Better Late Than Never!

So I told you that we had some detours downtown because of The Taste of Colorado.
What I forgot to tell you was that there were going to be a few delays!

And Oh Boy - have there been delays.
The morning half of my run ran so late that when I got to my "turn around" point to head back into town, I just dropped folks off and headed back into Denver.
No rest or reset - just boggie on down.

The second half of the run had me soo behind that I was actually on time for the next run.
So folks were no longer upset but glad to see me, thinking I was right on time!
And the Drivers behind me were so late that they were doing the runs of guys behind them.
It all worked out really well.

I've done runs on game days during Rockies & Broncos games and I've done a few runs during other weekend long events downtown.
But nothing prepared me for this weekend.
Between the CU vs CSU game, The Taste of Colorado and the long Labor Day weekend, it was sooo crowded downtown that we had to have detours around our detours.
I drove for seven hours this afternoon with no "stops" for food, water or restroom breaks.
The AC stopped working halfway through the day and the bus was parked in traffic more than it was moving down the road.
And to make certain I remember this day, the bus was packed so fully that most of the time it worked like a huge conveyor belt - you came in the front, packed in then eventually moved to the back and left out the back door!
And when I tell you we were packed solid, don't take that with a grain of salt.
If RTD pulled the surveillance system's video we would see that it was so tightly packed that instead of sitting, most people were standing three and four people thick (some even standing in the seats to make more room) in the seating rows.
We almost had to push strollers and "mobility devices" out the back door just to keep the conveyor moving.

But I gotta give Denver credit.
With the (it had to be over a thousand people served on just my bus alone today) amount of people processed this afternoon through my poor broken down bus, I can't recall one negative or sour pussed passenger.
Everybody kept it light, upbeat, we told a few jokes - everybody had patience and was helpful and understanding all day.
Folks engaged in some pretty awesome conversations that at times got the whole bus involved - it really was like going camping - some trips we were stuck on that bus together for over an hour.

So thank you, Denver - you were a great crowd today.
You left a positive impression on a squeaky new Driver who still loves his job.
And after today, I'd be fully justified in hating it.
But I don't.
I may stink to high Heaven from sweating like a pig all day in that nasty Driver's seat, and I may be dehydrated with an exploded bladder - but I'll tell you what...
The company sure was great.
In fact, I liked it so much - I think I'll do it again tomorrow.

Actually, I have to do it all over again on my Sunday run.

I'ma go say my Prayers right now - Lord be with me, that tomorrow all the same people get on my bus.

You know the Drill, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"