Bus Driver Life

I know I’m not the only bus operator who completely forgets the names of the streets we operate on sometimes. 😂

The funny thing is, I know EXACTLY when and where to turn the bus. It seems like the more you know your route and the more you operate it, the street names almost become irrelevant. You’re basically operating off muscle memory.

So it’s hilarious when a passenger comes up and asks, “Does this bus go down ______ Street?”

My bus might absolutely serve that street, but because I don’t really think about the street names anymore, I literally have to sit there for a few seconds and think about it.

Meanwhile, we could literally be ON that street right now. 😂

Bus operators… please tell me I’m not the only one this happens to! 🚍🚏🚌

“When you’re operating a 40,000-pound bus, somebody blowing through a stop sign on an e-bike isn’t a minor inconvenience—it’s a serious safety concern.” 🚍🚴🛑

“A bus operator can check a mirror, see a clear path, and seconds later have an e-bike flying alongside the bus at 25 mph.” 🚍🚴

Here’s a positive bus driver story you don’t hear every day.

Two teenage boys grabbed a bicycle off the front bike rack of a bus that didn’t belong to them and took off with it. The owner was obviously upset, and the bus operator immediately called the incident in over the radio.

Then, about 10 minutes later, something unexpected happened—the two teenagers came back with the bike and returned it to the owner.

I have no idea what made them bring it back. Maybe someone made them return it, or maybe their conscience kicked in. Either way, while stealing it in the first place definitely wasn’t okay, it was good to see them come back and make it right.

In public transportation, once something gets stolen, a lot of times it’s gone for good. So it was nice to see this story have a positive ending. The passenger got his bike back, and hopefully those two young men learned something from the situation.

“Sidewalk one second. Street the next. No shoulder check. That unpredictability is what makes scooters and e-bikes dangerous around buses” 🚍🚴

“It only takes one ‘I was just trying to be nice’ moment to turn into an incident report, investigation and a completely different kind of day.” 🚍🚌🚏

“Until you’ve sat behind that wheel with your livelihood attached to your decisions, you don’t completely understand the pressure of being a bus operator.” 🚍🚌

“A bus operator can break a rule trying to help somebody—and still be held accountable when that favor goes wrong.” 🚍

“A bus operator telling you ‘no’ isn’t always being rude. Sometimes they’re protecting your safety, their job and their livelihood.” 🚍