The Life of a Bus Driver

Many students use the T to beat the hills and heat when going to class, and the bus drivers are a huge part of this transportation system.

A University of Tennessee bus driver, Bryon Thomas, has been in the bus business since 1991. He started out in St. Louis and has been at The University of Tennessee since February. He came to Knoxville because his wife of three years grew up in Knoxville.

"I loved St. Louis, but The University of Tennessee is growing on me," Thomas said.

Thomas runs two shifts during the day, from 8:45 p.m. to 2:41 p.m. and 4:43 p.m. to 6:19 p.m. The times are specific because each route takes 21 minutes. His favorite route is the night route, the "Late Night", because of the interesting people he gets to meet.

Thomas knew he wanted to be a bus driver for many years before he got his first route. He loves his job because he gets to be out and meet new people every day.

"There's just something about driving a big vehicle," he said. "I couldn't stand a job where a boss is looking over my shoulder the whole time."