Everybody Loves Ricky
ByFor over 2 years now I have been taking the Golden Gate Transit bus #4 to work every morning. It is early and usually dark when I get to the bus stop. Strangely enough I look forward to my early morning commute and that is because of Ricky, the bus driver! He was always there on time and always greeted me with enthusiasm and a warm smile.
Awhile back GG Transit changed the schedule and Ricky was no longer the driver on my usual bus route. I missed Ricky. The morning commutes just weren’t as fun without him. A few weeks ago a nice woman named Ali came up to me at the bus stop and asked if I had been one of the regular riders on Ricky’s bus. She told me he was retiring and invited me to take his bus on his retirement day. That is when I figured out where Ricky had gone. He’d been driving the earlier bus! The one I never take. The one that left at 6:39am. I’m more of a 6:49 or 7:04am kind of a bus rider.
Today, December 5, 2012 is Ricky’s last day driving the #4. I am going to miss Ricky’s beautiful smile and contagious positive attitude towards life. I am grateful I had the opportunity to be a rider on Ricky’s bus.
Thank you Ricky!
Seems I am not the only one who loves Ricky:
The bus was full of people on this stormy, dark morning who arrived with thank you gifts and well wishes for Ricky.
PS. In all the excitement I left my umbrella on the bus.
I smiled as I walked 2 blocks in the pouring rain to my office and arrived sopping wet.
5 Comments
December 5th, 2012 at 10:03 am
I loved reading this first thing this morning. It’s heartwarming to know that community can happen anywhere, even in places that are no “places” as such, given that their purpose is to keep you in transit.
I hope Ricky enjoyed his last day at work on that route.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:36 am
Thank you Maria! Yes, it is amazing how a simple smile can brighten so many people’s lives.
December 5th, 2012 at 2:00 pm
What a wonderful story. There is a greeter in my local drugstore that lights me up on my most down days. You are right Sally it is great to have people in your life like Ricky.
December 6th, 2012 at 9:08 am
Without going into details, let me just say….luck you!
April 30th, 2013 at 12:48 pm
[...] After spending the last month in Europe using public transportation, I am determined to use it more here in the Bay Area. Everyone always says the public transportation here sucks. I’m not so sure I agree with that. It may be limited but it doesn’t suck! for the last 2.5 years I took the bus from Marin to San Francisco 5 days a week and never had an issue. It was always on time, I always got a seat and the driver was super friendly. [...]