The Nice Thing About Strangers
Creative Non-Fiction Short Stories. :) Travel, Oldsters, Love, and Compassion.
Driving Questions
It’s hard to hear their actual conversation. There’s the kind, booming voice of the bus driver, the questioning tone of the young, blonde boy. The boy wears a Transformers t-shirt and it’s his first time on a bus. His father sits nearby while the boy asks the driver about the new bus lane, about the passengers, about whether he likes driving people from place to place. The bus driver tells him fascinating facts about the newly minted bus system in town. Of particular interest to the boy are the mirrors he uses to watch the doors on the back of the bus, to be sure people get in safely and to close them when everyone is inside. At a stop, as a family boards near the rear, the boy hops to try and get the same view as the driver. The driver explains, then asks the boy to check his work. The boy turns to see the family already seated, then he gives the driver an all-clear. The boy studies the features of the bus, and the driver warmly replies to the ceaseless questions. In fact, the passengers can see–from their view of the driver’s eyes in the now-infamous mirror–how the driver beams, how the driver is delighted to be interviewed.
-Colorado
This seemed a good playful pairing to the set in the story. 🙂 A curious dog in Croatia.
The Nice Thing About Strangers 
Love your story, Paige 🙂
I like so much to learn about bus-drivers who love what they do, Paige – here it happens very infrequently … but I suppose that driving the same tar-&-cement routes every day could well take it out of you. Especially when you have a State government department riding you over ludicrous KPIs …
🙂 In my home state, there are only really buses in the major cities. This is a new line, a sort of “park and ride” that takes people up the main street and into the busy Old Town, where there is virtually no parking. Americans do like our personal space and our cars, but perhaps this line with catch on. I hope so. They built them a whole separate road off of the main street!
Paige
When someone enjoys their job, they are delighted to share the experience, especially with a young person.
Darlene, I agree. I think it may have been a highlight for the man. I have had experiences like this, which make the day go faster. 🙂
Paige
I’m sure almost everyone left that bus with a rosy inner glow. The enthusiasm of a child is wonderful, and to have that joy encouraged by the busdriver is wonderful. I can see his eyes twinkling in the mirror, too.