More than “just” a pool…
Most of Don LaPointe’s riders took a seat in the Easy Street® van because they hated the long drive to work in Hartford.
They did not realize they were about to begin a commuter friendship.
The camaraderie among Don’s vanpoolers is evident as the group gathers for an occasional lunch time meal. They tell jokes, recall the ride home in the last big snowstorm and talk about the latest developments on American Idol.
Every morning the van leaves Griswold at 6:25, makes a stop in Norwich and gets in to Hartford by 7:30. Occasionally there is a stop along the way for donuts.
If there is trouble ahead on the road Don gets a call and takes an alternate route in to the city. His riders claim Don knows every back road in Connecticut and can drive through snow, sleet and rain. They take great pride in having a driver who gets them to work or home close to on schedule, even when road conditions are horrible.
Most of Don’s riders have been in his van for at least 10 years. All hail from southeastern Connecticut towns such as Griswold, Sprague and Plainfield. They work for private companies like The Hartford and Sky Investment Group and state agencies clustered in the Capitol Avenue area – Departments of Public Health, Mental Retardation, Community and Economic Development and Administrative Services.
Vanpoolers who want to rest on their commute, pick a seat in the rear of the van, out of earshot of the radio that is usually tuned into Sebastian. Those wanting a livelier ride, cluster nearer the front where “co-pilot” Jerry Morrison rides shotgun and provides daily cheer. Jerry keeps up the banter even when driving conditions go from bad to worse. In March he kept the vanpool laughing about the windshield wiper that flew off the during a difficult ride home in a blinding snowstorm. That afternoon’s normally one-hour commute took 2 ½ hours yet nobody complained.
The riders say there is no subject that is off limits. But at lunch vanpoolers were surprised to learn that there was one Yankees fan in a group of Red Sox lovers.
Don’s riders said in unison they abide by only one rule, “what happens on the van stays on the van.”
The riders claim Don LaPointe, winner of the 2006 Driver of the Year Award, creates an atmosphere where “we just have fun.”
Everybody’s birthday is celebrated. At Christmas there is a cookie swap.
Money is pooled together for the lottery. Mostly they play cash 5, lotto and power ball. The winnings are used to buy pizza at Vito’s for the ride home.
The vanpool even hosted a baby shower, complete with banners, cake and presents. The mother, who gave birth to a baby girl, and grandmother both ride in the van.
Usually people ride an Easy Street® van to work to save money or shed the stress of a long commute. But if you asked this group of vanpoolers what they like most about the van service, they are just as likely to answer because it’s fun.
To learn more about Easy Street® routes from your area and the Free Trial Ride offer, contact customer service at (800) 972-3279 or email cs@rideshare.com. For a list of all Easy Street® routes, visit www.easystreet.org.