north shore news Gs AUTO Friday. August 21, 1S88 — North Shore News — 27 In praise of those who drive us from SOMETIMES enough is enough. Sometimes it’s just too much. To me, this hcre communi- ty paper of our spends an inor- dinate amount of time lam- basting bus drivers. 1a bus driver so much as looks at you sideways these days its cnough fodder for « half page spre d decrying a verbally abusive, full bladdered, baby-hating, drunk-teen oppressing, book- worm transit operator. Enough: already. For all the letters to the editor, for all the investigative reports trying to get to the bortom of the latest lament, something is a bit amiss when it comes to describing the men and. women at the heart of these stories: the bus driver. As everyone has probably “suspected, bus drivers are “human beings: men and women earning a paycheque b rting, other human North Shore’ 5 transit si system, while. far from perfect is a viable alternative form of transportation which many residents utilize daily.) Bus drivers, being, human, “have human fallibilities which at the same time can be a source of contempt for some and a saving grace for others. The contemptuous, it scems, squeak louder and therefore receive more oil when it comes to News’ coverage. We rarely . fro m reasonable people E B45 gee who are quietly grareful some Joud-mouth was given the boot, or who secretly thinks “thar was probably the stupid- est question Pve ever heard.” When you break down to component parts whar it is that a bus driver does all day, you may want to think twice before your next critique. In fact, you may want to build a monument or deciare a holi- day in honor of the local good guy/gal that is the bus driver. Anyone who drives in this town knows that “Bonehead City” is too kind a euphemism. The number of moron drivers encountered on your drive to work alone prab- ably leaves you with ulcers. So you take the bus. Picture now the bus driver who spends his or her entire day in the thick of it, surrounded by motoring maniacs, bewildered bone- heads and braindead pedestri- ans. Just i imagine hac. No one is ever shocked when a postal worker goes berserk and gens down an office full of zo co-workers. There’s even a modern collo- guialism for such action — Excellence by Oldsmobile, onl one left, brand new, was $49,515 “Going Postal.” _ Pve yet to hear ofa bus er “Going Transit” at the por and fur that ?’'m grateful and surprised. After the maddening crap bus drivers endure all day it's a wonder we don’t throw a homecoming party every time they make it back to Lonsdale Quay alive and undamaged. As for rudeness, short tem- pers or riders who think of bus drivers as paid servants of a lower class who should shout “how high sir?” every ne rhey’re asked to jump, think for a minute. All day long bus drivers are confronted by all walks of fife: lots of friendly West-Coasters, sure, but many snobs, drunks, s, cheats, thieves and not to mention foul- mouthed punk-kids testing out the latest four-letter-word; people who can’t speak the janguage but ask questions anyway; people who won't speak English but expect answers anyway. And drivers are expected to be kind and courteous and helpful? What ever happened to just getting commuters from point Axo B in one piece? Like that’s not enough? Like being responsible for 50 or 60 lives -— responsible in the face of the benchead motorists of Bonehead City — is so simple a task thar we can easily expect drivers to be diplomats, coun- sellors, tour guides, translators 7 FINANCING and good sports? Gimme a break. The point A to B stuffis more than we can ask for. Why push it? Look, the next time a bus driver glances at you side- ways, or decides to immerse lf in a book for a tew ft rake a moment BETTY Acid and her husband Doug bough? this iiary. v yeu! ow 196% Ba ‘acuda: 1971 and have lovingly cared for it ever since: The West Vancouver resident. only 1,443 convertible "Cudas were made in. 1969. (H you have a speci to quietly thank him or her for not having a psychotic episode on your run. And i hope that this “Public Relations Retraining” which BC Transit forces dri- vers to endure every time Joe Schmo bitches about rude behavior is nothing more than a bunch of guys sitting around playing cards and talking about sailing. Ic is the public that needs retraining. It is the public that needs to fearn to relate. Smarten up. Quit the bitching already. Go Transit. Be safe. says: relatioi ship with your vehicle, call the News photography dep rtment at 985-21 a1} om ‘on. selected new & used 1993 | & newer vehicles. By special. arrangement