Monday, Monday, Monday.

I'm in one of those weird jobs where everyone knows (somewhere in their mind) what it is but doesn't know what it's called.

I'm a dispatcher for a paratransit agency.

Hmph. Even the spellchecker doesn't know what it is. All right. If transit is what you ride when you get on a bus, then paratransit must be related, yes no? Basically, it's a door to door service for senior citizens, the disabled, and the "under-privileged." Actually, we'll carry any damn fool who wants a ride, but if you're not in one of those three groups we'll charge you an arm and a leg. (Ok, so $4 one way anywhere in the county isn't that much. I've had people say, "Oh, that's reasonable," when I tell them the price. Maybe it just seems like a lot to me because I'm so used to having a car.)

Of course, we have regular transit routes too. I'm not sure what I enjoy more. On a regular city bus route, you have consistency. You know when you'll have time to pee. You know that you'll get to go home at X o'clock, barring any unforeseen disaster. But it also tends to get a little boring. I've been a bus driver for - hmm, almost six years exactly, working for different companies. Short loops are the worst. One route I drove for five hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday a few years ago took only twenty minutes a lap. There were 3 left turns, and everything else was right hand turns.

Zzzzzzzz...

With a paratransit route, on the other hand, there's a lot of stand up/sit down/bend over/lift this stuff. But you get to interact with the passengers more closely. It's a great feeling when you pull up to a workshop for MR/DD adults, and when you walk in to collect your passengers, they raise a clamor. "Hi Sarah!" "Do you have me today?" "Please tell me I'm on your bus today, Sarah! I miss you!" Or when an elderly lady calls to book her trip and requests you specifically. "If Sarah can't take me on Thursday, I'll just wait until she can."

Then again, it gets very depressing when you see one of your regular passengers' names in the obituaries.

Today I found out that my charter for Thursday was cancelled, which was a real bummer. Another company who I used to work for is really strapped for drivers, but they are still accepting charters for some reason. They weren't able to fill a chartered tour, so they called my current employer to ask if we could supply a driver if they would supply the bus.

For the past two years, I've only driven LTVs and baby Gilligs. (Baby Gilligs are only 30 feet long, as opposed to a full-size 35- or 40-foot bus.) For this charter I would be driving an MCI. A big dog.

Have you ever been on a tour bus? Nice, aren't they? Well, let me tell you - MCIs are really fun to drive. Cruise control, stereo, VCR... the only bad part is having to dump the restroom when you're finished. Ick. My motto on that is "Pull the handle and get out of the way!"

I didn't realize how much I was looking forward to getting behind the wheel of an MCI again until I discovered the charter was cancelled. Maybe it's because I'm female, but being in control of something that big is a really great feeling. I read somewhere that the reason little girls are so enamoured by horses is because they feel like they are in control of such a huge animal, and it's a boost to their self-esteem.

When I'm driving a big dog, I'm on top of the world. When people murmur appreciatively as I whip a 40-foot long, 12-foot tall, 102-inch wide MCI into a teeny tiny alley and back out the other side without a scratch, my universe is complete. When the males on the bus give me a lopsided grin as they leave and say, "Thanks for such a smooth ride," I can go home happy.

Oh well. Perhaps I'll get to drive a big dog again someday. As disappointed as I am, it's a bit of a relief that I won't have to come in early Thursday. I had been planning on preparing for my trip that day, until I found out about the charter. Now I'll be able to pack and do errands and stuff.

Wow. At the end of the week I'll be able to see Dave. It's only been a month since I've seen him last, but it's been a month too long.

I miss him so much.