BUS STORY # 398 (What? Me Worry?)

Downloaded from Impact Lab

I learned this morning just how seasoned an ABQ RIDE veteran rider I am.

I was taking the 11 westbound to downtown when I noticed the bus wasn’t turning south on Second like it was supposed to.

Several of my co-riders noticed, too, and they called out to the driver she’d missed her turn.

I wasn’t one of them.

I knew this driver. I knew she’d done several tours on the 11 route, and that she was a good driver with common sense, a good personality, and a good rapport with her riders. I didn’t think she had missed her turn, or had decided to hijack the bus and drive us all to Arizona. She was detouring for what I was confident was a good reason. I felt no concern whatsoever.

Sure enough, she explained a water main had broken downtown, and all buses were being detoured around the Second Street approach to the ATC. End of story.

The incident did bring to mind my experience with another driver’s detour when I was still a greenhorn and too entertained by what was happening to be anxious. You can read that story here.

And then there’s the story of the driver who really did miss his turn, and whose correction made even the stone-faced security guard laugh out loud. You can read that story here.