Cheerful driver made passenger’s bus ride a pleasure

Thank you, COTA.

I recently took a bus from the Grandview Area to Morse Road. The bus driver on Line 8 brought the magic of Christmas to me and many others on this day.

I boarded the bus, gave him my transfer, and waited for his response. He scrutinized the ticket, looked up with warm eyes, and said “Perfect.”

I sat down and enjoyed the ride.

Here in Columbus, we may be amazed at how bus drivers navigate the streets. They seem to come inches from tree branches, cars, trucks, and signs; they skillfully navigate sharp turns. It is like magic.

On this trip, the driver would sometimes “toot” his bus horn at nearby residents along Karl Road. A woman working in her yard looked up wondering, “What was that about?”

A couple walking on the sidewalk waved back and smiled when they were “tooted.”

An older gentleman exited the bus on Morse Road, a busy place with fast, impatient drivers. The bus driver gently suggested to his passenger that he be safe crossing the street. It would have been so easy to just open the door and shut it without a thought about others. But not my driver. He went the extra distance with whisper of magic.

How many of our elderly are alone for long periods, how many of us cheer them up by just wishing them the best?

When I exited through the rear door at my stop, the driver “tooted” me also. I smiled and received the gift of his presence like many others.

Michael Bailey, Columbus