> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Bus driver found his true calling in life - URL: https://www.smdp.com/bus-driver-found-his-true-calling-in-life/ - Published: 2003-08-15T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T02:45:30.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Business, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Kindness, smile gained him many friends during 36 years behind wheel* *By PATRICK KINMARTIN Special to the Daily Press* When Michael Burton stood at the front of a Big Blue Bus for the first time, his mind began to race. “I felt like I was like looking down the edge of a cliff — it was like the darn thing never ended,” he said, recalling the day he began training as a driver. “It was humongous, and I was about to drive it... All I remember thinking was, ‘What am I getting myself into here?’” Little did Burton know he was beginning what would become a highly fulfilling career. Burton has driven a Big Blue Bus around Santa Monica ever since that day in 1967\. His 36 years on the job make him the longest employed city worker. Burton, 63, was honored by the City of Santa Monica during the Big Blue Bus’ 75th anniversary commemoration last March. At the ceremony, he was given a clock with a Big Blue Bus on it as a symbol of the city’s gratitude for the time he has put in. “You don’t think about it until people remind you, and then it just hits you in the face,” Burton said. “I can’t believe it when I sit and think about it. I could have never envisioned 36 years.” But what’s more impressive than his loyalty, many close to him said, is how he goes about his work day in and day out. They point out that his friendliness and positive attitude has not wavered during his three-and-a-half decade tenure. “He’s always had a delightful personality, and it never changes,” said Donna Wells, a Big Blue Bus customer service representative who worked as a driver with Burton for 24 years. “To this day, he comes in with a sparkle in his eye, a smile on his face and a good word for you.” Burton said his sociable demeanor stems from growing up in the South, where “people never pass by each other without extending some sort of greeting.” He was born in Little Rock, Ark., and raised by a single mother who encouraged him to get into music at a young age. Burton ended up receiving a music scholarship to the University of Arkansas AM & N, a predominantly black university in Pine Bluff, Ark. But after one year at the school, his mother sent him to Los Angeles to take care of his aunt while he continued to pursue his education. It did not seem like a big deal to Burton at the time, but he quickly realized he would have to adjust to the Southern California way of life. “When my train arrived in Los Angeles, I was blown away,” he said. “It was so different from Little Rock. I was-n’t used to seeing so many people, so many palm trees. “And I couldn’t believe there was Mexican food. You could never find Mexican food in Arkansas at that time.” After living with his aunt and going to school in the area for a few years, Burton enlisted in the military. During the early stages of Vietnam, he was stationed in Japan to do work he said was “top secret.” He spent the final two years of his service in Texas before returning to Los Angeles in 1965. Burton struggled to find a steady job upon his return. He worked for the state, parked cars and labored on a Chrysler assembly line, but had a tough time finding a vocation he actually enjoyed. While he was looking for work that would better suit him, a friend asked Burton to come along while he applied for a bus driving position with the Metro Transit Authority in Los Angeles. On the trip, Burton decided he would fill out an application as well. “I just figured at the time it can’t be too tough to get a job as a bus driver,” he said. He quickly found out it was. He never got the job with MTA in Los Angeles, admitting that his work history of constantly changing jobs probably cost him the chance. But instead of giving up on becoming a bus driver, he decided to reapply with the MTA in Santa Monica. He got the job just in time to support his wife, Dorothy, who he had just married. Burton clicked with the job immediately. He said he felt good about helping passengers get to their various destinations. “I liked being a big part of their day,” he said. “If someone needed to get to work, I was the one who got them there. I liked being the person they could depend on. “I liked having conversations with them so they would have less anxiety about getting where they needed to be.” Burton’s affable nature gained him popularity among Big Blue Bus riders throughout Santa Monica, as well as the respect of fellow employees, who admired his enthusiasm. “His attitude is infectious,” said Greg Jones, a Big Blue Bus driver who has become close friends with Burton. “If you’re having a bad day, he’s the guy you hope you run into when you come to work.” Although Burton remains enthusiastic about his work, he plans to retire in December. He said he wants to spend more time with his daughters, Marion, 35, and Debbie, 36\. Both have families of their own, including a four-year old grandson Burton wants to watch grow up. Until then, he said he will likely finish driving on his current route, the No. 3 Lincoln line from the LA Green Line Station on Imperial to UCLA. As he wraps up his career over the next few months, he said it will be hard not to look back on the last 36 years. “I wouldn’t have them go any other way,” he said. “When you look at transportation, it’s necessary. If transportation stops moving, so does everything else. “And I’m grateful I was able to keep things moving all these years.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 15, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/081503.pdf?ref=smdp.com)