Stories From The Road
This is the page where you can post all the great stories (and even not so great ones) that happen out there on your trips.
Here's just a few of mine...
Stopping Power
I remember one time, while on a DC trip, I got abruptly cut off by a lady in a VW Golf. I caught her at the very next red light, where she was sitting polishing her nails. I had to know, so I popped the door open and asked her if she had seen me... Her response?
Yeah, I saw you, but you have bigger brakes than I do...
DUH!
Lizzie Borden...Tour Guide
Normally, I love working with tour guides, but there was one time that I remember very vividly. This young lady had ZERO personality. In fact, she met me at the garage. (I am going to change her name here to protect the guilty) She stuck out her hand, and said Hi, I'm Tina. "You will do what I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you...Got it?"
I could see this trip was going to be fun...Three days in New York City with Lizzie Borden...We left the garage and went to pick up our people. She treated them the exact same way. On day 2, we had to go to the Empire State Building for the people, and she insisted that we go down 5th Ave. I told her that would not be a good idea because there was a parade that day. In front of all our passengers, she screamed at me " Just do as I said, and dont argue." Fine.
For those who have never been there, 5th Ave is, for the most part, a four lane street, which is one of New Yorks busiest. I somehow managed, through no fault of mine, to get stuck in the middle lane, and it took us 2 hours to get out of there. The passengers were not pleased, and we almost had a lynching on the bus. They were't mad at me, just her.
And, the best part...I still got a huge tip! The group leader thought I "suffered" enough...
Second Class Turnaround
I was on a trip from Natick, Mass to DC. We were heading down the Jersey Turnpike and there were two 7th grade boys in the seat directly behind me, talking to me about bus driving. They were talking to me for about 15 minutes, when the school principal said to them... "I told you not to talk to the bus driver, they're second class citizens."
Well, I wouldn't have minded if she had said something like, he's busy driving, or I don't want you to distract him...But no, not her...Second class or nothing. I was stewing, but feeling the need to set a good example to these kids (since SHE wasnt) I needed a plan.
About 50 miles or so down the road, I overheard her talking to a parent/chaperone. She was discussing that it was her first year as a principal. She then started talking finances...And she wasn't too smart because she included me in the conversation. How NICE of her!
She was bragging becasue the small school she was at was paying her a lousy (in my book) $17,500 per year. She asked me to be honest and wanted to know about what we made as bus drivers. I told her so far for the year, I was at $24,000, and I had a quarter year to go.
Needless to say, she didnt have too much to say from then on, as the parents that heard her initial remark really laughed. She did, by the way, later apologize for the remark, and I accepted.
Bob Evans, Down On The Farm
A number of years ago, I picked up a group of Bob Evans Restrauant executives, and took the from Pittsburgh, PA to Louisville KY. They were a great group of people, and it was rather amusing to watch them get all worked up at the sight of a McDonalds or Burger King.
We got to Louisville, and I was expecting a working trip...shuttle here, shuttle there. I never minded any trip I was given, because ANY trip can be fun. When we got to the hotel, the group leader handed me a room key. It was for the suite! Wow! That was a first for me.
I asked them what time they needed me to take them someplace. He looked at me and laughed, and said, hey, enjoy your break. We won't need you or the bus for 5 days. I almost died...
He said they planned this trip so they could walk to everything. I was still in shock when he also turned around and handed me $150 for my meals for the week. Needless to say, I told him to call me if they needed anything at all, and I would be more than happy to drive them. The rest of the 5 days was soooo relaxing, laying by the pool. Got them home, and they turned around and gave me a huge tip. They were really high class folks!
Customs 101
Kids trips were always my favorites. To simply watch their amazement about the things they are going to see is really a exciting part of this job. I did, however, do a trip to Niagara Falls with a group of teens that turned into a nighmare at the border.
The entire 4 day trip was totally uneventful and fun. That is, until we were coming back to the good old USA. I told the students and parents on the bus that the best bet is to answer the questions asked by the agents with simple yes sir, no sir style. One would think that was a simple request. HA!
The agent got to the rear of the coach, and asked one young man if he had anything to declare. My stomach turned when I heard..."it's really none of your business." Mr. Agent came back up the aisle, asked me to pull the bus over to another area, asked for a roster of students, and asked which bags were mine. He then procceded to literally dump every suitcase, carry on bag and box on that bus. Seemed he had nothing better to do that day. Meanwhile, on of his co-workers, removed bigmouth from the bus and took him to a special area. He was made to call his parents to come get him. I bet they were't too happy. We departed with the rest of everyone about 4 hours later.
I Made A Basket!
I was on a trip in Queens, NY many moons ago. Our pick up was at a school. myself and a fellow driver, Brian, showed up a hour or so early. It's a good thing we did...
We needed a place to turn around, so I found a parking lot in the back of the school. It was plenty big enough to turn around. Brian and I had two identical MC9's. I went first, and had no problem at all making the turn around. I proceeded on thinking all was well, until the two way radio crackled...
"STOP! Shawn, STOP!" is what I heard on that radio. I stopped and ran back to Brians bus. He apparently had misjudged the bus in the trun, and installed a basketball hoop inside the coach. Made a nice 10 inch hole, and removed the two amber marker lights off the top corner by the door. We had to think fast because we pick up in less than a hour. After I talked Brian into calling the boss to explain this, I dug through my luggage bin and got out the trusty duct tape. It worked fine, and lasted until we got back. By the time we got back, our boss was making light of it, saying what made him the most mad was having to buy a hoop and not getting to use it!
Duct tape...Bus Drivers best friend!
More to come!