Above the bridge
Above the bridge
Episode 157 Christina - Beauty & the Bus Bus Driver & Content Creator
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Ever wondered what a city looks like from the driver’s seat? This episode we sit down with Christina, the voice behind Beauty and the Bus, to pull back the curtain on Honolulu transit—equal parts comedy, chaos, and community. She shares how an encouraging regular nudged her into the job, the nerve-wracking first days behind a flat, oversized wheel, and the little tricks it takes to move a 60‑footer through drivers who won’t make room. If you’ve ever ridden the 40 from Makaha to Ala Moana, you’ll feel the pulse of West Oahu in her stories.
We dig into the realities most riders never see: timepoint rules that prevent leaving early, on‑route bathroom pit stops, and why she’ll run a minute late rather than stall a full bus. Christina explains how she reads the aisle, de‑escalates when someone gets loud, and calls HPD when safety is on the line. She speaks with candor about post‑Covid ridership, rail connections at Kapolei, and the difference between day-shift gridlock and night-shift serenity. The wild tales are here too—from back-row sleepers to beer spills to a legendary seat incident no one mentioned until a brave rider whispered, “Auntie, get something in the back.”
Her viral rise started with a simple shaka, and now Beauty and the Bus offers a running chronicle of island life through the windshield: kupuna kindness, teen drama, houseless struggles, tourists with scooters, and everyday locals just trying to get home. We talk content craft, why sharing these moments matters, and how humor helps keep a heavy job light. Christina also opens up about career goals beyond the driver’s seat, rising street risks, and the patience it takes when phone-addled drivers cut a bus off with inches to spare.
If you care about Honolulu, public transit, or just great storytelling with heart, you’ll love this ride. Hit follow, share with a friend who rides TheBus, and drop a review to tell us your best or wildest bus story.
Okay, welcome to another edition of the Above the Bridge Podcast. I'm your host, Thaddeus Park. If this is your first time to our podcast, thank you for joining us. You can find us pretty much on every single podcast platform Apple, Spotify, Pandora, any place that you get your podcast, we should be there. Give us a like, follow us, subscribe, leave a comment. We're also on YouTube, and our website is atbpod.com. Please follow us and thank you for uh spending time and listening to our show. Aloha. Okay, this week I'm bringing this guest to my show who I've been a fan of her Instagram and is catching on. It helps me through the workday because she's super funny, and it's something I've done my whole childhood all the way through high school, and that's ride the bus. Her name's Christina, and her Instagram is Beauty by the Bus. Thank you for coming on my show.
SPEAKER_02Hi, you're welcome. Thank you for having me.
Why Become A Bus Driver
SPEAKER_00I know, I'm super stoked you said yes, because for one thing, I have so many questions I've had my whole life about bus drivers and uh the whole bus situation. When I grew up, I caught bus home from school every single day. I went to Damien from Kaneoye, and I would catch the bus from School Street to Alakash Street, the Circle Island to Kaneoy, and that was my life. I've learned so much things I shouldn't know, and I've seen so many things I shouldn't have seen, but it helped me grow as a human just on the bus. And I always wanted to talk story with a bus driver, I just never knew any, but now is my chance. Okay, so I want to know first off, is how did you even decide to become a bus driver? Because honestly, like you don't look like the typical bus driver I've had my whole life.
SPEAKER_02Well, um, I met this old timer, Pat Lum, when I used to work at Kalapa Wai in Kapoole. And he used to come in every morning and get a coffee and a sandwich, and we became friends. And so, over like the year that I worked there, towards the end, he kept telling me to apply for the bus. And I was like, I can't drive a bus. And he was like, Please just apply, you can do it. And finally, I applied, and he helped get me in. So it was hard. I don't know, I didn't think I could drive a bus. I can barely drive my car.
SPEAKER_00Me too. How was it like when you first started, though? Like, that's a huge vehicle to be just trying to learn on.
Training Nerves And First Mishaps
SPEAKER_02Honestly, my first day, okay, my first time driving the bus in training. I hit a car, and I didn't hit the car. I think I made a story about this. Like, I was at the intersection of Waimano Home Road and had this Toyota Tacoma truck, and I took the turn too short, and my wheel well rubbed him. Oh my god, I was so scared. He was so pissed off, he was screaming, he was screaming. Oh, and I came off, and I'm like, Oh my god, brother, I'm so sorry. He goes, What's you? You were driving, and I was like, Yes, so sorry. He goes, Oh Nassus, that's okay.
SPEAKER_00See, girls can get away with that kind of shit, but if it was me, I would he'd want to throw blows.
SPEAKER_02He did with my trainer.
SPEAKER_00Oh, you gotta train her better.
SPEAKER_02He was so mad, but and then the first time I went out by myself, honestly, I almost fainted before I even started my shift. I was just so scared, you know. It's like we only we when we route train, we only drive the routes one time during the training, and then once we do all the routes, we we're on our own, and so we're with our little route description. And if the bus has a map, then we can use that, but it's scary.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, just driving alone, not to mention the people. How easy is it to be driving that thing?
SPEAKER_02It's easy once you get used to it. I I think it's easier than driving like a regular truck because you're like you're on there's no hood, you know. Yeah, yeah, you can see straight down in front of you. So, like, I can't drive. You put me in a truck, I can't drive a truck.
SPEAKER_00So when you when you power work and you go jump in your car, does it feel weird or is it like yeah, because I'm all small in my little Honda. Yeah, because the bus, the steering wheel is like in front of you, uh it's not like like this, right?
Handling The Bus And Traffic Tactics
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah, it's it right, it's in front of us and it's flat. I mean, we can like tilt it, you know, but and it's huge, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, okay. I mean, I always thought, like, oh, I would not want to drive that thing around because it's so big and bulky. So I I know what I want to ask a bus driver is like you guys just maneuver yourself into the lane, and you kind of bully your way into the lane, even if there no one's trying to let you in.
SPEAKER_02Well, we have to, nobody wants to let us in, you know? Like, so yeah, man, and I hate even to say this, but like, so when I used to drive the 60-footers and I would be driving on the freeway in traffic, or like not like gridlock traffic, but like a lot of cars, I would do what I call as a wiggle worm, where I would just go like this with my wheel, so my my bus will go like that while I have my blinker on, and so they will slow down and let me in, you know, like nobody wants to let the bus in, and yeah, I'm the same way, even in my own bus, I don't want to ride behind another bus.
SPEAKER_00So I get oh, so that's the that's the plan. Just wiggle a little bit, scare everybody, and then they're gonna let you in.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I guess so.
SPEAKER_00If you see them bus wiggle, you're gonna be like, Oh, like I don't want to be around that. Let's just come in and I'm out of here. I guess that's a great way to do it. I'm gonna try that with my truck going to work tomorrow, see if that works. Like, just wiggle a little bit, see if they let me in. If they don't, then I say, I need a bigger.
SPEAKER_02Let me know if it works for you.
SPEAKER_00How long have you been driving a bus?
SPEAKER_02Six years.
SPEAKER_00Oh, pretty long then.
SPEAKER_02I mean, I'm still a rookie. I'm you got guys that have been there for 40 plus years, you know what I mean? Yeah, I meet some guys that have over 10 years that still consider themselves new.
SPEAKER_00Oh wow, yeah. What well it's like uh you don't have a set like uh like every single day is gonna be different, like it's not there's no routine to your day other than whatever maybe route you have.
SPEAKER_02Well, okay, so like in the beginning when you first come in, you're new, excuse me, you um you don't get a set route, and that's called extra list. And so every day you call in for your schedule, and that's what it is. But as you like gain years and whatever, you can go and pick runs. So, like for me, I'm at a point where I'm able to grab runs. So I get yeah, I get pretty much a set schedule throughout the week.
SPEAKER_00What what's your favorite route?
SPEAKER_02The 40.
SPEAKER_00Which one is that?
SPEAKER_02Makaha to Alamoana.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's a long one.
SPEAKER_02It's you know what? I love it. I used to hate driving the 40, but my trainer told me drive it until you like it, and until I started to, and I that's the route I always choose.
SPEAKER_00So that's what that's the trick they tell rookies, so they just do that route because no one else likes them. Nah nah nah.
Routes, Schedules, And Long Days
SPEAKER_02Nobody wants to drive the 40. You know how much drama there is on the 40? Oh, I can imagine that's where all my content comes from.
SPEAKER_00That makes sense. Yeah, so I don't know. Like, I always wondered bus drivers, do you get to go home after you do one route, or how does it work?
SPEAKER_02Well, so after our whole day, yeah. Like what do you mean? Yeah, once we're done with our duty or the whole day, we can go, or sometimes like they'll call and ask if we can do extra work, and uh you can say yeah or no.
SPEAKER_00It's not just one time one route, and then you power, you gotta go back.
SPEAKER_02Oh no, you like you bounce all over the place. Like, I I've done the 60 and then the 52 and then the 51 and then jumped on the 40 and then did the C. You know, like they break them up, and then there is some duties that they make that are just one route all day. I don't want to do that though, like unless it's the 40 because it's just a couple trips because it's so long, you know.
SPEAKER_00So you guys work eight-hour days or longer. Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, most of the drivers there work up to 12 hours.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02And then what is it five days a week, or mostly everyone works six because they cancel their days off, yeah. And then people also volunteer to work their day off.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02So they give them the option.
SPEAKER_00That's crazy. I always thought, like, oh, you do one route, and then as soon as you finish the route, you can go home.
SPEAKER_02I'm thinking these bus drivers must rip through it and just no, see we can't, because on our on our duty paper, there's time points, and so we have we can't be more than three minutes early, or else we have to pull over. So I run late. I guess I hate pulling over, I don't like stalling service. So and like technically, you know, we're not supposed to leave late and like do run it how I run it, but I don't like to pull over and make people wait for five to ten minutes on the side of the road. So I just run late so I can just keep going.
SPEAKER_00Okay, that makes sense. Um, I always wanted to know how do you guys use the bathroom if you guys gotta go. You guys can just can't just pull over anywhere, can you?
SPEAKER_02Well, we can. Um, 7-Elevens let us use the bathroom. Some McDonald's let us use the bathroom. Um, if there's any public bathrooms along the way, we can stop. Like so long as it's along our route, we can pull over. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay. So if you gotta go then, you you can just pull over, even if the bus is filled with people.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Okay, that's that's understandable. I mean, you must really like driving, or is it just a job?
Bus Etiquette, Priorities, And Gear
SPEAKER_02Well, it's both. I enjoy it, and it's it's a job. Some days I'm like, I don't want to be there, right? Yeah, and I you know, just like every job, some days are harder than others. So it's okay.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so when I was catching bus home, like I said earlier, it was an adventure that you see, every kind of people, good and bad, you see all kind of weird situations just as a passenger, and that's just one route a day. I'm imagining you must see all kinds of crazy shit. I mean, I remember the first time I see something where this guy was sniffing paint on a on a rag or turpentine, and he was just getting high, and the bus driver had to kick him off. And I was I was young, I'm like, what's going on? The bus driver was like, He's sniffing turpentine. I'm like, what does that do? And it was it was just something that I remember from the bus. I also remember people people making out and doing all kind of crazy stuff. But as a bus driver, you guys see it all, and okay, let's take a short break from this podcast to shout out our sponsor. I want to shout out Defen Hawaii, they've been my sponsors from the beginning, and they got some crazy deals on their website right now for the Christmas and holiday season. Go to their website at defendhawaii.com, take a look what they have, pick out whatever you want, and when you check out, use promo code ATBPod upon checkout, and you'll get 15% off your full order. I know holidays coming up, you need to do some shopping, go rep some defend hawaii. I rep it all the time. Defendhawaii.com. Aloha. What are some of the craziest shit that you've seen um as a bus driver?
SPEAKER_02Oh, oh, I don't know. There's so much. I mean, it's all on my Instagram. Probably dragging in front of the ATM was one of the most wildest things I've seen. Um and then the guy dragging on my bus was another one. So just a bunch of weirdos doing weird stuff.
SPEAKER_00What do you have to do when situations like that happen?
SPEAKER_02Well, so for the guy that was on my bus, I went and tried to wake him up. Like I was he was laying across the back, um, the back seat, and so I was kicking the bottom, and I was like, Hey, Brotto, you gotta get up. And uh he wasn't moving, so I called, you know, for help as we're supposed to, and they sent the cops, and then the cops asked if I wanted to arrest him, and I was just like, No, you know, because he was sleeping, and I just wanted him off my bus because it was like four in the morning, and I just wanted to go home, you know. So, and then I felt bad because then they got him off my bus and he sat on the bus stop and he just slumped over and fell back asleep. All his stuff fell out all over the place, and I was just like, Damn, dude. I you know, I feel bad. I know a lot of people like to sleep on the bus, and I don't mind, you know, if they're not doing anything weird, yeah.
SPEAKER_00But you have to physically kick people off the bus, like you gotta stop the bus and go walk back there and be like, Hey, you you gotta go. Yeah, how often does that happen?
Sponsor: Defend Hawaii
SPEAKER_02Um for me, not very often because as over the years I've learned to pick and choose my battles, you know. So, like it just depends on the severity of how crazy they're being. Like, if it's just if it's minor, I don't care, but if I see people are visibly like uncomfortable, I will talk to them, and if they don't stop, then I'll call for help because like like if it's a dude, you don't know their mental state, you don't know how they're gonna react. And like, I don't really want to get punched in the face. So yeah, was that we have to call for the cops to come and remove them off most of the time, and then what you just park and just wait? Yeah, okay. Well for the police, you gotta wait.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, just like, oh, I'm taking the turn by Bishop Street, you gotta come meet me there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, one night, you know, and this is on my Instagram also. I had a guy get on my bus and he was threatening to kill me. He was like, I'm gonna slit your throat and like all this stuff, and so I called for help, and I was on that street that IHS is on. I'm like blanking on the name, but I was coming out to go take the turn on King Street, so I had called for help. I sat there for over 20 minutes. Oh police station is like one block away, you know what I mean? Nobody came, and then only one chick came, and she was smaller than me.
SPEAKER_00So what you gonna do?
SPEAKER_01She got him off, but I guess she ended up tasting him.
Wild Stories From The 40 Route
SPEAKER_00Oh, do they give you any kind of like pepper spray or some shit or nothing?
SPEAKER_02No, we're not allowed to have that stuff. Oh, you don't know anything. It's like basically our training tells us to stay in our seat, which for me is like you're a sitting duck right there, especially if someone's attracted, you know what I mean? But that's what they tell us to do, so this is what it is.
SPEAKER_00For training, they ever give you scenarios and you gotta act it out.
SPEAKER_02No, no, they they walk through. I mean, the dr the drivers, the trainers, they tell us their stories and like yeah, how to handle it and all that kind of situations, but I you know it never really not even training prepares you for what you actually deal with because it's in real life, you're just like, oh my gosh, it's happening, like I'm gonna die today.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well, you have the crazy route too, man. That's like have you ever seen uh susp like a like a scrub sitting at the bus stop and was like, oh no, I'm not picking him up and just drive past. Well, I'd miss like choke bus stops, just like ah nah, not today. Oh no, I'm not picking that guy up.
SPEAKER_02There is one guy that I refuse to pick up because he has caused numerous problems on my bus, and he's known in the company, and so I think it's um most of the drivers don't pick him up, so it's just what it is.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I've seen that safe.
SPEAKER_02He's a loose cannon, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Plus, too, when you're driving, you can't be like hall monitor, that's a big vehicle with a lot of people inside.
SPEAKER_02Watching, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I um I always used to like getting a seat, and whenever an elderly person came on, I would I would always be like, Hey, uh, you can have my seat and stuff like that. I know sometimes the elderly would expect it, and then they would expect it from people, and then they would get into arguments. Fortunately, I always was the one like, oh, you can have my seat and all that, but navigating that kind of stuff, is there like a rule that hey, you gotta sit here or or you gotta stand or give Auntie or seat or anything like that? It's just common courtesy.
Safety, Cops, And Pick Your Battles
SPEAKER_02It's common courtesy, and technically, and it says on the bus too that priority seating for the elderly and disabled is the front, and so yeah. It's you know, I tell people to get up all the time, like especially kids that don't want to get up for like the old nanas and tatas. Like, I'm like, hey, get up. You can stand. You guys have been in school all day, sitting down, stand, you can stand for school. Like, no way. I hate to see old people standing up when they should have a seat.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. The um, I know what to ask you. When I was young, I would bodyboard and we'd go surf wherever, and we'd have to catch bus. Like most times the buses wouldn't let us on with our bodyboard. So we like we'd wait at the bus stop, and then one once in a while a cool bus driver would come by and then let us on. What's the rule for that?
SPEAKER_02I I kind of feel like it's up to the driver's discretion.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_02I don't actually know what the rule is. I know you can't bring the surfboard on, but like I feel like for me, I wouldn't mind. As long as you keep it in front of you and it's not in the hallway blocking people, there shouldn't be a problem.
SPEAKER_00Okay. I always wanted to ask that because it happened to me multiple times, and I didn't know if there was a rule. So it's the bus driver's discretion.
SPEAKER_02I don't actually know. I I think you know, there might be a rule for it, but I don't know all the GOPs.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Me neither.
SPEAKER_02I should have came prepared. I could have came with my book and been like, you know what? Yes, it is.
SPEAKER_00I just trying to let people know that young boys that's trying to go surf. Hey, you get a chance to bring your bodyboard on, that's the ruse.
SPEAKER_02I just I don't know what the rule is for that, but I know no surfboards. And yeah, it I've seen lots of drivers let guys on with their bodyboards. So I don't know.
SPEAKER_00What about them new scooter things? Because I I know a lot of people will catch bus into town and have those electric scooters with them and then drive around. Is that acceptable? Like you guys cool with letting them bring those things on?
SPEAKER_02I do. And like I said, as long as it doesn't get in the way of the hallway and people aren't tripping on it, I don't care. Okay, there might be a rule for that, also, and I don't know what it is. I know there was one driver who refused to let a guy with a scooter, even though he like folded it up on and it turned into a whole big thing, and that's why I say pick and choose your battles, because it's just like what is it worth you know to go through all of this? Like, just give them a ride, yeah. You know, especially if your bus is intact, like, what's the problem?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I caught bus recently just for like the fun of it, and because Uber is way more expensive. I caught bus a couple times into town if I knew I was gonna drink, and then it was the same. It was of course, now it's more expensive. When I was catching bus, it was a quarter when I was a kid. Now it's like three dollars. And then um, what's cool is the app like you literally know when the bus is gonna be at your stop. I thought that was super cool. So I'd be at my house and I I caught bus. Um, I'm super close with I don't know if you know DJ Hoppeboy, but I would go meet him in town, and then if I know we're gonna drink, I'll just catch bus. It takes about an hour to get from Kaneowe to town, and three dollars is way cheaper than an Uber, but uh I would post that I'm on the bus and everybody's like, What? You broke, you know, my car. I was like, No, I would just rather catch the bus.
SPEAKER_02Sometimes it's easier, especially if you're not going far. I know lots of people that would rather catch the bus.
Skipping Stops And Known Troublemakers
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's it was cool. I was watching UFC and now it phones, like I didn't we didn't have these when we were young, so now you you can be entertained the whole way down. Yeah, have you noticed since the rail is kind of open, you guys are getting less patrons on the bus?
SPEAKER_02I I can't really comment on that because for me, like it hasn't been the same since COVID. Oh I haven't had a packed bus since before COVID started. Oh so after COVID, I haven't had a packed bus, so I'm I can't really tell that there's less people now that the rail's on.
SPEAKER_00Oh that's kind of interesting. Oh, maybe because of the pandemic, everybody thinks they still can catch something, so they're not catching a bus now.
SPEAKER_02I mean maybe, but I remember before COVID started, my bus was packed front to back, standing, sitting. People were not holding on to my fare box. Like I've never had a pack bus like that since.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02My bus doesn't, I haven't really had a pack bus, so I don't know, but I do notice more people are riding. Like I drive the 40, so I stop at the the Coppola station, and people get on and off over there all the time, so they're using it.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's good. That's crazy. I think maybe because people finally got to drive to work or had to drive to work and realize like ah, I can just do this now, Nanikesh bus. Yeah, maybe that's probably it. So, what kind of I know you meet a lot of crazy stuff, but what would be kind of some of the feel-good moments of being a bus driver? What kind of positive things do you notice or experience when you're driving a bus?
Scooters, Bodyboards, And Flex Rules
SPEAKER_02Um, for me, I I really love helping people. So, like if I can help the older people or like, you know, people that don't have money, that just want to ride, like I'm not a stickler, you know, and it just makes me feel good to be able to just help people go places and like be nice to them. Because you know, you never know what people are going through, and like just saying hi to them like brightens up their day, you know. And I've had so many people tell me, like, gosh, you're the nicest bus driver I've had in so long. And I'm just like, Thank you, you know, like it makes me feel so good.
SPEAKER_00That's cool. Oh, a situation did happen to me when I was little. Me and my sister went to catch bus home from school, and she lost her quarter, and I only had one quarter, so I gave it to her in the bus driver's scene. And he's hey, just come on. And like I remember thinking, like, wow, that was so cool. It those little things I still remember today, and I remember like, oh, I know you walk home, and I was just so thankful. And you probably make a lot of those moments happen, and people don't forget, and especially when when you're young, and and things like that happen. Like, right now, I'm talking to you about it now, and it happened way long time ago, and it's things like that I remember, and and it's those feel-good moments that change people's day. I think being a bus driver, you're at the start and end of everybody's day, you know.
SPEAKER_02I mean, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_00I think um you making content has been amazing insight to what goes on in at least the Hawaii bus. I've never seen anybody doing that. Uh, you probably the only one, uh, unless there's some that I don't know about.
Post‑Covid Crowds And The Rail
SPEAKER_02I know I keep telling more people to do it. Like, you know, me and my coworkers, when we're sitting around in the lounge, like we we share our stories, and we have so many stories collectively, like they all need to be telling their stories. Like that I see every single day. We just sit there and tell stories with each other, and there's this one guy I see every day, and he makes my day every day because I pick him up, I relieve the 40 bus driver at um 24-hour fitness bus stop, and he gets off of the 42 and comes into my shuttle van, and he is like the funniest person I've ever met. And every day he just starts my day off making me laugh so hard, and I'm like, please let me record you telling these stories. And he's like, I don't do social media, and I'm like, dude, so funny, his stories are great. I wanted to start a podcast and get bus drivers on just that would be awesome! I think it'd be hilarious.
SPEAKER_00That would be super cool. What uh made you decide, like, oh, I'm gonna start like putting this stuff out there, like you had to make a a choice, like I'm gonna start content creating uh stories from the bus.
SPEAKER_02Well, honestly, like so there was this one video that went viral, kind of of me just throwing a shaka, showing my bus and smiling and whatever. And within 24 hours, that had over a hundred thousand views, and I was just like, Wow, it's it's just so random the things that blow up, right? Oh, yeah, those videos, but and then I I talked to my sister and I was like, should I start telling my stories? And she was like, Yeah, you should. So I just I just started telling stories, and I I was so nervous at first.
SPEAKER_01I I'm shy, even by myself, I'm like sitting there like uh uh I understand.
SPEAKER_02I guess you know, people like them, so that's what we're doing.
SPEAKER_00Okay, let's take a short break. I want to shout out our sponsor, Medicinal Mushrooms Hawaii. They're a uh locally based medicinal mushroom company, and this would be an awesome stocking stuffer. They have five different tintures of extracted mushrooms. Uh, they have lion's mane, chaga, turkey tail, red reishi, and the newest one is the cordyceps. I take all five of these every single day. I'll take um the red reishi at night to go to sleep good. But if you don't know the medicinal properties for these mushrooms, go to their website medmushroomhigh.com and it'll explain to you exactly what these mushrooms can do for you. Uh, also, if you go to their website and you want to buy one, use promo code ATBPod upon. Check out all capital letters, you'll get 45% off your first tinture of extracted mushrooms, medmushroomhigh.com. Aloha. You putting yourself out there for everybody to see. Do you ever get recognized? Like, hey, you're the girl that does the videos with on your routes. Yeah, oh no, yeah, all the time.
SPEAKER_02It's so round up, it makes me feel good though, because they're just like, Oh, you make me laugh. You're so funny, and you know, I love that when people come and say hi to me.
Why Kindness On The Bus Matters
SPEAKER_00That's super cool. I think that is I think the same. Like, I think you do lighten people's days, and you do give a cool insight, and it's funny stories. And I was I would assume a lot of people caught bus and had certain situations happen, and it's kind of fun to hear about them. And the way you tell it makes it makes it funny, like you're laughing, and it's like it's like the funniest thing ever to you, so it comes out that way.
SPEAKER_02It is so funny, that's why I just talk like I'm talking to my friends, you know. Yeah, no, it's good.
SPEAKER_00I wanted to know also your buses. Do you get a set, like a certain bus that's just yours, or you just get whatever one?
SPEAKER_02No, it's random every day.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay, because I seen the video of the doodoo on the someone took a dump on your bus. I'm thinking, like, oh, if that's you, you're like the bus you gotta use every single time.
SPEAKER_02No, no, it's every day we get a different bus. That's crazy. That bus and deep cleaned it, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I want to know, like, did that happen on route, or you noticed it when it when you were like were done and was like, what the hell is that?
SPEAKER_02So this guy, I know who it was because I didn't have that many people on my bus, right? I was driving the 40, I got to ala Moana, and I was like, Hey, you know, last stop, you guys, everybody get off. And he was the last person off my bus, and he got off, and he's like, bye, have a nice day. And and I shut my bus off, and I'm sitting there and I smell shit, right? And I'm like, what the fuck? So I I walk through my bus and I'm so tired, I don't even know how I missed it. I went looking all over and I could not see it, I couldn't see it. So I just thought, okay, like the smell is coming from outside. So it was starting it, what it was time to leave. I start my bus, the AC comes back on, the smell's gone. So I'm absolutely positive it came from outside now. I go and I pick up about 20 people at the bus stop, and nobody from Ala Moana tells me anything until I get to Waipahu. This cute little girl came up to me and she goes, Auntie, get shed in the back seat. And I was like, I started laughing because I was like, I knew I smelled. I just didn't know where it was coming from. So I was like, Where? And I was like, walk me back there. So she walked me back and she pointed. And there were so many people back there, and nobody said a damn thing. Everybody just wanted to go home because they know, like, I'll have to stall my bus and wait, and like just the whole protocol, right? Everybody sit by shit and keep it moving.
SPEAKER_00Oh, they just let it actually go home.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I was cracking up, I couldn't believe it.
SPEAKER_00So, what is the protocol? You gotta like get everybody off, and what what is the deal if that happens?
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SPEAKER_02Yeah, we call and we you know, we let them know, and they find a bus to come swap out, so there will be another bus that will meet me along my route. Oh, and then just transfer buses and keep it moving.
SPEAKER_00Oh, people are just like, no, just want to go home.
SPEAKER_02Like, I my bus was packed. I had a lot of people on my bus that day.
SPEAKER_00I I guarantee they knew, like most of them knew, guarantee.
SPEAKER_02They were sitting around it, no one was sitting in that seat, but they were sitting around it, and I just could not believe that they were sitting next to this big pile of shit. And so I like I got everyone off the bus, and I was getting off, and I was like, Oh, no ways, I gotta go take a video of this.
SPEAKER_00Yup, that was funny. That's insane. Oh, did you ever see that guy again? No, I didn't. Oh, I would have been like, Bruh, I know what you did.
SPEAKER_02No, no, I haven't seen him, but I remember what he looks like, that's for sure.
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SPEAKER_00Would you let him back on? No, you and your shit out of here.
SPEAKER_02I think the thing was is he got on and he was drunk, and I knew he was, but like, like I said, like if you don't cause a problem, then uh there's no problem. And he just went in the back and he went to sleep. And so when I woke him up, he was just sprawled out, but he pooped his pants.
SPEAKER_01So oh my god, I don't even know how it came out of his pants. Like, how did it get onto the seat? That's what I want to know. I just don't know.
SPEAKER_00Just gotta throw newspaper down next time you see him.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god, that's why you see all the old nanas putting newspaper down.
SPEAKER_00That's crazy. You must have a lot of stories. The um bus drivers, do you ever see people like doing drugs or like drinking on the bus? Like, do you gotta kick them off?
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SPEAKER_02Drinking, yes. Um drugs, no, there's uh one time I had someone try to smoke up like a dab pen or whatever weed, but I didn't know who it was, so I kept staring in my mirror trying to pinpoint. But ultimately, if nobody says anything and I can't see it, like what there's nothing I can do, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but the drink, yeah, that I've kicked people off for drinking. Oh, they're just like sipping on something, and it's not the drinking that's the problem, it's the belligerency that comes with it. Yeah, they just get ridiculous and they spill their stuff, like okay. So I had one guy, he was drinking, and I wasn't sure he was drinking, and then he threw up and he spilt his beer all over the floor.
SPEAKER_00I was just a guarantee, I know now.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so that's not supposed to, because he ended up causing problems, you know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. Has anybody fought with you? Not not like physically, but verbally, like if you're trying to kick them off, they're like, no, I'm not going off, or like just refusing.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely, lots of times, and that's when you just call pick and choose my battles. You know, I I I'm pretty good at getting a read on people, and like I, if I'm not comfortable enough to walk up to them myself, I'll just pull over and call for help and get HPD's assistance because it's it's not worth it. Because nowadays, like I've seen people come on with like machetes in their pants and like you know, stuff like that, and like I don't know what's in their backpack, or like um one of my co-workers actually had a guy get on his bus and shoot up the bus with a paintball gun.
SPEAKER_00Like you never like the color.
SPEAKER_02You know, you just you don't know what people have, but like you can see it sometimes, and it makes me uneasy, but yeah, there's nothing that we can do because it's like concealed or whatever, right?
SPEAKER_00But you primarily have fun working, like it's uh it's a venture every single day.
Rotating Buses And The Infamous Mess
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah, yeah, it's fun, and I have lots of regulars, and like and they're sweet, you know, like most of the people are just really nice, you know, and you just put a few knuckleheads, and like that's where my content comes from. So it has to happen, or it would be boring.
SPEAKER_00What route is the best route to uh work or I I I should say what time of day? Do you rather work in the morning catching all the people going to work or the the homebound?
SPEAKER_02people well so for five years I was a a night driver like strictly seven and eight at night to three and four in the morning. What a bus goes that late yeah the 40 runs at night oh okay so and then just this year I started to try to come back down to days I don't like it. I I don't like it.
SPEAKER_00So next month I'm going back to my 8 p.m to 4 30 in the morning oh wow it's you know for me that's the easiest there's no cars on the road there's less people and you know you're just cruising you just have to stay up all night yeah but that would be when the more crazier passengers come on the bus stay tuned we got some good stories coming up that's the real reason why you're going back night shift is so you get better content.
SPEAKER_02Well you know like the days I for right now I I do the one to nine which is actually pretty smooth but there's just too much traffic and people and I just yeah I like to I like to have an easy day and it's easier to drive at night.
SPEAKER_00Yep definitely no more the sun you're right going down west side around three o'clock is not the business no I got the good one I get in right before uh right before the traffic starts oh that's super good runs I pick my runs by traffic so like this year while I've been back during the daytime I've been picking on by traffic so depending what time it's going in will depend if I pick that run or not because I that traffic going into Westside is nuts. That yeah I've been I used to live in Eva for a little while and like if you if you don't miss like if you're like even 10 minutes from when it starts like you're stuck and I had to put a DVD player in my truck just so I wouldn't get road rage or I have something to do if I'm stuck in traffic. I should have just caught the bus. Yeah um future wise where do you see yourself taking your content and what do you have any goals for yourself not only in your bus driving career but like with your social media honestly no I haven't I just do this for fun.
SPEAKER_02You know I make stories I haven't really thought about making any sort of career out of it or anything like that.
Drinking, Drugs, And Enforcement Limits
Night Shift Vs Day Shift
SPEAKER_00I just I like making people laugh I love that people enjoy my stories and um that that's about it you know I just have fun stories well that's the best I think you're good at what you're doing and you're definitely getting a following and it's only gonna grow it I definitely think people will relate to everything you're talking about and like I said you project it in a fun way so it's it's it's easy to watch when you're on Instagram okay let's take a break I want to shout out our sponsor iRip Detail Supply they're your one stop shop superstore for everything you need to detail your whatever vehicle you have they have a store in Temple Valley shopping center also one in Las Vegas but holidays are coming up it's the best gift you can give someone who's in love with their vehicle go to the store they have a great staff very knowledgeable if not go to their website at irepdetailsupply.com if you use promo code at b pod upon checkout you'll get 15% off whatever you need so go shopping over there get your Christmas gifts aloha career wise with the bus where do you see yourself taking this like do you get is there levels to it I would like to get off the seat I would like to go be a road supervisor or a central controller or in the training room but as the years go by and I'm able to choose runs it makes it a little bit easier but ultimately like it's getting really crazy on the streets like it's just scary period I haven't had an accident knock on wood yet um but it's just all the accidents I keep seeing like it I get scared and with people that get crazy with the bus drivers like there was a lady two weeks ago that got attacked by a homeless lady unprovoked and like on her driver's seat and just like beat her up and so it's stuff like that that makes me feel like I don't know how long I will last actually driving right because it's only a matter of time yeah it's only a matter of time before if someone gives me cracks I'm sure of it that's like a weird way to think of it as today gonna be the day nah every day every day I'm like oh what what about dealing with stupid drivers how's that been driving the bus because I deal with it just driving like you must like it must drive you insane it does but you know so the first couple years I had no patience and so I would get really irritated quickly and like now I I don't care I just it it just is what it is right because no matter what I'm on the clock I'm getting paid if I'm late I'm late it just doesn't matter yeah but like the people cut me off like I had a guy that cut me off and I swear he was like a foot in front of my bus when he cut me off and I was going about 30 miles an hour and I slammed on my brakes super hard everyone in my bus flew forward and I just about had a heart attack because it was just so close and I haven't had a close call like that in I don't know like three years or so and it was uh actually pretty terrifying that sounds crazy kept tonking just kept talking at him I wanted to open my doors and get off and be like you fucking stupid screen at him but I didn't I just was like breathe you know I'm gonna win if I hit you you're not gonna win the battle I have a whole big thing behind me like people don't understand like the bus has air brakes our buses do not stop on a dime so if you cut us off and like hit your brakes like we it's a 50-50 chance if we hit you or not you know it's just like it's up to you if you want to take that chance have you noticed people on the phones i that's my pet peeve people on the phones like oh they're not paying attention or the red light turns green and they still on their phones it's like you must get that must be insane for a bus driver to deal with so I'm sitting up in our seats we're you know we're high up and I am I'm a creep dude when I sit in my when I'm in my seat and we're at red lights dude I look at everyone I'm just like what are you doing in there?
SPEAKER_02What are you doing?
SPEAKER_01But you know what I catch the most what is that their nose that see this is why I have illegal tint that's what I see the most is people just full on up their nose and I just laugh so hard.
Goals For Content And Career
Safety Fears And Close Calls
SPEAKER_00You don't try and tease them just be literally oh you got them brother you're scratching your brain cracks me up every time I always I always look at people when I'm driving by or sitting next to them but it drives me nuts that is totally reinforced is the reason why I have illegal tint I can sing my music dig my nose stick finger and nobody can see me that's super funny. Um free time what do you do on free time when you're not driving bus uh what do you like to do I honestly I don't really do too much. I'm home um I moved back home with my parents recently my they're old my dad's 80s and my mom's in her 70s and they're both you know they're okay but they need help so when I'm at home I just help I do yard work help around the house and just family time right yeah yeah other than that though like I'll go to the beach I take my dogs I got two little dogs that I take to the beach and uh sometimes I like to go out to Cholos for margaritas oh North Shore do you catch the bus no I don't catch the bus I have somebody drive so um you and your co-workers are there a lot of female bus drivers there are there are yeah it's quite a bit yeah because when I think of a female bus driver that I had was one big fat auntie that looked like she was not having a good day like I never had somebody like you as a bus driver out there yeah there's lots of female drivers um let's see there's more men than there is females but we have for sure yeah okay do you guys go hang out after like you is it like oh okay that like your crew or like that kind of stuff I some of them do they have their you know their clicks and they go I I do hang out with my classmates from the bus the ones that I graduated with yeah um we used to get together more but I'd go down to Wine and do beach day barbecues with them like on we would have the same days off and but yeah I mean we do it's not as often as I'd like but it's all right that's kind of cool. Um before we go I would like to ask you what would be some of the things you would want to let your passengers know if you could before they got on a bus like etiquette or anything like that or what to expect oh I don't know that's that's a hard question the only just have your have your money ready have your bus stats ready or you know and honestly that stuff doesn't care like I don't care about that stuff really that's cool you know because I'm mellow I don't care if I'm late so it's just when people are taking their time it's I don't care about it um so I don't really have an answer for that I I don't have bad passengers too too much you know do you oh I know that's you guys have that sticker in the back of your bus that says if you're driving shitty call this number have you called it I never called it but I was thinking I was gonna ask you did anybody ever call uh on your bus actually yeah um so I was at Honokai Hale bus stop and um you know that the people's coming right off the freeway yeah so I was trying to pull out and the car when I was looking in my mirror the car was so far away so I started to go and he was just going so fast the next time I looked he was right up on me but I was already halfway in the road so and then he I guess he ended up calling in a complaint on me or they did and uh when they came up on the side of me they were honking and I looked in their car and I realized what the problem was is they had a toddler in the back that wasn't in a seat just climbing around so they had to slam on their brakes and that baby probably went flying so I got a warning for that but that's just a hard spot and it's not like you know our buses don't go fast. You don't hit the gas and it goes you know it's all brrrr yeah going over to poly that's exactly the sound it makes I was thinking just put your own phone number and then they call like what the fuck you trying to complain I don't care I was uh I always wanted to know like oh the people actually call those things but yeah plus too now you guys know except coins uh coins oh I thought the oh I thought you had to use dollar but somebody told me that okay no so no we accept coins still but they did start putting in a new fare box that in my opinion sucks because you have to put in one dollar at a time whereas the old fair box you could just slide them all in together and if you don't like put it in the right way the thing spits it out and like this loud noise goes off and it is just annoying so sometimes I'll just be like no need just go just go sit down free ride today not you annoying me how how much are bus passes now uh I don't know I wanna say I want to say they're like 80 or 90 dollars a month yeah that's not too bad yeah oh that's super that's like two Uber rides from Kanye yeah expensive the bus only certain routes goes like till early in the morning yeah so the Route 2 runs all night the Route 42 basically runs all night the last bus gets off at 345 but the first bus already left so that's in my opinion pretty much a 24 hour and then the 40 runs all night as well do you ever do Kaneo route yeah well I do the 60 um I would love to get on the 65 and 67 you know but those are good routes so the old timers get those okay yeah that is that still circle island or no they cut the circle island so it's it's the 60 and then it turns into the 52 oh okay yeah I went I fell asleep and ended up like ear because of the circle island one time I was like a bus driver knew me too I'm like brah you knew I was supposed to get off like you take me around the whole fucking island yeah he was cool though he gave me my quarterback so I could or he gave me a quarter so I could catch bus back the other way oh that's nice damn that sucks so I feel like I could talk to you about these stories for hours and hours I definitely gotta have you back in the future to find out what else has been going on because you seem like a fun person to talk to thank you you are too you made me very comfortable I was so nervous I'm like I'm shy a little bit you know I I don't know I had fun I definitely um stoked you were down to come on if people wanted to find your Instagram where can people find you on your social media what do you mean what is your yo that's such a good tagline too my sister thought of it so my first it was just my name it was Teenie is my nickname and then uh when that one video popped off my sister's like you should change your name and I was like what should it be and she told said beauty in the bus and I was like that's a good one so yeah yep so you can find her on there uh be nice to her when you see her on the bus uh give her food and candy and be nice because or not because then she'll have more videos to make yes give me content yeah well thank you so much for taking time out I had a lot of fun talking story with you it's gonna be cool to uh see more of your content in the future and have you back on so we can discuss more some more of it right on Thad thank you yep uh shakas for the cameras we're out shout out to the artists groove network aloha
