can improve things. They’re pretty good here, at least, at Division 2.
Ceres: So you have never been the victim of discrimination because you’re a woman?
Nedrea: Not here, but I did have that problem before with older men who were not used to women working. For them, it was a whole new breed of women coming in to do their job, and they were trying to get used to it. They thought you’re not supposed to be driving. You are supposed to be at home, taking care of your family. That was their attitude!
Ceres: What else would you like to say that may be of importance to a female bus operator?
Nedrea: The only thing I want to say is, if you’re a female operator, you are here driving, just be safe, be careful! Always be aware of your surroundings, and try, try, TRY to meet at least one person who always rides the bus, who's cool with you, and who can have your back, and won’t let anything happen to you. You know they’re going to ride with you, and that's cool to know they also have your back.
Ceres: Any stories you want share?
Nedrea: I had people getting on the bus and having sex. I had people masturbating, [laughter] people falling over, too drunk to stand up. Some stories! There’s so many, OMG, so many [laughter]. I have couples that get on, and they’ll get the fighting going cause the husband doesn’t want to do this. One tries to go here to get this; the other tries to go there to get that. There are so many. You get the ones that get off the bus and fall over because they're too drunk to move.
Ceres: What do you do then?
Nedrea: I just look at them and say, “You okay?”
“Yeah, yeah I’m good!”
“Okay, gotta go!” [Laughter]
Oh, yeah. You have some stories. If I could record everything that I see on this bus, I think I would be a millionaire on YouTube, right now. I really would, cause it’s crazy! Then you get the homeless people. They don’t have anywhere to stay, so they ride us all night, back and forth, back and forth. It’s the running motel, pretty much! At the end of the line, they’ll wait for you to take your break, and they’ll get on the bus, and ride back to Figueroa and Sunset. I think it’s sad. Something should be done about that! If they have no place to stay, I don’t kick them off the bus, but they know in the morning, when it’s time for my business people to get on, they know that they are not going back. They know that. That is the only thing that I hate. It’s very sad to see that a lot of people, people with kids, old people—I’m talking about really old people—are homeless, and I hate that.
Ceres: Do you enjoy your job?
Nedrea: I love it. As long as I’m working with people, I’m good. Gee, they make me mad, but I’m good! [laughter] I also love working here, at Division 2. I have great managers and supervisors. I really enjoy working with them, and being a bus driver.
Ceres: Why do passengers call you Nikki?
Nedrea: I don’t want them to know my real name, and nine times out of ten, they can’t even pronounce Nedrea. So, I abbreviate it to Nikki. Each time they see me, it’s: “Hi Nikki, hey Nikki!” So, it’s cool, and when they call in, nobody knows who Nikki is [Laughter]!
"If I could record everything that I see on this bus, I think I would be a millionaire on YouTube, right now."
Al Mohymont for Ceres Magazine
30 - Ceres Magazine - Winter 2016