Meet Peter – from model trains to Metlink bus lanes
Peter reckons Wellingtonians could win an award for how many people you can fit in a mini.
The Kinetic bus driver has been behind the wheel for five years on Metlink services and is always impressed at the way passengers can squeeze on a bus during peak hours.
He started driving for Kinetic in 2020, just before the COVID lockdown. While he’d never driven a large vehicle before, it was the perfect time to learn, with the roads almost completely clear of traffic.
Before the pandemic, Peter and his wife ran Modelcrafts and Hobbies on Victoria Street, selling, making and repairing model planes and trains as well as radio-controlled cars.
He knew an awful lot about vehicles on the smaller scale, but when a shop regular who worked as a bus driver suggested he apply for the job, Peter didn’t think he could manage a bus.
“I thought, I couldn’t drive one of those! Through Wellington?!”
But with the empty streets and some great instructors he was feeling confident in no time and hasn’t looked back since (except when reversing of course).
Peter’s favourite part of the job is the people he interacts and brightening passengers’ days, even in small ways.
“When I see a regular looking a bit down on a Monday, they get on the bus and I say, “welcome to Monday!” or on a Friday I remind them it’s fish and chip day.”
He’s also a fan of the views he gets while on the job, particularly on the routes around Mt Victoria.
“On a good day, the views as you come around Roseneath on the number 14 are just beautiful,” says Peter.
He also recommends taking the number 20 up to the Mt Victoria lookout as a cheap and easy way to see the city from high up. But for a driver, the route is not exactly straightforward.
“It’s a challenge with some very tight corners. Once up there, someone in a car leaned out their window and asked, “What’s a bus doing up here?” and I said, “I ask myself the same question!”
Outside of work, Peter enjoys heading to Kaitoke Regional Park. The lack of service means he can really lean into the joys of nature, and he also gets to indulge in one of his hobbies… metal detecting.
“I’ve actually found a couple of Ranger Steve’s lost keys with the detector!” Peter laughs.
He also came across two gold rings in the park, but says the best thing he’s found was in his backyard - a Dunedin Municipal Tramways Association token for one tram fare from the late 1800’s.
“It’s amazing to think how and when that came all the way up the country, got dropped, and then all these years later, some hobbyist with a metal detector comes along and finds it.”
“My wife thinks I’m nuts,” he adds.
Though driving a bus is a lot of responsibility, Peter feels it’s important to keep a positive outlook when he’s working.
“Maybe someone cuts you off or can get a bit grumpy at you because they feel like you’re in the way, but I let that go. I don’t want to carry a bad mood with me for the day.”
“The end of each trip is like the start of a fresh page,” he smiles, “the next passenger might make your day if you let them!”
Ngā mihi nui Peter for all your mahi!