Transporting Logan residents a fulfilling job
Would getting paid to drive around town sound appealing? Those who do it believe it does.
Alta Olpin is one of these people. Olpin drives bus routes for Logan Transit District. She has been driving with LTD for one year, and was a passenger for seven years prior to that.
“The whole time I was riding, it didn’t look like they were doing anything I couldn’t,” Olpin said. “I’ve been a homemaker and driven an 18-wheeler for several years as well.
“I didn’t want to pay for my own car when I could ride the LTD or drive it. I love my job a lot, but sometimes as drivers we can get scary,” Olpin said. “My love for driving and my love for people are what were so appealing about this job, it’s the best of both worlds.”
One of the many interesting aspects of the drive are the other bad drivers on the road, Olpin said.
“The worst drivers are the ones who run red lights and the tail end of the amber lights, and they are always the ones who are talking on cell phones,” she said.
One woman turned onto a one-way street because she wasn’t paying attention and came at the bus head on, Olpin said.
Two others passed the bus while it was stopped at the railroad tracks in a no passing zone.
Even though there are many drivers who don’t pay attention, she said her route is the best.
“I love the way the college students treat me. It makes this job entirely worthwhile,” Olpin said. “There are very few people who don’t say ‘thank you’ after their ride. The driving and the people are what I like most.
“A lot of people like working with this great group of drivers who try to make things easier for each other,” she said. “All the busses are handicap accessible for those in wheelchairs and for those using walkers. We also stop at all of the Americans with Disabilities stops,” Olpin said.
There are lifts in the backs of the buses for those who are unable to walk up the stairs.
Of the many things to be watched for, joggers are one.
“One thing people don’t realize is how many blind spots there are on a bus,” Olpin said.
The traffic at 1000 North and Main Street is the worst, she said.
“It can get scary,” Olpin said.
There are worse things though. The ice on the hills in the morning are very scary, but it helps when the city and state put down sand and salt, Olpin said.
The funniest story Olpin could recall was when one of the buses broke down.
“The bus had mechanical problems and while we were waiting for the tow truck someone got on the bus and waited for about half an hour before they realized there was no driver on the bus,” Olpin said.
Their work hours include eight hours of driving with half an hour for lunch, and many students work their schedule around their
classes.
“It’s a great job because it has the best of everything right here,” Olpin said.
“The new transit center helps us a lot. It gives us a place to rest, use the restroom and get out of the nasty weather,” Olpin said. “Eventually, they will probably put in a Greyhound.”
There were many times when Olpin expressed her gratitude for the politeness of the Utah State University students.
To her, there could be no better job than getting paid to drive such a great group of people around.
“The worst part of the job is when the students go home for Christmas, Thanksgiving and Summer Break,” Olpin said. “I like being busy.”