Of all places to find peace, quiet and contentment, one wouldn’t think of a big city bus to top the list. Douglas Meriwether, or Driver Doug as he likes to call himself, is probably one of the only exceptions. The veteran San Francisco transit operator finds life lessons in just about every aspect of his daily job and hopes to share those with others.
In Meriwether’s new book, “The Dao of Doug: The Art of Driving a Bus or Finding Zen in San Francisco Transit: A Bus Driver’s Perspective,” he outlines helpful tips and tricks for other bus drivers learning the trade and passengers, whether new to public transportation or daily riders.
Useful tips include:
- The best times to ride.
- What items you need to bring on the bus.
- What info you need to know to reach your desired destination.
- Best practices for entering and exiting the vehicle.
Meriwether describes the book as a guide on how to ride a trolley bus in San Francisco and appreciate public transportation for reasons many tend to forget.
“It’s a view from the trolley cockpit and how to apply safe driving techniques to real life,” Meriwether said. “I wrote this book for new operators who just finished training and for newly arrived city dwellers, unfamiliar about getting around San Francisco. I hope I can increase awareness for the way it was before the car became king.”
