Silver Spring, MD – Heart attacks, knife-wielding passengers, bare foot children on snowy streets, gun shot victims, and flash floods – ATU members have pretty much seen it all on the job.
Today is Transit Driver Appreciation Day. ATU salutes our transit operators salutes our bus drivers not only for the vital service they perform, but for the many extra acts of help and kindness they perform every day.
ATU also recognizes the mechanics and personnel who support bus driver, for their hard and often unappreciated work each day getting riders safely to and from work, school, the doctor, religious services and perform other vital daily tasks.
ATU also salutes our members who have gone above and beyond the call of duty on the job.
Like Local 697- Toledo Sister Krissy Bofia is a single mother of two who started a drive at the Local to donate bottled water for students at Rosa Parks Elementary School collecting water for families in Flint, Michigan, impacted by the water lead crisis. Within just a week the donations had filled up a 40-foot bus full of bottled water.
Like St. Louis, MO, bus operators Bryant Goston, Bryan Moore and Richard Hines, who were recognized for their heroism and bravery after assisting motorists trapped in a burning overturned car. The three members of Local 788 were on a break when they heard the unmistakable sound of two vehicles colliding. They ran over to investigate and found that one vehicle had overturned and was on fire, trapping four people inside. They grabbed the fire extinguishers from their buses and jumped into action, pulling the victims from the burning car, quickly extinguishing the flames, and keeping bystanders safe as they contacted emergency responders.
We commend the professionalism that all ATU members bring to the job, and join our passengers in thanking them for all that you do.
Transit Driver Appreciation Day was conceived in 2009 by transit riders in Seattle as a way to honor the many hard-working men and women who keep us all moving safely each and every day. More information can be found at the Transit Driver Appreciation Day website and the Transit Driver Appreciation Day Facebook page.