OXNARD : Bus Driver Steers Way to U.S. Competition
Most of the time, life is a repetitive series of route stops for South Coast Area Transit bus driver Frank Barrows.
But once a year Barrows gets seven minutes to strut his stuff. At the SCAT bus rodeo, Barrows speeds around oil barrels and squeals past pylons, screeching to a stop just six inches from a construction cone.
Barrows, 42, took first place in the competition last week in Ventura, beating 10 competitors. He now qualifies for the national bus rodeo finals in New Orleans in October.
As part of the competition, Barrows also had to take a written test and perform a routine bus check for flat tires, malfunctioning turn signals and other defects.
“Frank is a pretty good example of a conscientious driver,” SCAT spokeswoman Maureen Hooper Lopez said. “Before you are even allowed to compete you have to have good attendance and a safe driving record.”
The bus company, which is based in Oxnard, employs about 75 drivers and serves Oxnard, Ventura, Ojai, Santa Paula and Port Hueneme.
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