Driving The Bus

1. Driving The Bus Stephanie R. Kiebach

2. Let me tell you a story child, about a time in my life that changed the course of history, forever… A time that I’m not too proud of. Thursday, December 1, 1955 Montgomery, Alabama

3. Beep Beep Beep Time to rise and shine for another day on the job. I step outside and the town is already awake. Its wintertime here, yet still warm and breezy - another beautiful, ordinary day. I arrived at Montgomery Bus Station promptly by 7 o’clock, and hop on my bus, number 2857, and begin my route along Cleveland Avenue. The same way that I have for years.

4. You see child, I lived inatime when blacks and whites were segregated. On the bus, the law was no different. The blacks were supposed to sit in back and the whites, up front.

5. The first four rows were for the white folk and the others were for blacks. And mind you, if the bus became packed like sardines, them colored folk would have to give up their spot for any white man who wanted it.

6. Any how, as the story continues, and the 6 o’clock rush hour came around, I pull the bus to a screeching halt as a flood of people rush through the doors. I remember it like yesterday – Four blacks sat in Row 5, the first row of the colored section.Technically, they weren’t doin’ nothin’ wrong, but they knew the rules, and it was time to abide. When two whites got on the bus needin’ their seat, I turned around, frustrated and said, “Y’all gotta move, now”. Most of ‘em knew better than to make me holler. It was de law and I didn’t like no shenanigans on my bus. Three of the four blacks got up and rustled to the back of the bus. All besides one.

7. I will never forget her name, or her face. And no one else will either – Mrs. Rosa Parks. I heard later, she was a seamstress. But more than that, she was a strong woman. Icould see that in her eyes. “Are you gonna stand up?” I say. She just looked at me, straight in the eye, and said, “No”. “Well, I’m gonna have you arrested.” I replied. I did what I had to do. I’m a man of my word, and couldn’t have this woman make of fool of me - not on my bus. After radioing the police station, I peered back at her from my rearview mirror. She was nonchalantly staring out the window. While the other riders waited in their seats and aisles becoming more and more frustrated with every minute as we awaited the officials to arrive.

8. The police officers arrived, handcuffed Mrs. Parks, gave me paperwork to sign, and left. “Finally,” I thought, “Now, I can continue with my route and go home.”

9. The events that took place that day resulted in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Mr. Martin Luther King Jr. himself. The boycott lasted for an entire year until the U.S Supreme Court declared segregating buses to be unconstitutional.

10. Now young child, the only reason I told you this story was to enlighten you. I enforced animosity towards a person, an entire group of people, because they were different from me and society encouraged us to do so. Mrs. Parks stood up for what she believed in, despite the consequences. Don’t make the same mistake that I did. Treat all people with the same respect and dignity that you would like to have. & As she once said, “Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others.” We all grow and learn from our mistakes; I hope you can learn from mine and those of an entire nation.