From: "Friends of Transit NEWS" To: "Friends of Transit NEWS" Subject: Bus Buddies build camaraderie on daily express routes Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2002 10:40 PM Bus Buddies build camaraderie on daily express routes By Claudia I. Provencio The Arizona Republic Feb. 26, 2002 12:00:00 More information . Read more about commuting and driving issues at driving.azcentral.com. When computer technician Joe Niles started taking the express bus to downtown Phoenix in 1993, "everyone sat there and read their book." But two years later, Niles said Valley Metro's 510 Scottsdale Express got a new life as the "party bus" when driver Charlie Thompson took over. Thompson started bringing doughnuts and fruit for the passengers, throwing baby showers and birthday parties on the bus and arranging happy-hour gatherings. "My intention was just to have them enjoy the trip in," Thompson said. "I appreciated that people were parking their cars and taking the bus." Thompson was later promoted to a desk job, but the tradition of the fun bus, dubbed Bus Buddies, continued. Under driver Burt Nye, some buddies even took a cruise together. When Bill Logan, the route's third driver, transferred last month from Scottsdale to the 541 Chandler Express route, he took the spirit of Bus Buddies with him. He puts out a weekly Bus Buddies newsletter for Chandler riders via e-mail and sends it to some of his old 510 riders and others. Logan uses headings like "Bumber Sticker" of the week ("If you want loyalty, get a dog" was a recent one ) and "Ask the Driver" and "Drivers Lounge" for jokes, goofy pictures and transit questions. Passengers on his bus say express buses have their own cultures, and they can become a small universe of 20 to 30 people going to and from work every day and sharing their lives. "We have had two riders whose children battled cancer, one who lost their daughter to cancer just two years ago and one whose child survived and is doing well," said Mesa resident Sandra Fischer, 43, who rode the 541 for six years before taking a job working from home. The riders collected funds for the families and even attended the child's funeral. "There is a big prayer chain on that bus too, and it helps us all in times of crisis," Fischer said. Logan's newsletter for riders is unique, said Teri Collins, principal transit planner with Valley Metro. But Collins, an express bus rider herself, said tight-knit communities on local bus routes are rare because riders go a short distance and may not ride the bus every day. Expresses are different. "The express riders ride on a daily basis, are there for years, and they get to know the other riders on their trip whereas local riders don't always talk to one another on the bus," she said. Many riders get referrals on the bus, such as where to find a good mechanic, a store with good party supplies or a reliable babysitter. "I know when the weddings are, when the grandbabies are born and whose having trouble in school," Fischer said. Lynn Timmons, a manager in the Phoenix Intergovermental Programs Office, said buses are also a great place to take the pulse of the suburban public. "I just think that most people consider the bus to be something that's not safe or comfortable," she said. "Actually, riding the bus can be very relaxing and can actually enhance your social life." Thompson, now an operations supervisor with Valley Metro's private contractor ATC/Phoenix, said he had no idea the community he established would spread. "It was during a trying time in my life, and they gave me a chance to look forward to something Monday through Friday," he said. "All they want is service and a friendly face. I think that's what all of us look forward to."