Dear Editor,

I just felt I had to respond to a couple of things you made mention in your article, “Games transit service draws mixed reviews” (Question, Feb. 4).

I would just like to say that doesn’t everyone, or at least the majority, of visitors to Whistler always say how helpful and friendly everyone is here. Well, why does that suddenly change when these “out of town” drivers come in. What’s wrong with them being able to ask locals how to get around? In fact, some new drivers have had their first day today (Feb. 4). My partner was one of the driver trainers and as such I was able to meet most of his students. They are just as much tourists as we were when we first arrived, star struck in beautiful Whistler. How long did it take us to figure our ways around? Surely longer than three days (which was their training timetable). These drivers have seen this as an opportunity to go somewhere new and assist in the foundation of the Games. Yet they are met with inpatient passengers and cutting reviews. Perhaps Pacific Western Transit should have allowed more than three days’ training, and perhaps even moved the “practice week” back a bit. But it is not the drivers’ fault and I feel they are, being front line, getting blamed for most of it.

I hope you will bear this in mind next time you ride the bus and give the driver an encouraging smile — it goes a long way in a sea of unfamiliar faces.

Sarah Flockton

Pemberton