Rolling Refrigerators

By Apryl Holmes and Michael Ashcraft –

The reason why Big Blue Buses blast air conditioning even during winter, I was told, is the same reason hospitals do it, to limit the spread of germs.

But, man, you board the bus early morning shivering and you spend your entire trip shivering. Convulsing with cold. All in the name of limiting the spread of germs. Not so LA's Metro. As far as I know, only Santa Monica has rolling refrigerators.

In a recent survey among bus riders at the Lighthouse Christian Academy, Santa Monica’s touted public transportation got high marks for frequent and timely service but – shocker! – ultimately came in second place to LA’s Metro.

“They’re a bigger city, they get greater resources from the federal government,” a driving trainer told me.

Excuses, excuses.

The Big Blue Bus needs to improve, especially when it comes to sassy drivers. No excuse is acceptable for the outright rudeness of some drivers.

Don’t get us wrong. The majority of drivers are polite and friendly. A lot even smile. I asked one driver why he smiled so much: “Because I’m not six feet under,” he replied, with a smile.

He’s right. BBB drivers enjoy an amazing salary and amazing benefits. They have an enviable job that hundreds of thousands of Californians would love to have. But some of them are the crankiest, entitled grumps who act like they hate work.

Unfortunately, it only requires just one bad apple to ruin the whole batch. Just one bus driver who humiliates a passenger to give a bad impression of the whole system.

A Bus #1 driver made fun of me (Mike Ashcraft) for not knowing the route changed at night. When I was confused by the announcement that his bus didn’t swing around UCLA along Sorority Row but instead headed straight up Westwood Blvd into UCLA, I asked to make sure I had heard rightly and clear my confusion. The driver retorted curtly: “Didn’t you hear the announcement?”

On behalf of drivers, I’ll say their most important task is to get riders safely to their destinations, so they need to concentrate. Talking to passengers can be a dangerous distraction, and being conversationalists is probably not part of their job description.

But there’s no need to be snotty. There’s no need to fall into the stereotype of government employees who grate under the tedium of boring jobs, complying with minimums and protected by powerful unions from repercussions for treating the public as subhumans.

I feel bad writing this because of all the good drivers. They, no doubt, take a lot of abuse from unruly and even psychotic riders. They deal with rudeness regularly, and it’s an added stress.

But lashing out at polite customers is never excusable. (These Patch reporters reached out to the Big Blue Bus spokesperson, who had not responded at time of publication.)

Here’s our rankings of Westside buses:

BEST BUS: LA Metro. The Good: Wifi AND charging outlets. Great drivers. Timely service. About that wife, I get work done on my commute! This compensates for the extra time (it takes longer than going by car).

The Bad: The homeless. Uncomfortable seats: One LCA student describes the padding as a single layer of felt glued down onto metal seats.

Hero Moment: One bus #761 driver, seeing the earlier bus was MIA, hustled to get all riders quickly to work. Without speeding, she made up lost time with good driving. Her conscientiousness made a huge impression on me.

Just as one driver can give a bad impression of an entire system, so too one driver can give a universal good impression. I (Mike) wished I had her name to give a commendation, but I was scrambling for my connection to make it on time to work.

SECOND PLACE: Big Blue Bus. The Good: Timely service. Cushion seats! Wow, they are comfy!

The Bad: (A few) sassy drivers. Is there wifi on BBB? Supposedly, the newer buses are outfitted with wifi, but I’ve been riding BBB for two years now, and I have yet to connect with wife on BBB. 🙁 On Metro, I (Mike) get entire chunks of work done on the bus so that my commute is not wasted time.

Hero Moment: Apryl writes: I get to school on the bus. Often Google maps’ ETA of the buses are incorrect, so I highly appreciate when the driver stops for me when he sees that I am trying to catch that bus and stop in areas that aren’t permitted. My regular driver, in particular, should get a medal. He has saved me many tardies/absences.

THIRD PLACE: Culver City Bus. The Good: Conveniently placed stops, the company received a Transit Agency of the Year Award in 2020 for small operators. Drivers are courteous.

The Bad: Worst metallic electronic announcement voice system. Blech! Poorly scheduled times with other companies, inconsistent buses (sometimes they just don’t show up), not always the cleanest.

Hero Moment: Often times when you are the last person on the bus when the sun has already gone down, these drivers will ask where it is that you’re headed. If it is on their way they will offer you a closer drop off to your destination. This is so helpful as a young woman because I (Apryl) constantly have my head on a swivel and when they offer this convenience, I feel very cared for.

That’s our survey in conclusion! What did we get right? What did we get wrong? What’s your impression of the local bus services? Give your observations in the comments.

Also read LCA's evaluation of Westside ice cream shops.

About the authors: Apryl Holmes studies at the Lighthouse Christian Academy in Santa Monica, where Michael Ashcraft teaches writing.