Hail to the bus driver, bus driver man

[backguy]

In my many years of travelling from Point A to Point B, there has been something that I have noticed, something that I like to call The Bus Driver's Creed, which goes something like this:

I, whenever driving my bus, will wave at every on-duty bus operator that I pass while driving, regardless of what organisation they are driving for.Just watch:

Comments

[kishmo]

I've noticed that on the TTC from time to time - although it's more an optional thing, I've noticed, than a mandatory thing. Some people even go so far as to stop their streetcars beside each other so the drivers can have a merry chat through their windows, while all the passengers silently seethe.
I know it's draconian, but they're TTC employees, and they've yet to earn my respect. I didn't pay my now stupidly high $2.75 for them to discuss the weather.

[a_chatterbox]

Buy tokens!

And I've noticed the friendly bus driver thing too, but only between TTC drivers - I haven't really noticed their interactions with non-TTC drivers - and not with every other bus driver.

[enigmaticdan]

We've discussed this before! :) When I was coming to Kitchener from St. Catharines, via Hamilton, my Coach Canada drive waved at every Hamilton transit bus we saw.

I think it's definitely an empathy sort of thing. And actually they may see each other again: with the exception of coach services, most of the drivers operate on scheduled services.

And your last question isn't made of two alternatives that are mutually exclusive. :)

[backguy]

Yes, this entry was partially inspired by our previous discussion.

I hadn't thought about the scheduled routes, but I guess you're right that many of the drivers will see each other on a regular basis. (I suppose that I'm biased by the fact that my bus usage is very much ad hoc, so I usually don't ride with the same bus driver.)

[secondarylab]

I've found this to be the very case indeed! Usually bus drivers, even of different organizations, like to give their fellow drivers "the wave". And "the wave" is usually just a simple wave where the driver lifts one hand off the steering wheel momentarily to reveal the palm of his hand. I think you can tell that I've analyzed this in great detail.

I distinctly noticed this when I was vacationing in BC / Alberta when I was about 10 years old. Truck drivers also waved to each other so I, being in the passenger seat, waved to them too. Haha, and they waved back too...so you can try it too but maybe it only works if you're a kid =P.