For as much as most of us love driving, I’m not sure too many of us would jump at the chance to sign up to do it for a living. Driving a big rig can’t be easy, but because trucks are such a common sight on our roads, it’s easy to forget that piloting a huge, heavy machine over long distances can take its toll on any driver. Obviously endurance racing seems grueling, EMTs see all kinds of horrible situations and being an Amazon driver seems like an absolute nightmare. What do you think are some of the hardest jobs in driving?
A good friend of mine spent years driving a city bus in Austin, Texas. Day in and day out, he helped people get to work, to school or to H-E-B. His passengers relied on his driving ability to get them where they were going safely, and yet we rarely think about bus drivers. Can you imagine what it’d be like to drive a public bus on Austin’s streets or in NYC? I mean, that’s gotta be high-stress.
My friend’s mantra was that if he were ever to crash, it would be his fault. Period. I thought that was a little harsh the first time he said it, but little by little I understood what he meant.
Sure, some jerk could have cut him off or tried to abuse the bus lane, but he was constantly trying to watch out for and guard against those situations. Nobody is ever in complete control of the machines around them on the road, but that bus was all his, regardless according to that mantra.
He was assuming all responsibility for his passengers, and his bus and its operation. I always respected bus drivers after that, and I always give buses a wide berth when I’m driving near them.
That’s not the only hard job as a driver. What others can you think of? What are the hardest jobs in driving?