On bitterly cold mornings, walking across campus can be a torturous trek. No matter which direction you’re going, the wind seems to be against you, and any exposed skin on your body aches in agony for those four seconds before the nerve endings freeze off.

Fortunately there is a savior for winter wanderers – that cardinal and gold chariot of heavenly warmth, known as the CyRide.

Although CyRide is a campus convenience, it’s important that riders know how to be smart passengers before boarding the bus.

To shed some light on the subject, FYI talked to the experts – the CyRide drivers.

CyRide has employed Nick Meyer, senior in music, for four years. He is now an operations assistant, but spent three years as a bus driver.

Meyer stressed that passengers should feel free to talk to the driver.

“If you’re not sure about something, ask,” Meyer said. “It’s a lot easier for us to help you out if you ask before something goes wrong.”

Another common problem is some passengers get on a bus that seems to be headed in the right direction, but they don’t know exactly where the bus is going.

“Don’t assume if you’re not sure,” Meyer said. “Plan your trip ahead of time so you can make certain that you will be able to reach your destination.”

Meyer suggested that those who aren’t familiar with CyRide take a look at CyRide’s Web site, www.cyride.com, where they can find out where buses go, and when and where they stop.

But what about when you are at the right place at the right time and the bus isn’t there?

“Buses are a part of traffic just like any other vehicle,” Meyer said. “They can and do run behind schedule due to traffic or load conditions.”

Amber Moyer, 2006 ISU graduate in early childhood education, dealt with an impatient passenger while she was a CyRide driver. During her training she picked up a man at a bus stop that had no designated stop time.

The man claimed she was one minute late.

“I just said, ‘Sorry,’ because I knew I wasn’t late, but the customer is always right,” Moyer said.

Moyer said the man heckled her for the rest of the ride, telling her he was the wealthiest man in town. He threatened that if he were her boss, she would be fired.

Moyer said passengers need to realize buses deal with traffic like any other vehicle, and will sometimes be a couple of minutes late.

When it comes to being on time, there are many uncontrollable factors involved, but Meyer had a few suggestions for how passengers can help to keep the bus on schedule.

“Having your ISUCard or other equivalent fare ready when you board the bus can save a lot of time,” Meyer said. “Especially when the bus is boarding many passengers.”

Meyer said when the bus gets full, it saves a lot of time when passengers follow instructions to move back or to put their backpacks on the floor.

“Our drivers know exactly how many people fit on any particular bus, and they will fill the bus to capacity if conditions warrant,” Meyer said.

Moyer had an interesting career as a CyRide driver, and some of her stranger moments came while driving the Moonlight Express – otherwise known as “The Drunk Bus.”

The Moonlight Express offers rides on Friday and Saturday nights after 10:30 p.m. until 3 a.m. for those who may have had a few too many.

Moyer said passengers on the Moonlight Express really enjoyed singing while they were riding, but had some suggestions for future riders.

“Don’t sing ‘Wheels on the Bus,'” Moyer said. “They need to get a little more creative with their songs.”

Another suggestion was to use the buckets provided for passengers with motion sickness.

Moyer remembered one night when two people vomited on the bus in a span of 15 minutes.

“One of them puked right in the middle of the aisle, and as I drove up a hill, everyone on the bus started chanting, ‘Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!’ because the puke was sliding down the aisle,” Moyer said.

CYRIDE QUICK TIPS:

1) Plan ahead. Know which route you’re taking and exactly where you need to stop.

2) Pull the string above your seat to let the driver know that you need to stop. Make sure to give the driver enough notice, ringing the bell 20 feet before a stop is not a good idea.

3) You only need to ring the bell once.

4) Sometimes the bus gets pretty crowded, but you can still respect people’s personal space. If you’re standing in the aisle, don’t press your crotch into people sitting in the seats.

5) Follow the driver’s instructions. Sometimes it gets frustrating to hear, “Keep moving back, we can still fit 10 more people on this bus.” If you want to get where you’re going quickly, just do what you’re told.

6) If you live at Maple Willow Larch, don’t take the bus to the Lied Recreation Athletic Center.

7) Don’t yell across the bus to get somebody else’s attention – especially on a crowded bus. That’s just awkward for everyone.