Before becoming an operator at Nicollet Garage, Steve Burnes stocked its vending machines.
A change in company ownership, encouragement from a Metro Transit mechanic, and a suspicion he could succeed as an operator led to transition that made the garage not just a stop along the way, but a professional home.
Almost 20 years later, Steve keeps coming back to Nicollet because he enjoys the work, and especially all the people he meets along the way. “You treat people well, and it makes your job so much easier,” he said.
His cheery disposition has earned him almost 300 commendations and counting. As an on-call operator, he finds these especially meaningful because they aren't from regulars who ride with him every day. “I’m not doing the same route every day,” he said. “It’s not people who know me calling in. It’s strangers.”
Even so, many become memorable riders. Like a woman he drove to church whose message has stuck with him. “She said, ‘I hope life treats you like you treat your passengers,’” Steve said.
On the last day he drove her, Steve told the bus about her 74 years playing the organ at her church. The passengers responded with a “sitting ovation.”
Steve has passed his philosophy along to new operators as a mentor. He remembers how intimidating his own first day was and wants new operators to know that the job gets easier with experience. “The more you’ve been out on the road, the more you know what people around you are going to do,” he said. “You just know. You have a feel for it.”
His advice to anyone considering Metro Transit: “Stick with it. It can be tough at first, but this job is whatever you decide to make it, and you can make it really something special.”