Do you know what Wednesday, March 18, is?

National Bus Driver Appreciation Day.

It is also known as Transit Driver Appreciation Day.

I think about our bus operators and the sacrifices they make on a daily basis to get us to our destinations:

• The mandatory overtime they endure, working days that they should be off.

• Some operators are driving around with back pain, colds and other ailments.

• The conflict they endure on a regular basis with patrons who are difficult to accommodate.

• The lack of thanks that they receive from their superiors and the patrons who depend on them every day.

• The many near-accidents they avoid to keep us safe.

• The many last-minute detours they have to abide by at the spur of the moment, which disrupts their schedule.

Of the more than 20 drivers I recently talked to about National Bus Driver Appreciation Day, only two knew there was such a day.

Can we do something for these drivers on that day? A thank you would be more than appropriate.

Our bus operators deserve this and I want to do my part to encourage them. If there is anything that I can do, I will be happy to contribute to the cause.

I love our bus operators!

DAVID GREEN Norfolk

The writer is a customer service representative for Hampton Roads Transit.