“What are you gonna do?” But sometimes you
have to stand your ground. Yes, I have to admit, as the years went by—I don't know if I'm just getting older [laughter]—people have changed in a sense. Everybody now is so busy, all the time.
Ceres: Going back to what you were just saying, have you ever felt any discrimination because you were woman doing a man’s job?
Sipriana: Maybe when I was younger; male passengers were more aggressive as they were
trying to talk to you in a more personal way. And those are the ones that can get a little bit confrontational, too. I have gotten a lot of that, but I've learned to deal with it, what to say to them, and how to explain things to them. If it’s not a question related to my job, or where you need to go, and what bus, then I don't need you to ask me if I'm married or not.
Don’t bring me things either because you are not going to get a free ride or a special favor, but some men think that they can do that with female operators. Or they say that if something happens on the bus, that they will take care of me. I don’t need anybody to take care of me.
Ceres: That brings me to safety issues, any safety concerns?
Sipriana: There's been times, of course. It's risky out there, and it can be scary, at times. But, I've been very fortunate that I have avoided a lot of those things. Maybe it’s the way I approach situations.
Ceres: What are those things?
Sipriana: People getting in your face, people
thinking that they can intimidate you by being
close, touching you or trying to touch you. You
just have to be direct. I don't shy away from it. I’m not aggressive with them. I just explain to
them that's not my job, and that they need to sit or get off. You do not want to do much explaining either or they’ll think they got the best out of you.
Ceres: What do you like and dislike about your job?
Sipriana: I've been doing this for so long, there isn't much that I don't like. I love what I do. I enjoy being out there. Yes, it can be rough sometimes, but I also have had a blast. There are great people, too. We say good morning, laugh, have a little talk or something. You’d be amazed, that, throughout the years, people that I met when I first started here, they still remember me, and I remember them, years later. Yes, I like people, even when they have a bad day, because you know it happens to everybody. This is
"I like people, even when they have had a bad day, because you know it happens to everybody."
43 - Ceres Magazine - Winter 2016