This is a blog I am re-posting on this site from my Religiously themed site because of its Urban Regional Planning implication. Transportation is key to community connectivity and the image that such transportation carries is key to creating an desire from the people to ride it. Some bus drivers are not particularly keen on providing customer service to bus patrons. Nor are these drivers keen on going above and beyond their bus driving duties and responsibilities. However, there are those awesome (and rare) exceptions.
If you’re interested in checking out that blog page, go to:http://juancastillojr.wordpress.com/ (Or click the “An Outer Escape” link above
English: A Gillig Advantage bus in service for Foothill Transit, seen here in Downtown Los Angeles, California. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
So I was riding on the route 8 a few months ago (from work to Beatty Towers). A nice bus driver was driving. He greeted me as I got on the bus and everything (which is kind of rare). I sat down. Along the road somewhere near University Avenue we hit traffic. While we waited for traffic to start moving, this bus driver proceeds to open the door, steps out of his chair, grabs the bus trash can and steps outside. I was curious as to what he was doing (and so was everyone else on the bus), so I propped myself up to see out the window (stupid new low floor Gillig bus design has windows higher than my line of vision…and IM NOT SHORT! I digress). As I stared at what the bus driver was doing, I suddenly realized (and so did everyone else) that the bus driver was picking up trash from the street…..He was being a nice person and going above and beyond his job responsibilities by picking up trash from the bus stop area!? I was astounded twice! Once because of such level of faithfulness in doing something good even though it’s a small thing to do. Twice, because the people in the bus with me had the internal fortitude to laugh at the bus driver. As if what he was doing was so stupid. As if “what a fool, you are doing something that benefits everyone else but yourself”. What an idiot right? Really! Is this what our society is coming to? That we laugh at things that are good and decent? We can’t take a moment to appreciate the fact that someone was willing to do what he did not have to do but did anyways because he is a decent human being!!!! I was livid (still am slightly) for several reasons. One: because of what I saw. Two, because as a human I am sure that I am just as bad. But I hope that I can be like that bus driver. Who does what he doesn’t have to do not to impress, but to do what is right in spite of ignorance, hate, or whatever causes someone to laugh at that which is good, innocent and decent!
I made sure that before I stepped off the bus, I expressed my appreciation to that bus driver for what he did. He blessed me, such a small act really had an impact on me. I pray and I hope that the Lord my God may bless him ever so richly.
Juan Castillo Jr.
PS.
can I hash tag this? lets see…#Busstories #RTS #Busdrivers #Bus #Dumbpeople
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