I love you too

'I love you too'
This was what the driver of the bus that I was riding this morning said, when a car cut across from the left lane to the parking lot on the right.

This journey to my work takes me around a hr each day and all of a sudden without any reason, I started thinking about the bus drivers that I come across each day.

The earliest bus I have taken is the 7:05 AM bus which has an African American female as the driver.
Amongst all of em, hers is the most crowded in the mornings and she is the most punctual of them all.
Very taut and a wizened face, she doesn’t talk much unless somebody else starts the convo first.
I have to be there prompt at the designated time. Blink and she is gone.

Miss the bus and you run into a very colorful character, the next White driver operating the 7:25 bus.
I always used to think why can’t the bus drivers be more helpful and announce before each stop, what the next Stop/ junction is and stuff like that. Imagine my surprise, when this guy did exactly that, the first time I got into this bus. Not only that, he volunteers info about the connection buses at each stop as well. Neat.
Once he gets to see you quite regularly, he would even look to see if you are on the way whenever you are not at the stop.
He has done it a couple of times for me. “Boy. Why cant’ you start running the moment you seem me @ the bus stop” he would exclaim.
I would give him a wry smile and say,” well I wasn’t sure if you were stopping for me or for something else. I dint want to waste my energy you see” and then wink at him.
But this bus doesn’t go all the way to my work and I have to take a connection at an intermediate terminal.
There have been occasions when he has woken me up @ the terminal. “ sorry I cant take you all the way” he would say. :-)

The next bus again is at 7:40 and this is another African American. This is the bus I hate to go. This guy is so slow and he would for no reason stop 2 blocks before if he hears the sound of an approaching 'Goods train 2 miles away. “God don’t let me run into the train today” used to be my regular prayer whenever I board this bus.

Come the 7:55 bus and I am back to the routine of having to change buses at the terminal. This is the most talkative of all bus drivers. So funny a guy, guess he was working for one of the ‘Good morning America’ show with one of the local TV/ Radio channels.
He would talk about anything and everything including the results for the local sports teams. Boy he even talked about the elections and thanked us for voting the day after the election. He refused to tell us who his choice was. :-D
" Welcome to the Metro transport. This is Tueday 8:05 AM a bright sunny morning. You are riding the Red line TO Metro station. Wake up, smell the coffee and Good morning Arizona." was his usual pick up line
:-). and He would expect a return greeting as well.

When I am at my most laziest I would be forced to take the 8:10 bus. Havent travelled much in this bus, except to oggle at this desi girl who takes the bus. She works pretty close to my work place. I would be amazed cause she always dresses like she is going for a fashion show. Even more amazing is the fact that she takes the last possible bus which would take us/her to work around 9:15 and the moment the clock strikes 5:00 she’s out of work.
I am only guessing here though, because that’s the only bus I havent taken on the return trip., and I havent seen her on any other
But that’s another story, the return bus timings and the journey :P

I should mention here about this particular bus driver. An elderly but cheerful guy of around 60, the route that he operates takes me to the local mall. It was the day before thanksgiving I guess, and as is usual was having a chat with him. “ So do you get paid more for working on thanksgiving eve especially at nights” I asked him.
The conversation drifted on and he started talking about his Kid and his SIL. “ She is a doctor, you know. So is my SIL. They are coming here for thanksgiving. Hope to spend time with them”
If you are surprised by it, wait till you hear more.
“ Wow that nice. That must have been expensive. How did you manage to bring her up”
“Well I used to work at American Airlines u know. Then I worked for the US Air force. I have flown everything from the fighter planes to the latest fly by wire stuff including the transport planes like AN50 “ (or whatever)
Seeing my jaw drop a bit, he continued “ It is a bit weird yeah, driving this bus. But I wanted to do something. Not stay at home.”
“ I did my BE in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air force Academy and later did my MBA in Systems from Purdue.”

“Was director of the flight school after I retired from the Airforce. Then got tired, wanted to pilot a commercial plane and that is how I joined AA.”
All this time, I was listening with rapt attention.
Then as it so happens, and he started talking about outsourcing and how even Boeing is moving operations to China and elsewhere. “Don’t get me wrong. I am not against India or China or the wonderful people from there. But these people should worry about the local talent. Can you imagine my neighbor who was with Intel was told to either go to India or quit his job.”
“ He was given a pleasant shock by his employers who said he can extend his stay at Intel by another 6 months cause he has to train those people from China that are going to replace him,” he continued.
“He is now working in a machine shop to make ends meet and pay off his mortgage. Poor chap”

I looked outside and realized it was time to get down now that I was close to my destination. I bid adieu and wished him a good time and got down. I never thought about him until now.