BUS STORY # 358 (Portrait # 22: Not Your Father's Bus Driver)

Ralph Kramden, downloaded from the website JackieGleason.com.

Right away, I notice two things about my driver this morning.

One is I’ve not seen her before.

The other is she’s out of uniform.

Instead of the standard black pants or knee-length black shorts, she’s got on a not-black miniskirt. It’s a classy, wide-weave, natural-colored fabric, and it stops halfway down her tanned, trim thighs.

I look up and see big sunglasses and a bright blonde pixie-cut. I also see she’s tan and trim all over.

This is when I notice the third thing: She’s a whole lot closer to my age than my daughter’s.

I swipe my pass and say good morning.

She gives me a big smile and says a cheery good morning back.

Wonderful voice! Contralto. Dark, rich, warm. She says good morning not only like she means it, but like she’s right about it.

And sure enough, now that I’ve heard her say it, I can see she is right about it.

I take a seat, and watch her swing the articulated Rapid back into the traffic. It’s pretty obvious she’s driven this bus around the block a time or two.

I don’t know the story behind the dress code departure, but I can’t imagine she is any more troubled by it than she is by this big ol’ bus or by her age. She’s in the driver’s seat and lovin’ it.

And that makes me smile.