Often those who ride the bus with Twin Transit are elderly or disabled and with that, comes the need for drivers to be more aware. Bus driver Pam Lafayette’s intuition is something she’s learned to listen to while behind the wheel.
“It takes an army sometimes to help a family when their mother is suffering from dementia,” says Pam.
The woman had ridden the bus several times before, but when picked her up this time, she knew something wasn’t right.
“She was sure of where she was going but not sure of how to get there,” says Pam. “This night, she seemed really off and agitated.”
Pam called the other drivers to see if anyone knew where she lived. Nobody did. So Pam kept her safe on the bus, busily chatting about the area and weather.
When Pam returned to the stop where the confused woman was originally picked up, another woman was standing there. When Pam opened the door, the woman asked if she’d seen her mother.
Pam was happy to safely reunite the pair.
“She gave me her phone number so we could call her if it happened again,” Pam says. Pam even passed the number and a picture to her coworkers so they could all be on the lookout.
“It did happen several times, but mom was safe and daughter or the police were called for a safe delivery home,” Pam says. “We’ve had several older folks that have jumped on the bus like this. We all care about our community and keeping people safe.”
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