The "Faces of Strangers: #14" Story

Tony

 It was an ordinary day.  Riding on a Majestic Tours bus toward the airport in Nassau, the Bahamas.  Starting my trek home after two weeks of visiting paradise with my wife Carol and our friends and traveling companions Jerry and Just Sue.  Driving the bus is Tony who is a native of the island and has a wonderful sense of humor and a great personality.  A truly great ambassador for the islands of the Bahamas.  Jerry is sitting in the front seat to the right of Tony and I am sitting about half a dozen seats behind them both, along with Carol and Just Sue.  As we pass from the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, where we stopped for a few more travelers, into the city of Nassau I decide to move closer to the front to share the conversation with Tony and Jerry.  Tony tells me his name is really Anthony and he has been driving tour buses for 12 years.  We ask him if he has ever been to the States (USA) and he tells us about his aunt and uncle who live in Florida as well as an uncle who resides in Queens, NY.  Tony's friendly and infectious smile make it easy to converse with him.  We share a few stories and jokes as he maneuvers through the busy streets of Nassau driving the large bus.  He talks about his driving experiences and the lack of courtesy shown by many of the drivers on the island.  "Might as well just take the turn signal off the steering column and throw it away since most people don't use it," he tells us as another motorist cuts in front of him without any warning.  He stops to allow pedestrians to cross in front of him and tells us it is common courtesy as well as the law on the island.  You can see he has driven these roads many times as he maneuvers past the pot holes and raised sewer caps.  As we draw near the airport he gives us instructions telling us what to expect after he has dropped us off.  

Tony, our bus driver

"After you get your airline tickets you'll pass through US Customs and Immigration and then through security.  One of the few islands in the Caribbean where you go through customs and immigration before you leave the island," he tells us.  We depart the bus as he fetches our luggage for us, all the while with a big smile on his face.  I give him a tip and ask if I can take a photo of him.  "Sure," he tells me as he stands next to the bus with a big smile.  Thanks Tony for a great ending to our journey.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of ordinary guy.