Being a bus driver for a city's public transportation system can be a thankless job. You have to deal with fare evaders, bad weather, traffic slowdowns, unruly passengers, and all kinds of things that can take away your sunny attitude, but nothing would get in the way of a local driver in Kingman, AZ who drove her last shift this weekend. A family emergency caused her to resign from her position, resulting in a lot of tears and hugs as she said goodbye.
My policy here has always been to not identify any private person who has not previously received press coverage, and so I am respecting the privacy of this woman, but let me tell you - she is loved and will be missed! She always greeted passengers with a smile, but there was so much more. She had the patience of a saint. A couple of her regular passengers are over 90 years old, and so patience really comes in handy! She was always quick to give complete and accurate information to a newcomer or visitor. She made you feel like you were part of the family.
I'd be wrong if I didn't acknowledge that several Kingman Area Regional Transit are above average - maybe they treat their employees right and the drivers pass that on to the passengers. Whatever the cause, this particular driver is extra-special. The City of Kingman might not want to know that she broke a few rules (nothing that would compromise safety) - things like waiting an extra few minutes for someone she saw running for the bus or letting someone out at a corner that wasn't actually a designated stop. She was always thinking of the passenger. She wasn't just the driver of their bus, she became their friend. It's not often I get to say this about a bus driver, but this kind and caring woman truly made a difference!
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