Hans and Shannon, two soon-to-be-married bus types from Capitol Hill, have officially declared March 18th Bus Driver Appreciation Day. (Apparently, there is no such official day–at least not one that they could find record of.) I, for one, am totally on board (sorry, couldn’t resist) and ready to help make it happen. Since this is a new thing, we get to decide how it works. Here’s what I’m thinking:

Next Wednesday, tell every driver whose bus you ride, “Happy Bus Driver Appreciation Day!” Make sure to keep smiling, even if they all look at you like you’re crazy. If you have a favorite driver, consider bringing him/her a card* or other token–nothing that would be hard to keep on a bus all day, just something small** to show your love.

So, my fellow riders: Go forth, and appreciate. And oh yeah: Pass it on!

* Note to Hallmark: In case you missed the headlines: More people than ever are riding the bus. Don’t sleep on this opportunity!
**I talked to a few veteran drivers who suggested that jewelry was sufficiently small. They were kidding, of course. Sort of.