Professional Info

I recently retired as a professional bus driver for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority located in Clearwater, Florida. I have been driving bus for 27 years. My father drove school bus part-time in Pennsylvania, and thought I would make a good bus driver. He is the one who taught me how to drive a bus. Ten of those years were spend driving in Pennsylvania. After remarrying and moving to Florida, I put an application in with my former employer in August of 1983 and was hired September 20, 1983.

When I was driving for P.S.T.A., and you could usually find me driving our route #71 which services some of the beaches on the west coast of Pinellas County. Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority has many new buses. The newest one I drove was the New Flyer Low Rider. Low Rider means it rides low to the ground, there are no steps coming into the bus. They are 40.8 ft. in Length (bumper to bumper) and 102 Inches in width and are 120 Inches high. These buses are powered by a Detroit Diesel Engine and are equipped with Allison Automatic Transmissions. Our Seating Capacity is 40, plus we can carry 2 wheelchair passengers at a time. The bus is equipped with special tie downs and locks for the wheelchair. All drivers are trained in proper safety procedures. I have served the public for many years both here in Florida and Pennsylvania. I enjoyed driving the bus and have many stories to tell my grand kids. As of January 11,2000, I took an early retirement from bus driving, it was time to hang up the steering wheel and let someone younger take over. I have enjoyed my profession as a bus driver and served the public with safe driving. I have many awards and complimentary letters about my driving skills.

In 1988, I decided to compete in a bus rodeo that Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority sponsored within our company. Out of 20 drivers I placed 5th and have a trophy. In 1989, I competed again and placed 2nd. This entitled me to complete in the Third Annual West Central Florida Bus Rodeo which was held in Manatee County. There were 50 drivers in that competition and I placed 5th. I still have these trophies today. I am very proud of my ability to compete as not many female drivers have done what I have.

A Bus Rodeo allows bus drivers to showoff there skills. You have a time limit of 10 minutes to complete the 11 obstacles on the course.

Some of the obstacles were:

1. Backing up while making a left turn and stopping as close as possible without touching the cone behind you.
2. Then the same procedure as above while making a right turn.
3. Placing the duel tires between two rows of tennis balls with touching them.
4. Simulated bus stop within 12 inches of the cone, without having the tires touching the cones.
5. Driving your bus through barrels without knocking them down.
6. Stopping within inches of a cone that disappears when you get on top of it.
7. There were more obstacles to this rodeo but many have now slipped my mind.

No we do not drag race buses, but, we do race the clock.

The least amount of time it takes helps your score and running over pedestrians is definitely counted against your score.