They’re taking away your freedom
There was a period of time where I had a driver on the 50 who decided that the bus PA system was their own personal pulpit. I must say that this driver was punctual, polite, and cautious. I know that they meant well. However, it started getting weirder and weirder every day.
It started out innocently enough, when the bus would stop, the driver would say “Have a safe and peaceful evening.” Now, that’s a nice thing to say, but also, they said it EVERY time the bus stopped. It started to become a little annoying.
Eventually, they’d start slipping in other little messages after their salutation..”Have a safe and peaceful evening….They’re taking away your freedom…” Mind you , this is over the bus PA system, and more than one head kind of swiveled around like “What the ___ was that about?”
This went on for a couple of weeks, mostly the innocent chatter and salutations, Until one day, all h_ll broke loose. The driver made their usual “have a safe and peaceful evening. Everybody take care of each other.”….. Then. the following came out: “They’re taking away your freedoms. You need to write to your congressmen to tell them that pharmacies can’t deny birth control to women.” A few people applauded lightly.. Heck, even I agreed with the sentiment, but over the PA system? Emboldened by the apparent show of support, they continued on with a lengthy diatribe about the topic and now we all needed to make sure this didn’t happen, etc. I swear if the bus hadn’t been moving, they’d have started running up and down the aisles with a collection plate.
Thankfully my stop was imminent. After I got off the bus, another passenger and I looked at each other and he said, “Do you ride this bus all the time. Are they always like that?” I had to respond, “Well, this was the worst I’ve seen.. I don’t suspect they’ll be driving for too much longer” After that, I never saw the driver again.
Dec 5th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
This sounds like a driver I had on the 16 once, although she would occasionaly throw blessings into the mix. I think She works out of the Nicollet garage now, she drove my 2 last night.
Dec 5th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Got me thinking about the same driver on the 16.
Dec 6th, 2007 at 11:20 am
I know this driver. Last spring/summer she drove the 14. I actually find her a breath of fresh air compared to the drivers who chew people out about being short on fare and stuff like that.
Dec 6th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
yah! So stop complaining about her. Is she a lesbian? Does she put any time into men? She’s so obsessed with everything else.
Dec 6th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
I drive the 16 as a regular driver, Could Some one tell me How many years you have to go to the U of M to become a SNOB? I,d like to become one!, U of M …………..I,m not impressed!!!!!!!!!!! The books have sucked out all commen since and any politeness they might of had!, I Myself also went to the U, back then they had a different motto! (ALWAYS SHOW RESPECT TO OTHERS! ALWAYS IGNOKWOLAGE OTHERS, HELP YOR NEIGHBOR, BE PROUD OF YOUR UPBRINGING! SO MUCH MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I,m not seeing any of that anymore ,I,ve been here 15 YRS. WHAT HAPPENED????????????? I Have A Degree too But I CHOSE this job , because I love it! but you act like you,re all that and we are the low life and are unworthy of any aknowledgement, I may not be very good at spelling, I have driver friends who have PHD,s And! chose this profession because of the nature of the job, BUT………… I also see what they see! SNOB CITYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!! and thier isn’t A thing we can do , It must be the FUTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Welcome to 2008!!!!!!!!!1
Dec 6th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Apparently I didn’t phrase this post very well. So, sorry if I offended anyone. It wasn’t meant to be “snobbish”, more of an observation that I didn’t feel that the bus driver should be using the bus PA as a personal pulpit. I happen to agree with this driver’s sentiments about the subject, and I think that she is/was a very good driver, which I pointed out. If this were a conversation between she and another passenger, off-mike, then fine. But when this conversation is being played out over the ENTIRE bus PA, which also made a lot of people uncomfortable. I feel that it was unprofessional. Plenty of others thought the same thing. I have great respect for the drivers, I have ridden the bus every work day for nearly 13 years. I’ve seen good drivers, and drivers that are complete a**hats. I didn’t go to the U, I work there, so I’m not claiming to be smarter or better than anyone. Again, the point was, I felt it unprofessional to do what she did. Sorry if it came off as otherwise.