Ravi Sawh grew up riding transit. Now he makes sure it runs smoothly.
His connection to buses started long before he ever joined the team. “I’ve used public transportation since I was a teenager in New York City,” he said. “That’s just how you got around. You didn’t drive to work; you took the train or the bus.”
When his family moved to Brooklyn Center, the habit continued. He took the bus to school and work, often the Route 22. “I was seventeen when we moved here,” he said. “My mom’s brother lived in Minnesota and told her it was a great place to raise kids and he was right.”
Years later, while training as an intern at the Ruter garage, Ravi walked into the drivers’ room and saw a familiar face. “It was the operator who used to drive my bus when I went to school,” he said. “I told him I remembered him, and he said, ‘That’s a great story, but don’t tell anyone, or they’ll know I’m old!’”
After high school, Ravi went straight to work to help his single mother. He kept busy fixing up cars he bought at auctions and selling them for extra money. When his brother who worked in Metro Transit’s parts department told him about a mechanic opening, Ravi decided to give it a try.
“Metro Transit sent me to school for two years, and that brought it all together,” he said. “Before that, I just had raw talent. The training helped me understand why things are built the way they are, the little details that make a big difference.”
Ravi’s love of machines goes back even further. “My dad and grandfather were farmers,” he said. “I was driving tractors and trucks when I was seven. It’s like kids who grow up on farms here, you learn early, and that stays with you.”
At Metro Transit, he’s found not just a job, but a community. Ravi is part of a team that competes in Metro Transit’s annual Bus Maintenance Rodeo, where mechanics test their skills against the clock.
His team has placed first and second in recent years, but Ravi said the real reward is the teamwork. “We enjoy it,” he said. “Even if we come in second or third, it’s good practice and it sharpens your skills.”
That same drive carries into his everyday work. “I like seeing the results,” he said. “When you finish a job and know a bus is back on the road because of what you did, that’s accomplishment.”
Nearly a decade after joining Metro Transit, Ravi’s enthusiasm hasn’t faded. “I feel the same way now as I did when I started,” he said. “The benefits are great, management listens, and it’s just a great place to work.”
He said he plans to stay for the long haul. “People say once you’ve been here a while, you’re here for life,” he said. “And I believe that. Metro Transit has been good to me and I’m proud to be part of it.”