SIX QUESTIONS:

A Clark County bus driver who’s logged 3 million miles

Sam Morris

Bus driver Waynee Miller has logged more than 3 million accident-free miles driving passengers across the Las Vegas Valley.

By Brian Eckhouse (contact)

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 | 2 a.m.

In his more than three decades behind the wheel of a Clark County bus, Waynee Miller has driven the equivalent of 120 1/2 times around the globe. We’ll save you the math: 3 million miles. The 65-year-old, who works for Veolia Transportation, the county’s contracted bus operator, is one of just three drivers here to log that many miles.

What’s the hardest part about driving down the Strip?

Obviously there’s traffic, but the hardest part is the distraction of passengers always asking where shows are playing. You can avoid that by driving routes where everybody knows where they want to go. I chose an east-west route because I could. I have the most seniority among drivers. The last time I drove along the Strip regularly was in 1993.

Do you have regular passengers you’ve gotten to know?

Yes, the same passengers see me five days a week. Not all drivers consistently work the same route daily. If you don’t see regular passengers, you wonder where they are. You get to know their bus stops, so you look out for them.

Are there parts of town too narrow or treacherous for bus traffic?

A few decades ago the bus path was too narrow along a stretch of Fremont Street. And teens cruised Fremont. It was a nightmare. The bus drivers boycotted it for a few days, getting the Las Vegas City Council’s attention. The city ended up removing the adjacent parking lane.

Do you prefer driving a bus or a car?

Oh, the bus over my Camry. You’re higher up in the bus, so you can see hazards farther away. It allows me to plan alternative paths to the next stop.

How has driving a bus changed technologically in your career?

When I started, operators handled money. That was a distraction. Now fare boxes handle the money. We didn’t have power steering. We announced stops but no longer. We have recordings. The buses are larger, the drivers’ seats more comfortable and the air-conditioning works better.

Do you have a dream route? The Sierras, perhaps?

I’ve driven a tour bus a few times, once to St. George. I liked it, but I don’t have a dream route. I just like driving.

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