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November 17, 2004
  Articles on this page: • A Quarter Century of Transporting People A Quarter Century of Transporting People Being a bus driver takes driving skill, an even temperament and a real love of people. Edward "Ed" Piacenti and Georgiana "Georgie" Berry have each logged 25 years behind the wheel of BRTA buses. In fact Berry's first day on the job was Piacenti's first day of training, and, as a seasoned school bus driver, she ended up training him. Both have driven just about every route in the system, and have no plans to retire anytime soon! Both drivers agree that their favorite part of the job is the people they meet on their routes.
"I love it because I meet a whole lot of people from foreign countries and all they tell me about their life in distant lands," Piacenti said. "I've made lots of friends among my passengers over the years," Berry agreed, "Just the other day a fellow brought me a Boston Red Sox championship hat because he knows I'm such a big Sox fan. People feel like their bus driver is a part of their family and they tell you about their lives. They treat me like a co-worker because they see me everyday." Both Piacenti and Berry have been coaches at the annual Bus Rodeo, one of the few times during the year when drivers get to hang out together. "Lots of my colleagues I don't see for months. I just hear them over the radio in the bus," Piacenti said. The Rodeo sometimes pits drivers against each other in slalom courses and other tests of driving skill, or sometimes "celebrity drivers" such as the Mayor or local reporters and radio personalities get behind the wheel. Piacenti, who holds an unrivaled 23 year safety record, has also driven B buses and the Lee Trolley in local parades. "This last year in the 4th of July Parade it started raining and all the decorations washed right off the bus," he recalled, laughing, "And one time a woman got on my bus when I was driving the Chapmans Corners route and she said she wanted to go to Ann Drive. I said, 'I don't go to Ann Drive' but she insisted the sign on the front of the bus said I did. So I got out to see what she was seeing and we were running a promotion at that time. The sign flashed 'Chapmans Corners' and then 'Don't drink and drive.' All she'd seen was 'and drive'!"
Both drivers enjoy their daily schedules, which see them arriving at work at about 5:30 am and off duty by early afternoon. Berry uses a few of those afternoons to care for her two infant grandchildren. But on the job their scheduled runs are quite tight. "This is a big public service and we try to make all of our connections. If you can't stick to the schedule you lose your effectiveness," Piacenti explained, "Of course there are always delays for construction or for heavy traffic at rush hour or during the Tanglewood season. I try to make minor adjustments to catch up." The buses they drive have changed considerably over the past quarter century. "Buses are all electronic and computerized now," Piacenti observed, "And they're more fuel efficient and less polluting now. We have fun features too like the new digital signs. They're easier for customers to read and easier for us to operate. When I started we had the old turn crank signs on the front and side of the bus." Bus drivers now sit on an air cushioned, lumbar control seat, an improvement Berry and Piacenti both enjoy!
Piacenti and Berry recall the heyday of the BRTA in the early 1980's when ridership was at its peak. Louis Perachi was the BRTA Administrator then, and Piacenti recalls a time when he boarded his bus to discover standing room only. "All the kids used to ride the B bus out to BCC in those days," Piacenti recalled, "Now they all have their own cars." "GE was going full swing then, and there were more families with just one car," Berry said, "One person would drive the car to work and the other family members rode the bus. The shame of it is that lots of people see the bus go by their home every day and they've never ridden them. People are afraid, they don't know if they'll get lost. We want to tell them that it's safe and a good way to get where you're going." Look for Piacenti on the Williamstown/North Adams run every morning, and for Berry on the morning route from Hinsdale to BCC.  RETURN TO TOP |
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