Operators like Nathan Vass have navigated the intersection of safety and kindness.
By
Nicole Martinson
12/21/2020 at 9:00am
In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, with offices and streets empty, driving the bus was easy for Nathan Vass. âIt felt like it was 10:30 at night all day long,â he recalls.
The King County Metro senior operator knows that hour well. During his 13 years of driving, Vass has often worked one of the final shifts of the dayâa âlate swing"ânavigating through the University District, Downtown, Rainier Valley, and other neighborhoods on routes 7 and 49. Before Covid-19, the journeys across the city began with rush hour and ended, sometimes, with casual conversation among Vass and the few remaining passengers. âYou can kind of wind down before you even finish,â he says.