When John Maiden started work for the Jefferson Transit Authority (JTA) on Jan. 25, 1983, he was paid the princely sum of $6.35 an hour, back when $3.35 an hour was minimum wage.

“It was one of the best jobs in the county,” said Maiden, who was one of 150 applicants for the JTA bus driver position he applied for 35 years ago. “But if you don’t love the job, you won’t make it. I’ve seen people apply just for the benefits, but they don’t last long.”

The JTA board and staff honored Maiden for his longevity as a JTA bus operator during the board’s meeting in February. Leesa Monroe, JTA operations manager, presented Maiden with his 35-year pin at the meeting.

Maiden was 22 years old when he began working at JTA. The Bremerton-born Port Townsend High School alum had majored in history at Western Washington University, but wound up working a summer job at Centrum and through the snow season at the Les Schwab Tire Center after graduation.

“I realized I didn’t want to teach history,” Maiden said. “I only applied for the transit job to get my dad off my back. Most of the other applicants had at least some experience driving buses, while as close as I’d come was driving my dad’s truck. On top of it, I thought my interview was terrible.”

‘CLEAN SLATES’

Maiden found out later that he made the cut precisely because of his lack of experience. JTA had been seeking “clean slates” who could be trained the way the transit authority wanted.

While Maiden has benefited from getting in on the ground floor of a statewide commitment to investing in rural transit systems, what’s kept him at his job has been a crew of “really nice” coworkers and more importantly, a love of serving and interacting with the public.

“I’m not there to solve anyone’s problems,” Maiden said. “I’m just there to get them from point A to point B. At the same time, my job is to give dignity to everyone who steps on board my bus.”

Maiden still recalls relying on public transportation during his college years, when a bus ride cost a dime and having the money to fill up the gas tank of his car wasn’t guaranteed.

“I remember filling it up and thinking, ‘I don’t know where my next tank of gas is coming from,’” Maiden said. “A lot of the people I serve are also dealing with very basic problems.”

Maiden acknowledged that a number of JTA commuters are facing challenges, whether it’s finding employment or a home, or dealing with addictions or mental health issues.

SIR OR MA’AM

“We pick folks up after they’ve been released from the county jail, since they get a bus pass on their way out,” Maiden said. “Regardless of their circumstances, everyone deserves a ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am.’ I’m not there to look at their clothes. If they have questions, I give them my full attention, not put-downs, rolled eyes or sighs. The last thing anyone needs is attitude from a bus driver.”

During extended shifts, Maiden even imagines himself as a theatrical actor, on stage in his transit uniform, there to project positivity and “look my best” for his organization.

He apparently plays his part well enough that he’s had older commuters encounter him in town, when he’s not on shift, asking him to give them rides home. It’s a request he typically complies with.

“It’s a small-town community,” Maiden said. “They know me as their bus driver.”

Maiden still brings the same enthusiasm to his job that he did when he was first photographed for The Leader as a new hire 35 years ago.

“I was so new, I had to borrow another driver’s jacket for the photo,” Maiden said. “I wouldn’t have stayed at this job if I didn’t look forward to going to work when I wake up every morning. If you have a job that you enjoy, why would you look for work anywhere else?”