passengers always happy to see Old White in the driving seat

Passengers enjoy riding on the Jiading No.mini storage 14 bus because of its happy driver, who is always wearing a smiling and willing to help the passengers.Li Guochun is his name but his passengers prefer to call him Lao Bai (literally Old White) as most of the time they only see his white hair above the driverÕs seat.Li, 55, started to drive the bus in 1982 and has served on more than half of JiadingÕs bus routes since then.The first impression the passengers get on LiÕs bus is steadiness.When elderly passengers board the bus, Li will wait for them to be properly seated before moving off.ÒI have to drive more carefully when there are seniors on the bus, and one mistake could cause big trouble,Ó Li said.His careful approach has endeared him to passengers and his sense of humor fills the bus with smiles and laughter.Liu Yafang, who lives in Pangu Tiandi community in Jiading New Town, is a regular passenger on LiÕs bus. She enjoyed LiÕs humor very much.Once when the visitors from downtown Shanghai complained that the route of No. 14 had too many turns, Li told them ÒOur bus is just like a sightseeing bus and you are so lucky to have a city tour almost free of charge.Ó The visitors couldnÕt help laughing. The bus fare is only 2 yuan (30 US cents).ÒWhere is the certification center?Ó ÒHow to get to the China Construction Bank?Ó Li is always ready to answer these questions from the passengers. From the questions Li knows what the passengers need to know most.For instance, the newcomers who have just bought an apartment need to clear the formalities in Jiading Certification Center; those who need to install the broadband at their new homes should go to the telecom company offices.Sometimes he would even help the passengers find a nice restaurant to enjoy a good meal. Once when he heard the conversation of an elderly couple who could not find a restaurant foself storage lunch, Li told them the name of a restaurant and detailed instructions in how to get there when they got off the bus.As a bus driver, Li is often transferred to other bus routes to replace other drivers when needed. So it is anything but an easy job to remember detailed information of each route in Jiading.On October 30, the first day the Jiading No. 15 route went into operation, he spent his holiday touring the route on his colleagueÕs bus, recording the time from the start to each stop, distances between each stops and their names.He drew a map of route, trying to keep the route in his mind. ÒI am growing old with a fading memory. If I point the wrong direction for passengers, I will kick myself,Ó Li said.Boarding LiÕs bus, passengers will find that the windows are spotless, the floor is clean and there is no single stain on the seats.Li is known for his dedication to cleanliness. During lunch breaks he often gives the bus a good cleaning. He even uses a toothbrush to clean corners that are hard to get at.Toward the passengers Li is warm-hearted, while dealing with thieves, Li is brave and tough.In the summer of 1994, when Li was working as a ticket conductor, he helped catch four thieves.One thief stabbed him in the thigh but he didnÕt loosen his grip on the thief.With the help of colleagues and passengers, the four were caught, but the stab left Li with a long scar on the thigh.Hard work deserves rewards and Li has received many awards, including ÒMunicipality-level Model Driver,Ó ÒShanghai Expo Service Model DriverÓ and ÒOutstanding Communist Party Member.ÓHowever, compared to these accolades, Li treasures the rewards from the passengers even more.When sugar sorghum hits the market in September and October, Li often finds several bundles placed on his seat.He doesnÕt know who gives it to him, but he knows it is a sweet reward from grateful passengers.迷你倉