Hard-working bus drivers rock so we can roll

NEWS — Thank a bus driver on Tuesday. Give him or her a friendly wave as you drive by, or, if you take the bus, thank them personally.

B.C. Transit and the City are officially celebrating the contributions of hard-working bus drivers March 18. “This could be as simple as a smile and a wave when you board the bus or train, and a ‘thank you’ when you leave,” says Transit.

“Consider this: for hours on end, transit drivers manage to keep a schedule, check fares, give directions, announce stops, remember stop requests and more, all while safely maneuvering an extra-large vehicle through unpredictable traffic, adverse weather conditions and some really tight spaces.

“The fact is, transit drivers don’t have an easy job; they just make it look that way.”

Transit Driver Appreciation Day was conceived in 2009 in Seattle. March 18 is the day in 1862 that bus service was started in Paris.

A Transit website offers riders several thank-you card designs that can be printed and handed out to drivers. Among them are one that says, “Hey, driver! You really pick me up. (Thanks!)” and another that says “Because you rock, I roll.”