It's common to see buses driving students around campus, either to Main Street, the library, or Walmart. They are a very convenient part of campus, especially when the idea of walking up University Avenue in the pouring rain seems like a daunting experience. Anyone that has taken the bus has come across the bus drivers, who make our lives that much easier.
Andy Blaise has been driving the buses in Geneseo for almost five years. His shift starts at 7 a.m. and his last route is at 3:30 p.m. He works Tuesdays through Fridays and makes a total of 48 routes around Geneseo a week. There are two main shifts throughout the week: the morning shift, which he usually works, and the afternoon shift, which starts at 4:45 p.m. and ends at 2 a.m.
“The best part of this job is working with all the kids," said Blaise, "I like to joke around with them and talk to them. I get to know some of the kids very well because so many of them take the bus every day, at the same time to go to the same place. Over three or four years I get to watch the kids grow up. I really enjoy seeing that; they'll be the ones running the country one day."
“I think the least favorite part of the job was when I drove afternoons," he stated. "Some kids would come on the bus drunk and then get sick on the bus and I'd have to clean that up. Occasionally some kids get a little rowdy and obnoxious but for the most part they settle down and over all it's really easy to handle."
It's also clear that the students build a relationship with him, as they get off the bus a few of them call, "Have a nice day, Andy." Some students have even gone as far as inviting him and his wife to their wedding or introducing him to their parents at the end of the year.
“Some can't deal with so many kids," said Blaise, "I'm used to it though, I have five grandkids and they all live in town so I see them very often. I was also the youngest and had a lot of older brothers and sisters so I got used to dealing with other people."
This job is one that he clearly enjoys. "I drive from 160 to 300 students a day," he states, "You have to have a good sense of humor to really enjoy this job, its not for everybody, that's for sure."