Marguerite driver Ivan Jackson (Photo by Kathy Bellevin)

Most of us have taken the Marguerite at one time or another. Others use the shuttle every day. But what it is like sitting behind the wheel of a shuttle bus?

If you haven’t met Marguerite driver Ivan Jackson, you’re in for a treat. Jackson is one of the many shuttle drivers who make getting around SLAC and Stanford a little easier.

"Prior to the semester starting it was pretty quiet out here. It gave me a chance to get familiar with the route. There was – and still is – a lot of construction," said Jackson. "Overall it is a great experience. It is like riding around in a country club atmosphere but I’m not in a golf cart, I’m in a bus. There’s an aura out here. Every one here is into their education. I feel that way about my bus. I’m a professional driver. I’ve gotten my training, and now I feel like I’m a part of this whole atmosphere. The faculty and the staff, everyone’s friendly."

Before coming to Stanford, Jackson worked for the San Francisco Airport rental car shuttle, a very different working atmosphere. He says of his Stanford route, "I really enjoy it. I started here in September. I was assigned the B Counterclockwise route on Campus, which goes from the CalTrain station and back around to the Campus."

"No matter what is going on I keep an attitude that I’m a professional. We’re providing a service and I enjoy it. Stanford has it’s own transit system. Like San Francisco has Muni, Stanford has Marguerite."

Free transportation has been offered at Stanford since the 1880s, starting with a horse and buggy, then graduating to electric streetcars in 1929. The Marguerite came in 1973, and was named after one of the Stanford family horses.

The SFO Shuttle Bus Company began operating the Marguerite shuttle service in September. Making improvements in service and driver training is important to them. According to Helmut Bredow, Marguerite Project Manager, Jackson exemplifies this service. "He’s one of our stars. In fact, as new drivers come in, they’ll ride with him to get the customer service focus that he has. It’s just the way you approach people."

Jackson emphasizes that in training drivers, "Safety is the number one priority, customer service is number two and scheduling is number three. There are some things with scheduling that you just can’t do because of traffic, or the bus could break down, but safety is always first."

"I’m starting to have a rapport with the regular customers. I round the corner and see their faces light up. ‘There he is, he’s on time, that means I’m going to make it to my train.’ I’m surprised when I get to the end of the line how many people say ‘thank you.’ It’s a free service. That makes you feel good, too. We’re transporting precious cargo, human beings you know."

Jackson has been educating himself about all the destinations on Campus and often provides an informal tour. Marguerite on Campus is open to all, as is the SLAC Marguerite. The SLAC Commuter Marguerite, however, is open only to the SLAC community.

For information on SLAC Marguerite schedules see: http://www-group.slac.stanford.edu/sem/transportation/caltrainbus.html