For more than 40 years, Godwin McNeal has delivered passengers safely to their destinations across Cleveland, going 1.2 million miles without a preventable accident.
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority wants drivers to have less than 14 preventable accidents per 1 million miles, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. McNeal came to Cleveland in 1973, and while he was working at a factory, a friend suggested he become a bus driver. Back then, there was no power steering and "you had to stand up to turn," he said. "Everyone needed muscles."
McNeal told the Plain Dealer that his job allows him to "soak up the sunshine" and "see the seasons," and he enjoys meeting passengers, especially tourists, because "you can travel into their country just by listening." He's had a few unavoidable accidents, but has been lauded for his safety record, receiving awards and even being asked to throw out the first pitch at an Indians game. The father of four plans on retiring in 2020, and he hopes to spend his days volunteering as a youth sports coach.