The Number 1 Bus Operator at ECAT

Meet Willie Carter:

Mr. Carter is number 1 in Seniority with ECAT working 34 years on the job.  He is beloved by his passengers as he has a wonderful sense of humor and feelings.

Willie was an Executive Board Officer for Local 1395 for many years and held the position of Senior E-Board Officer for 8 years.  He loves to play softball and will tell baseball story one after another and with each story he becomes Willie Mays. 

The most famous true ;-) story is that Willie use to ride the bus as a young man.  One day he got on and sat in the front of the bus.  The white bus operator directed him to sit in the back of the bus.  No this is not a Rosa Parks story LOL.  But as he tells it - years later when he was one of the first black male bus operators hired.  The first day training on the bus they sent him to train with that same white bus driver who sent him to the back of the bus.  Willie stepped on the bus and stared at the driver and said "You don't remember me but just for the record, I'm sittin in the front - front seat for now on."  The white driver smiled and said "You deserve it and may you sit there for many years"  Well 34 years later he still sits in the front - front seat.

We all love Brother Carter "Rushmore" as he is known to his closet friends.  Or as ECAT drivers call him now "#1"