By Mary Nussbaumer
Welcome to the Job Feature Series, a weekly column highlighting student workers around campus. is week, meet Bailey Burrows ’21, a Safe Ride driver. Note that this interview has been edited for length and clarity.
MN: WHERE DO YOU WORK?
BB: I drive Safe Ride for the campus safety o ce.
MN: WHAT DOES YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE AT SAFE RIDE LOOK LIKE?
BB: It really depends on my shift. Sometimes I work late at night, and sometimes I work in the afternoons going on grocery trips. Typically, when I work at night, I’m driving from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE? IS THERE A PARTICULAR REASON YOU CHOSE TO WORK AT SAFE RIDE?
BB: I’ve worked at Safe Ride since Block 5 last year. I was looking for jobs on campus, and I already had some friends who worked for Safe Ride and liked it. I also enjoy driving, so it was an easy choice for a job!
MN: DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER TASKS BESIDES DRIING STUDENTS?
BB: A couple of days a week, there are shifts in which you write up parking tickets!
MN: WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB?
BB: I really like driving. Tere’s nothing to do in my hometown; growing up, everyone just drove around when they were bored or wanted to hang out, so I’ve spent a lot of time in cars. Everyone in the Midwest also drives everywhere, so I’ve spent many long hours driving. I like having control over the music in the car as well. On campus, it’s cool to get to meet new students with whom I would never cross paths by driving them around.
MN: WHAT IS THE WORST PART OF YOUR JOB?
BB: Sometimes I hate being up so late. I also hate giving parking tickets.
MN: DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE RIDES OR STORIES FROM A FUNNY RIDE?
BB: I love picking people up from Tony’s – they’re always a good time. I’ve had a first year tell me I was the best Safe Ride driver because I took him to a party. That’s just a part of the job, though. I wasn’t doing anything special.
MN: HOW IS THE STAFF?
BB: The staff is really nice! You spend most of your shift alone though, so you don’t spend a lot of time together.
MN: WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS JOB TO ANOTHER STUDENT?
BB: Yes, but you should be prepared for the hours because they can be very late.