Thank you, Driver
Photo by Emily Huston
March 18th is Transit Employee Appreciation Day and we’re feeling especially grateful this year as we celebrate 18 years of sharing your transit stories—so many of them involving a special bus driver, train operator, or other transit employee. To all our Muni operators, station agents, cleaners, mechanics, maintenance workers, and many more: thank you for keeping us moving every day.
We also know this is a tough time for many Muni operators. If you’ve been on the bus during commuting hours recently, you’ve probably noticed more packed vehicles and pass-ups as more folks head back to the office—and last year’s service cuts didn’t help. These are forces outside our Muni drivers’ control, but they’re on the front lines bearing the brunt of rider frustration. A smile and a “Hello” as you get on the bus and a “Thank you, Driver!” as you get off can make a huge difference.
Even better, show your appreciation for a Muni operator by submitting a commendation! As our friend and operator Mc Allen wrote last year, commendations are incredibly meaningful to operators and are recorded in their personnel file, but they are relatively rare because most people don’t know they can submit one. So the next time a Muni operator gets you where you need to go safely, show them some love by heading to the Muni Feedback form and selecting “Praise” as the type of feedback.
For our part, here’s a roundup of some of our favorite Muni Diaries stories by and about operators over the years. We hope you love them as much as we do. And remember: always thank your operator.
- Driver Tammy’s passenger appreciation party
- Andrew’s dad, Muni driver
- The Dao of Doug
- Kurt Schwartzmann and the kindness of a Muni driver
- The indelible spirit of Mr. Boston
- Mc Allen tells the Muni ghost story
- Charles Haletky, the teacher
- Rory O’Neill to the rescue
- Meaghan and Ronald Mitchell and the people’s railway
- Dewayne Deams and the track less traveled
Photo by Greg Goodman
Photo by Emily Huston
Photo by Emily Huston
Photo by Emily Huston
Photo by Connor Cimowsky
Muni Diaries Live returns to the Rickshaw Stop on April 22nd, 2026! Tickets are going fast, so get yours today.
What a heartwarming tribute to bus drivers! It really made me reflect on my own experiences commuting. I once had a driver who always greeted everyone with a smile, and it genuinely brightened my day. How do you think we can encourage more of this positivity among drivers? Also, have any of you tried out fun transit-inspired games like the one at speedstars? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Thank you so much!
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