“All right, let’s have a nice day.”
When I was in elementary school, these words were spoken to me each morning by my mother as I stepped out of the car in the carpool line.
Now I hear them spoken to me by the Tigerland A bus driver as I step off onto the sidewalk outside of Lockett Hall.
Ah, Tiger Trails — the University’s bus system that gets us where we need to go, while giving us a unique experience that cannot be matched by any other LSU utility.
For some students, the first bus ride to campus is a rite of passage, signaling their newfound independence as they become an off-campus student.
There are several benefits to taking the bus instead of driving to campus. If I were to drive my car each day to campus, I would have to pay $600 per year in gas and parking fees. That is $600 that I save, while giving up the responsibility of navigating traffic, dodging pedestrians and finding parking spaces. I am then free to listen to my iPod and enjoy the scenic ride along Nicholson Drive.
Riding the bus also gives you a look at the diversity of the LSU student body.
Like dipping a ladle into LSU’s melting pot of students, you find yourself bumping elbows with some who don’t speak your language, and some who speak it a little too loudly.
Some of my best Tiger Trails anecdotes involve the members of Baton Rouge’s community who are also making use of this valuable resource.
On one particular bus ride, I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with an older woman, who encouraged me to continue on in college, no matter how tough it seemed. She told me that her biggest regret was not going to college and that I had to take advantage of the opportunity I was given, no matter the cost.
I knew that this was one of those moments that I would look back on later in the semester when things were bleak and I was stressed about exams.
The bus drivers are just as diverse in personality as the riders.
Operating a daily fleet of 19 vehicles, the men and women who make up the Tiger Trails bus drivers are among some of the finest LSU employees.
Some have a fondness for music, others seem to love the intercom, but all are there, rain or shine, to give LSU students a ride to school.
Public relations major Matthew Bagot tweeted on Monday: “One of the best things about @lsu’s Tiger Trails are the friendly bus drivers … I look forward to telling them hello every day!”
Later that same day, he was so delighted during the bus ride that he tweeted again: “I’ve decided that I am going to get this bus driver a Christmas card.”
Should you feel moved to, I hope you take whatever steps you can to show how grateful you are to the men and women operating LSU’s bus system.
And that starts with a simple thank you, as you step onto campus.
This is the appreciative attitude we should all have toward our bus drivers. Those dedicated individuals who get us where we need to be, maybe not always when we need to be there, but always with a story to tell our friends.
I encourage all LSU students — the next time you find yourself squished like a can of sardines into one of those purple and white vehicles, take a look around and realize how fortunate we are to be on this ride.