For 30 years, riders boarding Bonnie Ripple's bus sometimes got more than a ride — they got a song.
"I love making people happy," Bonnie said. "If you make somebody else happy, it makes you happy."
Known as Metro Transit's "singing bus lady," Bonnie turned every route into an opportunity to connect with riders. After a rider heard her rehearsing, she decided to sing over the bus microphone.
"They liked it," she said. "So, I started doing it all the time."
Eventually, she invited riders to challenge her with song requests to see if she knew the lyrics, while also creating theme weeks and performing holiday favorites that made each trip a little more memorable.
"They'd say, 'You just made my day,'" Bonnie said.
Her unique approach earned recognition beyond the bus. Bonnie was featured during the Winter Carnival and appeared in Metro Transit campaigns.
Bonnie's path to becoming a bus operator included service in the Army, work as an architectural specification writer and a 911 operator. At Metro Transit, she found a career that fit the life she wanted.
"I decided that my life was going to be my life, and my job was never going to be my life again," she said.
Thirty years later, Bonnie says she has no regrets.
"I always thought I would never retire because I loved my job so much," she said. "But I'm 73 and in good health. It's time."
In retirement, Bonnie plans to spend more time gardening, exercising and traveling, including a long-awaited trip to Asia.