UTA bus driver says he is living the dream, driving during snowy days

As Utah continues to see toes of latest snow in Huge and Little Cottonwood Canyons, a UTA bus driver is sharing his distinctive perspective on the duty that comes with transporting 1000’s of individuals out and in of the canyons safely every day.

“Each single day I search for on the mountain and I search for on the clouds, and if I can inform there’s going to be new snow on the mountain, I do know it’s going to be a busy day,” stated 39-year-old Joshua Memea, a Utah Transit Authority bus driver.

Security is the quantity the highest precedence for Memea, who turned a UTA bus driver almost three years in the past.

“I ensure I inform my passengers each single time we draw back from the cease that their security is my primary precedence,” he stated.

Memea’s ardour for driving started at a younger age and he enjoys sharing his adventures and optimistic messages about being a bus driver on Twitter.

“It’s my dream job, ever since I can keep in mind, since I used to be six or seven, I’ve wished to be a bus driver,” he stated.

Memea spends a number of shifts per week driving to the resorts in Huge and Little Cottonwood Canyons. He stated he loves the winding roads and the snow-covered timber.

“Undoubtedly extra (snow) than I’ve seen being a bus driver, however the extra white stuff, the higher.”

With file snowfall quantities within the Cottonwoods for the 2022-23 season, street situations within the canyons have typically been difficult. For Memea, he doesn’t thoughts the massive snow days, in actual fact, he feels assured driving in them.

“In pitch black darkness, I can learn the curves, I do know the curves, I do know each flip,” he expressed. “Now it’s simply second nature.”

Memea tries to undertaking that confidence onto his passengers, who typically flip to UTA on massive snow days to keep away from driving their very own automobiles within the canyon.

“Typically getting caught within the canyon can get somewhat demanding, so I sort of make folks snicker,” he stated. “I ensure my passengers know that I really like my job and love what I do as a result of, on the finish of the day it’s my job to get them from level A to level B safely.”

Memea hopes that his calm and optimistic demeanor as a bus driver will encourage others to experience the bus within the canyons, he says his aim is to get every of his riders house secure.

“My entire philology is I go away folks in a greater scenario than what I discovered them, so once they get off my bus, they’ll speak about me, they’ll have a smile on their face, that’s why I do what I do.”