The early bird catches the bus

The moon is still high in the sky when J.J. Caldwell gets to work.

As a bus driver for Wave Transit, her day starts early, to make sure passengers get to where they need to go.

“I get up like 4:00 a.m. and I get there about 5:45. I read the paper and I’m up.”

Bus service begins at 6:30 in the morning. It’s early, but there are people who need to catch it at that time. “It is usually its a little more than it was this morning, some people didn’t show up this morning, but I usually have like 5 or 6 first thing in the morning going outbound.)

Daniel Condosta is one of the regular passengers on J.J.’s route. He uses Wave Transit to get to and from work.

For him, the bus provides more than just a mode of transportation, “I love J.J., she’s a good driver. She’s got a good attitude, she’s funny. If you’re in a bad mood you get on this bus when you get off this bus you won’t, you’ll be in a great mood. That’s why I like to ride it, I moved twice just to get back on this bus.”

Just to be here with her? “Yeah, just to be here on this bus with her and my family, it’s like family to me.”

And that family is growing. J.J. said on her route, more people started riding when gas prices went up. Whether that will continue now that gas prices have fallen remains to be seen.

Regardless, J.J. will still be here smiling, joking around, and providing a service for countless people who depend on public transportation. “You make their day and they make your day and that’s about it.”