For this third installment in our Olympic Memories series we revisit the 2010 Winter Olympic Games by asking CMBC transit operators about their experiences moving the world four years ago! Written by Jennifer Siddon, Senior Communications Advisor for Coast Mountain Bus Company.

Susan has been a transit operator for 23 years.  During the 2010 Winter Olympics, she drove the 05 Robson/Downtown and the 06 Davie/Downtown.

Lasting impressions

When asked about her overall impression of the 2010 Winter Games, Susan said, “It was so much fun! She added that, “With VIP motorcades, road closures, and reroutes, you had to be flexible to get the job done.”

“Everybody said how clean the city was; how helpful all the drivers were; and, how they couldn’t believe passengers said Œthank you when they got off the bus.”

Favourite memories

Susan admits that originally she wasn’t a big fan of the Olympics, but that once the Games began, the energy and excitement in the city was infectious.

While driving downtown, Susan experienced the electricity created by thousands of people lined up along the streets to cheer on the torch relay, just like how fellow transit operator Tim Chaput described it.

The Olympics was also a fun opportunity for Susan to practice speaking French and Arabic with her passengers.

Susan’s fondest memory of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games is a very personal one. Her sister and brother in-law came to Vancouver from Quebec to be spectators at the Olympics and one of the first things they did was get onboard Susan’s bus. The couple couldn’t stop talking about the beauty of Vancouver. Susan added, “I felt so much pride in our city. It was like we were greeting the world.”