HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PROFESSIONAL DRIVER?
I’ve done this since I was 21. I have always liked to drive. I drove a school bus for a short time and drove for CRIS Senior Services and Crosspoint Human Services in Danville for a few years. I absolutely loved driving that school bus. I was pretty close to the kids’ ages so we got along really well. At Crosspoint, I transported some profoundly mentally and physically handicapped people.
HOW DID YOU END UP AT THE UI?
I had a friend who worked here and he told me what a great place it was to work. I had tried to get on here for years and I almost gave up on it. It’s been everything I thought it would be. It’s not a place people want to leave.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT DRIVING YOU LIKE?
It relaxes me. I like to be out and I like to see things. I don’t like a boss breathing down my neck.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT SERVING DISABLED UI STUDENTS?
All of them have had problems with their bodies, but their minds are just as good as ours. We have a lot of fun and joke around a lot. They’re just a group of young adults – they’re students.
WITH ALL THE VEHICLE AND FOOT TRAFFIC YOU FACE DAILY ON CAMPUS, DO YOU EVER GET ROAD RAGE?
I’m usually a pretty happy person and traffic doesn’t bother me a bit. I’m told I’m one of the most laid-back guys around. Everything works itself out and hollering and screaming doesn’t change anything. There are so many people who complain daily and I see what the kids I pick up are going through. These people have no idea. I’ve always told new drivers, ‘This is not the place to work if vehicle traffic and pedestrians bother you because it’s going to be that way every minute.’
ANY STUDENT WHO PARTICULARLY INSPIRES YOU?
There is a girl I pick up who has all these obstacles, but she is determined she’s going to get her degree. On the worst days she’s there ready to go. She has the best outlook on life. She always gets around and you just have to give it to her for how committed she is. Ninety percent of my riders are OK with their disability and live a normal life.
WHAT SKILL IS MOST VALUABLE IN YOUR JOB?
I’m a people person. I like to watch people; I like to find out more about them. Everybody’s different and I guess that’s what makes the world go ’round.
HOW IS THE UI DISABILITY-SERVICES BUS ROUTE OPERATED?
Basically, they get on and tell us where they need to go. We run Quad routes all day starting at 7:30 in the morning. We have a bus that serves a route on each side of campus and the night driver will make scheduled pickups from 7:30 to 10 p.m. They can also call for rides. We don’t go off campus unless it’s school or medical related. We don’t have time to get off the bus and walk them to class, but if they ask, we’ll do it. Most of them who need that extra assistance have a personal aide.
HOW MANY PICKUPS DO YOU MAKE IN A TYPICAL DAY?
On a good, sunny day like today, we may transport 50. On a day with ice and snow, maybe 150.
I KNOW YOU SAID YOU DON’T GET ROAD RAGE, BUT ALL THAT TIME IN TRAFFIC MUST IRRITATE YOU FROM TIME TO TIME.
To me, I think the traffic here flows pretty well with that many people on campus. As far as vehicles, there’s a big difference between campus and the real world. If there’s a lot of pedestrian traffic, I just sit there and watch them. I like watching people anyway. Bikes, now that’s the biggest thing for me. They really take advantage and it’s dangerous. It’s like they don’t have to follow pedestrian or vehicle rules. I’ve seen lots of bike accidents and they should really pay more attention.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELAX AFTER A LONG WEEK OF DRIVING?
Anything outside. That’s where I always want to be. I’m just a hangout kind of guy. I’m a nine-month employee so in the summer a friend and I have several yards we mow. I have been bowling for five years but my average is still only 100. It’s a lot of fun and something to do on a Saturday night.