Monday, December 30, 2013

They Smile a Lot

I have been asking around about what the riders like most about the bus drivers. There are many things. One that is standing out is their friendliness. 

What is intriguing is that those whose names came up more frequently smiled a lot. 

While riding with Larry Jones on Sunday, he mentioned in his career as a bus driver he had a trainer who emphasized the importance of smiling. Of the names who surfaced as liked most, they all smiled a lot… in addition to Larry J., Debbie and Dottie’s names came up.

Others are very friendly and accommodating. The drivers whose buses I ride with more have very positive qualities too. Dawn has a friendly, caring voice; Randy a jovial sense of humor; and Dan a cordial professional personality. All good qualities.

There are many other drivers liked and who are friendly, but the Smile Factor stood out as a defining characteristic of those mentioned more frequently. A smile goes a long way in making a person feel welcomed, valued, important.

More to come later on why the drivers are liked by passengers… more observations there. Although the smile factor rose to the surface.

Lesson learned:
Smile… whenever you have the chance. A smile will never hurt you and it may very likely make the other person feel special. When we smile, we can’t help but feeling a little better ourselves too.

“A smile is a light in the window that tells others there is a caring, sharing person inside.” Denis Waitley 

For a great line of Biz Book Summaries with a Spiritual insight check out the Spirit Savvy Business. http://spiritsavvybiz.blogspot.com/







Thursday, December 26, 2013

Christmas Day at the Bus Terminal… not what I thought

Well, guess I missed this one. On a mission to be a friend at the bus terminal turned out to be not what I thought it would be.

The journey started out good as I went to the transit office to catch the first bus downtown. There they were... all lined up. Larry Jones, coming in to the office, told me I could go ahead and board one to get out of the cold. Nice gesture.

Then when downtown, as I got off the bus and watched the other buses pull out, I was told by the security guard I was not to hangout there. Told security what I was up to. She said it was not a good day, and few would be waiting at the terminal to board.  Decided to go find a restaurant. It’s Christmas Day and no one's open. Went back to the terminal.

Being a friend to those needing a friend was not there, because no one was there. People were busy going from one bus to the next when they did come in at the top of the hour(only four run on Holidays, and on Christmas Day only from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m..) So I really missed that one on my presupposition of what I would find, hoped to be/do on Christmas day.

The few there were… going home,  to a friend’s house, Christmas at someone’s house, another texting the whole time. When the buses came in the passengers scurried from one bus to another… not into the terminal. They were coming from the outside going to another part of town.

I think one area where the bus system gets hit sideways is people presuppose what is there, when it is there. The bus patrons were going from one place to another on a Holiday, and using transit as their means of transportation. If a person is not a regular bus user, he may presuppose many incorrect things. I presupposed what was happening at the bus terminal, during a Holiday, that was not there. We need to experience things to find out what really is going on. My mistake taught me a few things.

The lesson learned… find out the rules, conditions, check ahead of time about what you need to do and clear with whomever you need to, know what you are dealing with. Never presuppose what is happening somewhere, find out first.

My objective on Christmas Day was to be a friend to someone needing a friend and find out what passengers liked about the bus drivers. I think I ended up being the lonely guy I thought would be there. Left the terminal and came back home.

At the end of the day, I took 22 one more time. This time to ride around and back to my place, sorting out what I can use in my life the next time.

"Seek first to understand," Stephen Covey.


Monday, December 23, 2013

A Bus Terminal Christmas Day


Nowhere to go for Christmas.
Today I woke up feeling a little sorry for myself.

I was having coffee at my favorite morning coffee spot feeling glum, sad, lonely, thinking nowhere to go for Christmas, no invites, no special place to go on Christmas Day.  As I was staring out the window in the middle of my gloomy, bah humbug mood I see the bus go by.  

I felt a tug of the Christmas Spirit come over me. 

...  thought…

why not be a gift to others lonely during Christmas Day. I could go to the bus terminal and be someone’s friend. This thought ignited my Christmas Spirit, suffering at the moment.

So on Christmas Day I will be a gift to others waiting at the terminal and on the bus that day. Got an unlimited pass, so why not hang around the terminal and be a friend to those needing a friend. Others may have the same lonesomeness as me, but we can turn it around.

Needless to say, the spirit of Christmas came back.  Being a friend to someone needing a friend is the best gift I could give this Christmas. I felt I had a place and between me and someone else, I don't know yet, we can make it one of the most special Christmas Days I, we, have ever had.

Another lesson on the bus… we can be a friend to someone who needs a friend. We can find where they are and be a friend at a timely time.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Snow, cold, riding the bus a better idea

I have heard public transit is the safest and most reliable method of transportation when bad weather hits. A bus driver told me that a study on using a bus in bad weather showed that a bus is the safest method of transportation when it rains, sleets, or snows.

So, I used the bus after a big snow blast that hit the area with single digit temperatures staying below freezing for several days.

It was 9 degrees outside. I was bundled up with layers. Few were on the streets. Snow was plowed off the street unto the curb. Here comes the bus. The bus pulled up a foot or two from the snowy curb. I had to step on this pile of snow to get on. It was a little challenging as my one foot pushed down into the snow when I stepped on the bus. I lost my balance slightly(well, I had a carry bag on my shoulder. It slipped a little and that threw my balance off). The handrails are right there on the door which I hold on to when I board and that steadied me. (One note: The drivers are very conscientious about finding the best spot to pick you up and let you off in such conditions. In this case, the snow plow had just gone through and there was not a very good spot to be found.)

A lot of snow boots were on and off the bus, so the floor was wet from melted snow. I thought it might be slippery, but the new rubber-type floor material gripped my shoes even though very wet from the melted snow. The floor(which had to be some high tech, non-slip composition) actually seemed to provide better traction being wet, and probably safer than any flooring in one’s home.

Once on the bus it proved to be a great way to get around. The bus drivers are very skilled to drive well in inclement weather. The bus is heated so I unbuttoned my coat for the ride.  I was immediately in a warm, temperature controlled environment... a comforting and secure place.

What I appreciated was the peace of mind and comfort while getting around, knowing I didn’t have to be the skilled driver in snow, keeping my car safe from accidents, keeping me safer than in a car,

The terminal is heated as well so I could wait for the bus to return in a warm environment.  When getting off, the walk was a little brisky.  One positive is the walk keeps you warm. So it’s not as bad as the waiting part.

All in all, to face cold for 5 or 10 minutes…  that was the hardest part and that first step… after that it was great. To be warm, without the stress of driving on slick streets, and knowing I was with safe transportation made up the difference.

When it’s snowing and really cold, be sure to dress extra warm with layers, extra socks, thermal gloves, and thorough head covering including ears and nose, and carry as little as possible with you  Then when on the bus you can relax, enjoy the snow scenery and leave the getting around part in the hands of a skilled, experienced driver.

What I learned is the rewards of faith require courage to take that first step. Rewards of faith only come after that step.