she's
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I got two little warm fuzzies from passengers today.

I know that I complain about my job a lot. In fact, it's all I can do sometimes. "Oh, man! You would not believe what I had to do today!" But it's the little rays of sunshine that make it all worthwhile (until the next paycheck comes...)

The first wasn't directed at me, specifically, but at our organization. An older gentleman that I was talking to didn't want to pay the subsidized fare. Now, he's over 60 and is eligible for the reduced fare for senior citizens.

"But I don't want to pay the reduced fare," he said. "I can afford the regular fare."

This wouldn't seem to be a problem... Except that the drivers know who is eligible for the reduced fare, and who should pay the regular fare. This guy definitely falls into the "reduced fare" category, and explaining to all the drivers that he wants to pay full price would be difficult. The drivers really do watch out for the best interest of the passengers, and this poor guy would be pestered by the drivers. "You only need to pay half that, sir..."

"What can I do?" he asked me.

We finally decided that he can donate the other half of his fare to the non-profit organization that does publicity and campaigning for us. He is already sending the non-profit group a donation to help with the levy campaign. "Oh, thank you," I said. "We really appreciate that."

"It's the least I can do," he replied. "Since the doctor told me I can't drive anymore, I just haven't been able to see my wife over at the nursing home very often. Sometimes I go a whole week without seeing her... And after over fifty years of marriage, I really miss not seeing her every day," he said with a sigh.

"I know what you mean," I said, thinking of Dave.

"So when I found out about your service, I was ready to pay anything just to see my wife. And when you folks told me how cheap is was going to be..." His voice cracked with emotion. "When I walked into my wife's room at the nursing home the other day, her face just lit up. To see her like that is worth everything I own."

I honestly couldn't think of anything to say in reply, so I settled for, "You're welcome."

The other spot of sunshine was the note I got from a passenger I just registered a few weeks ago. After we register a passenger over the phone, we mail them a registration form which confirms the information we collected. This lady mailed back her registration form, along with a note.

Dear Sarah,
Thank you so much for the help you gave me over the phone. After my husband died, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get out of the house much. You'll help me out more than you can know.
Thanks again...

I'm ashamed to admit that I don't even remember registering the lady... But apparently I made an impression.