Burke: Thanking your bus drivers is the least you can do

Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board. 

Colorado State University students implement a wide variety of transportation methods in their daily lives. 

For the most part, CSU is proud of its bike-friendly campus, which contains several different bike lanes and routes designed to keep riders safe. Although bikes and other simpler methods of getting to and from campus and beyond are often in the spotlight or praised by the community, it is the bus system that truly deserves a piece of this positive recognition.

RideTransfort houses several buses and employs bus drivers who work around the clock to get students to and from their individual classes or events on time.

Rain or shine, you can bet the buses are already on the streets working to get students and FoCo citizens alike to their desired destinations.

Hundreds of CSU students use the Transfort bus system daily. It runs like clockwork every day, and the least students can do is thank the drivers for their hard work and courteous driving abilities.

“Bus drivers are important and in high demand right now,” CSU junior and frequent bus user Andrew Clucas said. “I don’t think anyone realizes just how important the bus drivers are. … We rely on them heavily every day.”

In total, there are 13 daily bus routes to and from CSU that work around the clock — with the exception of a few routes suspended on Saturdays. There are even more bus services that frequent the transit center, specifically designed to offer students rides to locations as far as Boulder, Denver and even Greeley.
“Is it too much to ask of anyone who uses the bus system frequently to say thank you and express gratitude toward the drivers? Absolutely not. The CSU bus drivers can sometimes be overlooked and undervalued as students forget the privilege of free transportation and the ease of not having to deal with parking or finding a spot for their bikes.”
If you are a student at CSU and dream of traveling the picturesque foothills of Northern Colorado or hope to peruse the delightful skyscrapers in the bustling city of Denver, the buses are a cheap and surefire way to do so.

Driving a bus for college students is certainly not an easy profession. From the inevitable dirtying of the bus cabins to the hectic and constant stop requests from students, it is work that requires constant focus and sheer dedication toward giving students the best possible opportunities to attend class and receive a college education.

Not to mention, Fort Collins develops some harsh winter driving conditions during the colder months of the year. Maintaining solid and reliable transportation is not only extremely commendable, but the bus drivers demonstrate utmost responsibility to ensure the well-being of several young students at the risk of the driver getting safely to their destination.

With that said, students and locals who use the buses on a daily basis — or only every once and a while — owe these drivers more than an immense “thank you” for the next time they decide to use the bus. 

Is it too much to ask of anyone who uses the bus system frequently to say thank you and express gratitude toward the drivers? Absolutely not. 

The CSU bus drivers can sometimes be overlooked and undervalued as students forget the privilege of free transportation and the ease of not having to deal with parking or finding a spot for their bikes. 

Although there is much more that CSU students could do to express gratitude toward these hard-working drivers, a simple “thank you” is a great start. So the next time you find yourself on the bus, make sure to let the drivers know they are seen and valued with a “thank you” and a smile.