City bus drivers share rides, stories with passengers

Everyone has a story, said Steve Gilbert, a bus driver for Bloomington Transit.

“I’ve gotten to know one of the beggars who works on a corner,” Gilbert said. “This guy is a Desert Storm vet. Marines taught him how to kill, and they also taught him how to drink. Once in a while I’ll do something nice. I want them to know I’m not going to ignore them.

“Living with your eyes wide open and with integrity is something more people need to do.”

Gilbert, known to his co-workers as “Steve-O,” said December will mark his one-year anniversary of working for Bloomington Transit.

A semi-retired creative professional, Gilbert said he attended film school before majoring in graphic design and commercial art at the University of Cincinnati.

“My professional history was about 28 years,” he said. “I’ve probably got 300 minutes of commercials on my reel. I’ve got boxes of awards that someday I’ll hang in my bathroom.”

Gilbert said he likes to mix up his driving schedule so he does not get complacent.

Tom Schroeder, a fellow bus driver, said he also likes variety. Drivers’ schedules change each semester, Schroeder said, and they get to choose what schedule they want based on seniority.

Schroeder has been driving for Bloomington Transit for nearly eight years and said he has been with the company long enough that he cannot use the “I didn’t know” excuse anymore.

Currently, Schroeder said he drives the Route 4 bus on Monday, the Route 7 on Wednesday and Thursday and the Route 1 on Friday.

“It’s not the same street I look at every day,” he said. “Not all drivers like variety. If they have seniority, some drivers stay on the Route 3 forever.”

Gene Reed, who has been driving for Bloomington Transit for more than five years, said he prefers to drive the Route 6 bus every day. Reed said the route deals with college students, which he enjoys.

“I would rather have students on the bus than not anybody,” he said. “Once in a while, I leave Smallwood without anybody on the bus.”

Arben Cherisha sticks with the same route for a different reason. Cherisha said he has been driving for almost three years and chooses the Night Owl shift every semester.

He attends classes at Ivy Tech Community College, building his class schedule mainly on the first three days of the week.

“It’s a big sacrifice, but I have to go through it,” he said.

Cherisha said he already has a degree in mechanical engineering from a university in Albania, but it is not valid in the United States.

He said he is now working toward a degree in public affairs.

The Night Owl bus differs from other bus routes because drivers have to rely on different skills, Cherisha said. Driving at night requires more attention than driving during the day and also requires drivers to change sleeping patterns, he said.

“Because the hours are different, people are performing different activities,” Cherisha said. “We have more people frequenting clubs, bars, restaurants, theaters – but most importantly, we have a lot of students studying late at night.”

Cherisha said he handles different situations from tired drivers to individuals riding the bus that have been out “enjoying the evening.”

“Actually, ‘Night Owl’ might not be the right title for the bus,” he said. “I might say the ‘Night Care’ for students because I have the greatest sympathy for students I see studying late nights or taking the bus at 3 a.m. and they’re still going to their first class in the morning. It’s amazing to see young boys and girls committed to their education.”

Reed said he also noticed a distinct difference between passengers in the morning compared to those in the afternoon. Most of the early-morning riders are female, he said, and guys tend to come out and get on the bus around 10 or 11 a.m.

Conversations with passengers are discouraged, Schroeder said, so drivers can focus on their job.

However, Schroeder said he has had some interesting interactions with passengers. One man he spoke with was an archery expert in the military, he said.

Schroeder said he has learned that if you try to be nice to people all the time, everything runs smoother. Drivers want people to use the bus, he said, so they want to create a favorable impression.

“What really annoys me is when I make a mistake,” he said. “It gets to be where I don’t even hear the chime anymore. I say I’m sorry and pull over. What else can you do?”

The bus can teach passengers how to keep their composure and move through their day in a graceful way, Gilbert said.

It also teaches them how to appreciate a good breath of air when they get off the bus, he said.

“There are a hundred stories in every little city,” he said. “People should ride the transit first and see the community through those links.”