Bus Driver

He loves that every trip is different, even if the journey is the same. Just like a classroom, where the kids are the same but somehow, every day with them is different.

CHILDHOOD

Marcus McKnight’s (MM) fascination with public transportation began when he was growing up on a quiet block in Philadelphia’s Logan neighborhood. Riding the public bus system (SEPTA) gave him a window to the world or, at least, to Philadelphia. 

That window may have been scratched and smudged sometimes, but it never dulled MM’s curiosity. “It was like an adventure: ‘What can I see where we’re going to?’” he said. “Whether it was to school or to the supermarket, the people were always different and there was always something different going on.” 

According to a local newspaper’s ‘Student Spotlight Feature” when MM was 13, he said he wanted to become “a teacher or the mayor.”

EDUCATION – PART ONE

Following his Olney High School graduation at age 18, MM needed to start working immediately to support himself financially. At the time, he had no plan to pursue further education at either a four-year college, two-year ‘community’ college or vo-tech school. 

COMMERCIAL DRIVER’S LICENSE

Motivated by his love for public transit, MM got his commercial driver’s license, required to be hired as a driver for the Krapf Group, which operates the Navy Yard and Philly Phlash buses. 

(A commercial driver’s license is a driver’s license required in the U.S. to operate large and heavy vehicles or a vehicle of any size that transports hazardous materials or more than 15 passengers including the driver. While recreational vehicles and farm vehicles are exempt from CDLs under federal law, states are permitted to require a CDL for those vehicles. The minimum age to obtain a CDL is 18 in all states except Hawaii, where it is 21. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration – FMCSA – requires drivers to be at least 21 to drive a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce – moving goods across state lines – and transporting hazardous materials.

Those seeking a CDL should check with the varying laws of each state where they intend to drive a qualified vehicle.)

The two buses MM drives vary widely in terms of ridership and route. The Philly Phlash, which runs April through September, is mainly for tourists (though some locals also hop on). It loops through Old City and Center City, stopping at sites like Independence Hall and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 

“I’ve met people from across the country and around the globe,” MM said of driving the Phlash. “I always ask them when they get on the bus: Where are you coming from? How long are you here for? What do you want to see?” 

He then dishes out advice accordingly, before seeking some of his own. “I ask them, ‘If I come to your town, what is the one place I have to visit and one place I must go to for a meal and a drink?”

Not surprisingly, the question he is asked most: “Everybody asks about the Rocky stairs…’Are you going to run up the steps with us?” MM’s usual response: “Ma’am, I live in a three-floor house, my bedroom and office are on the third floor and my laundry is in the basement. When I do a load of laundry, it’s like running up the Rocky steps.”

On the Navy Yard bus, which runs all year, MM sees mostly city residents who are on their way to or going home from work. On a split-shift day, MM can drive up to 32 loops. Typical riders include those boarding who are still half asleep, a man heading to a job interview, a woman from out of town on business, some stone-faced shipyard workers and some longtime passengers. 

One regular passenger remarked about MM: “He’s a good guy. He’s on time and he wants to get you to work on time.”

EDUCATION – PART TWO

While working as a bus driver, MM had long felt called to teaching, too. So, MM decided to pursue his Bachelor’s degree in history online from Southern New Hampshire University. After completing several of the college level courses, MM was qualified to serve as a substitute teacher at K-12 charter schools in Philadelphia. 

MM’s punctuality and penchant for rising early come in handy at his second job, with a company that places substitute teachers in city charter schools. MM said his first day subbing was “laid back, pleasant and enjoyable,” but other days, it’s been challenging.

CHALLENGE – STUDENT BEHAVIOR

“The most difficult part of teaching, whether you’re a substitute or you’ve been doing it for 30 years, is student behavior. A lot of students grow up with iPads and cell phones, so their level of concentration is a lot different from my generation.

MM has various strategies and techniques to reach students, but on days when none of them work, it’s frustrating. “You question yourself: ‘What mistakes am I making? I can inspire you; I can encourage you, but I can’t get anything done if there’s no basic respect. Just all day having to say ‘Please sit down. Please be quiet.’ I get paid money to drive a bus; you’re not going to be running me ragged.”

REMEMBERING HIS ‘WHY’ FOR TEACHING

On the hard days, MM tries to remember why he wanted to become a teacher. “As a Black man, it’s important to have Black male teachers; that’s the biggest thing I thought about when getting into teaching,” he said. 

And on the good days, MM shares his love of public transit and talks about his job with his students. “I get to tell them about my life and impart a lesson,” he said. “I tell them I’m a bus driver so if you have questions why something may be, ask me. I want to show them the other jobs you can do.”

ADVOCATE FOR A CAUSE

On top of working two jobs and going to school, MM also advocates for public transit riders and workers through the Philly Transit Riders Union, a grassroots group he confounded that works to defend and expand public transit. 

“We’re the first organization to give viewpoints of not just bus riders but also transit employees,” he said. MM often posts about his experiences as a bus driver, substitute teacher and transit activist activities on X (formerly Twitter). 

(Editor’s note – Advocating for a cause is not a ‘career’ as defined within this Career Stories Library unless the advocate is paid sufficiently – from that source alone – to support herself or himself financially.)

CAREER SATISFACTION

Conversations with students about different careers plus his work with the Philly Transit Riders Union inspired MM’s dream of bringing a transit education program into schools. “The first thing to be presented would be ‘How to be a smart and savvy rider…. How to read maps, how to read schedules. You should know how to use tools in case something happens or your phone dies,” said MM with determination. “The second part would be educating about jobs in transit, where a lot of people are starting to retire…. If we educate students, we can start filling some of these jobs.”

MM’s ultimate goal is to meld his passions and create a program for schools that would not only teach students how to use public transit but also inform them about job opportunities in the field. “I have to create my dream job,” he said. 

Meanwhile, as a lifelong city resident, MM knows his hometown isn’t perfect and may never be. But it’s home and it’s real, and when you really love something, you want to help it succeed. “I’m not looking for perfection, I’m just looking for our city to be a little bit better than it was yesterday.”

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This career story was based on a news article written by Stephanie Farr, published by the Philadelphia Inquirer on March 18, 2024 plus internet research, including Wikipedia.