chat with drivers as a) the buses were so packed that it wasn’t possible, b) the drivers simply weren’t very pleasant, or c) because transit was wonnnnnderful in the city, you were rarely on one bus for very long before switching or reaching your destination.

Now that I’m in my sleepy little Senior’s City where the buses only run every 40 minutes and you see the same bus driver every day, we’ve become “buddies”. Let me explain: now that I am working 2 jobs and am still in school full time I am on the bus a lot as I move from A to B.

My first bus driver buddy was a sweet little old Italian man named “George”. He’s very sweet and nice to everyone that gets on his bus. At first he would give me a big smile and a hello every time I got on, then it evolved to, “Hiya Sweetheart! Good to see you!”, until I sat at the front one day and he just started to chat and told me all about his bus driving adventures. Now whenever I see him (on or off the bus) he stops and says hello and asks me all about what’s going on in my world. He’s really a very cute old man. :)

Then in the fall I met “Don”. For a while, it seemed like every time I got on the bus to head to school Don was driving. At first he just said “Hi” when I’d get on the bus, but as soon as it became clear that he was driving me at least 3 or 4 times a week he started to chat. He’s a younger guy, and a few generic talks about the weather and life in general he started talking to me about dating.

I need to add in a side note here: since getting married nearly 3 years ago now, all of my non-married male friends now assume that I must be some kind of a relationship “guru” because I am married. As a result, I am often hunted down for “woman advice”.

So. Early on in our conversations I told Don that I was married and gave him the whole story (he was fascinated that I had gotten married so young) and he explained that he was just recently separated and had just entered the dating world for the first time in 15 years. He had just started dating someone, and immediately he began coming to me for advice. haha! Now, whenever he’s driving the bus I’m on, he talks to me about his girlfriend and asks for my advice because surely I must have the answers because I’m happily married. The Hubster thinks it’s hilarious that a bus driver, quite a few years my senior, comes to me for relationship advice. I’m not going to lie, I also think it’s a hoot!! hahah!

I often get funny looks from other passengers when the bus drivers start chatting with me. I can often get on now without needing to show my card or pay because they know me by face / name. It was really bizarre for me at first–in the city being buddies with bus drivers just didn’t happen. You got on the bus, you stood like sardines on the bus, you got off the bus. Thats it. It is kind of nice though.. as I am on the bus by myself so often it’s nice to see a friendly face (and ride for free when I forget my student card!! haha).

So, you should try being buddies with your driver sometime. Bus drivers are often really nice people.

Shop Girl*