You Got The Time, Driver?

I'm into my Third Year here as a Driver.
And while I understand that to many of the other Drivers, I'm still the new guy - but that's years of experience on the routes that I drive.

That means I know where I can make up a few minutes and knowing where I'm about to get behind by a few minutes.
That means knowing where I'll be stuck behind trains or lights that take 15 minutes to get through and where there are stretches that I can actually make the speed limit and not pick up customers for miles.

All that said...
If I'm behind schedule (I hate saying late!) it is not my fault.
I can only go as fast as traffic will let me, as fast as the cars who keep cutting in front of me allow me to go.
As fast as the lift on the bus will go up and down.
And as fast as the passengers walking all the way to the back of the bus to sit down, then change their minds and come to the front, then change their minds again and go to the middle - allow me.
And yes - I'm that Driver who will not floor it and take off while little old Ladies, Parents & their children or the disabled are still trying to find their seats.
I won't take off while folks with drinks in one hand, wallets/purses in the other and no free hands to grabs rails are still trying to sit down.

I actually had one passenger notice that and tell another passenger that the bus wasn't moving because the Driver was waiting for her to sit down - saying out loud what every other passenger on the bus was thinking while staring at her taking more than a minute to find her seat.

You healthy schlubs, I'll take off the second you get past that yellow/white line in the front of the bus.
If you're listening, you'll hear me warn you, "Hang on!"
But you can handle it.

And by the way (side note) you all know that the routes were timed/planned out by employees in companies vehicles who didn't have to stop at every single stop, use the lift at every stop, slow down so as not to run that red light...vehicles that can get up to the speed limit within a block and not slow down until they can no longer run yellow lights?
You know that, right?

It takes regular cars, your personal cars and those who time the routes for the schedules, it takes them 15 minutes to get from Walmart in Applewood to the Stapleton Park N ride.
In the bus it takes 6 hours!
LOL - ok, only a little over an hour but have you ever been on a 38 that's on time when it's not 12 Midnight on a Sunday?

As Always, "Welcome aboard, Find your seats - Let's Roll!"