During my 21 years in the operator’s seat I was assaulted three times, once by another driver. I clearly understand and sympathize with how confronting and fearful it can be. Nonetheless, I disagree with the knee jerk solutions offered by transit authorities. Additional security cameras only give evidence after the fact and do not protect the driver in the moment of assault. The implementation of plexiglass shields on buses is akin to walling up your children so they won’t get hurt. Both of these “solutions” fly in the face of the multi-faceted services drivers provide.
Ambassadors for Change
Each driver comes into contact with 150,000 people a year. It is a unique opportunity to make a difference in the world.
If you’ve ever ridden public transit, you know that when people clamber aboard a bus they seem turned off, as if the time spent travelling is a kind of numbed out limbo realm that doesn’t really count as part of their real life.
In addition to the impassive faces, the atmosphere in the bus is permeated with a dismal, unhappy energy as if it were full of people heading for a day of hard labour at the salt mines rather than what I believe is the truth: that they are participants in the miracle of another precious day in their lives.
My mission is simple: I know that as a bus driver-or in fact anyone who works in the public-is in a position to make a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. How I endeavoured to bring real fun and joy into people’s daily commute and, by extension, into their lives is what my book Bus Tales: How to Change the World is all about.
Changing the Way We Work
As a bus driver, I believe that we can stand proud in the fact that our “average joe” job provides us with a unique opportunity to reach out and make a positive difference in the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people we each meet every year.
I invite anyone—bus driver or not—to pick up the baton and be an ambassador for change by playing with the tools I have outlined in my book. And I mean play. The whole idea is to have fun with this, to stretch yourself in your job and your life by realizing that what you do and how you do it has a real impact on others. And equally important: Don’t underestimate the powerful impact that acknowledging others has on your own health, happiness, well-being and job satisfaction!
Acknowledge-Mint
When you acknowledge someone it is like giving them a small bit of verbal candy: it leaves a sweet taste in the interaction.
In my experience, people are tickled pink when you remark on a unique aspect of who they are.
We all want to be seen in the best possible light. When we are acknowledged for who we are, we naturally light up and feel good. This positive feedback reflection gives us hope, inspires us to be our best and makes us feel connected to the larger community.
The Art of Acknowledgement is the heart of my book Bus Tales: How to Change the World from 9 to 5 and the basis of my talks and sharinars.