Tom Vanderbilt, writing for Slate, characterizes the dilemma many bus drivers face: “Make the schedule by driving more recklessly, or drive safely and irritate the passengers.” There are a host of indicators that driving a bus is a very stressful job-from high blood pressure to physical assaults perpetrated by enraged passengers-before we even get to the fact that by some estimates half of all bus accidents are caused by other drivers rear-ending the bus.
In the age of texting-while-driving and other distracted driving issues, Vanderbilt writes that bus driving is more taxing than driving a car-bus drivers must contend with passengers that expect buses to be on time, yet some of these same passengers pull out their wallets or purses and count change after the bus has pulled to its stop, holding up the line.
In honor of the tough job of driving a bus, we say that there are few things more valuable than a diligent and attentive bus driver-in addition, perhaps, to all other diligent and attentive drivers on the road.
Source: The Most Stressful Job on the Planet?