the life of a bayrunner
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04-22-2006, 09:02 PM
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the life of a bayrunner
The view from BayRunner
Salisbury shuttle drivers make daily runs to BWI and back
By Earl Holland
Special To The Times
SALISBURY -- Enjoying the scenery while cruising the roads and making new acquaintances while providing a helpful service. These are the jobs of the drivers at the Salisbury-based BayRunner Shuttle and most notably drivers Jim Moore and Charlie Phippin.
Moore and Phippin are two of the nine part-time drivers that the nearly one-year-old company employs. The company offers its passengers a way to get to another airport instead of having to deal with the shuttle flights from the airport in Salisbury to Philadelphia International Airport, or making the drive themselves.
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The vehicles include a 15-seat Chevrolet 3500 model van, GMC Yukon SUV, Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan. Each of the vehicles also include an XM satellite radio and a DVD link-up for passengers' entertainment on the 110-mile voyage to Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
When asked about how many times he has driven with a full 15 passengers, Moore recounted at least six times where they have had all of the seats occupied. When an event such as that occurs, the luggage is put in a trailer that can be attached to the rear of the vehicle to accommodate the large amount of passengers. Moore and Phippin both say they prefer driving the Yukon.
Phippin is a Salisbury native who previously worked at UPS and has been working for BayRunner Shuttle since September of last year. "I've been driving my whole life," he said.
Phippin feels that his prior job experience helps him with his current line of work. "For the last four years I worked at UPS, I was right there at the airport so I've driven the trip."
Moore, who is originally from Scotland, has been driving for BayRunner since May 1, 2005. "I've been here since the beginning."
Prior to this, Moore was an airline captain for Piedmont Airlines, which ran flights from the Salisbury Airport. When asked about what attracted him to the job, Moore replied, "This gives me a chance to get back in touch with the passengers... this is what I like."
Although the trek is very routine, sometimes Moore will have the occasional request outside of going to BWI. "We'll also do charters by request for special locations... we've done several to Washington, D.C.," said Moore. "The first week I was driving, I took a lady to a convention in downtown D.C. and that was an adventure, because I hadn't driven there in 20 years."
Moore has had his share of memorable and interesting passengers on his shifts.
"A couple names stick out. (Actress and Salisbury native) Linda Hamilton rode with us once and I just brought (former WMDT and WBOC and current Weather Channel meteorologist) Mike Seidel down a couple of weeks ago."
Moore, like all of the other drivers, does at least one round-trip shift per day and says that the conversations he gets to have with his passengers are the most enjoyable part of the ride, along with crossing the Chesapeake Bay.
One such example is with passenger Diane Bradshaw of Salisbury, who was traveling from the company's headquarters on Riverside Drive to BWI to catch a plane to Kentucky. The enthusiastic redhead said, "This is my first time, but it won't be my last, I can tell you that."
Some of the conversations during the ride included some of Bradshaw's remembrances of the Eastern Shore in the mid 1950s, prior to the building of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, when the only way to cross the bay was by ferry. Another story was about one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit the shore.
"I remember in 1954, I was a child of course, and Hurricane Hazel came right up the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and in Crisfield, we were cut off from the outside world for three days."
Some of Bradshaw's other musings ranged from the need of more domestic oil to counter the raising of gas prices to horse stables in Kentucky and even her former brother-in-law.
"We all used to take rides crop dusting... I loved that plane." said Bradshaw. Moore then asked who was the pilot; Bradshaw replied, "Jimmy Vreeland."
Moore tells Bradshaw, "Jimmy Vreeland's a dear friend of mine." Moore says that most of the passengers have a connection to him in some way, either by knowing him directly or by knowing someone he knew.
After dropping off his passengers at BWI's outdoor check-in gates, Moore drives to a parking lot to switch vehicles with Phippin and wait for the next departure to Salisbury in three hours. To battle the boredom and idle time that comes along with hours of waiting, Moore comes prepared. "I bring stuff with me, I bring books to read, or in this case, I've been gone from the house for 10 days, so this is the last 10 days worth of mail."
Salisbury shuttle drivers make daily runs to BWI and back
By Earl Holland
Special To The Times
SALISBURY -- Enjoying the scenery while cruising the roads and making new acquaintances while providing a helpful service. These are the jobs of the drivers at the Salisbury-based BayRunner Shuttle and most notably drivers Jim Moore and Charlie Phippin.
Moore and Phippin are two of the nine part-time drivers that the nearly one-year-old company employs. The company offers its passengers a way to get to another airport instead of having to deal with the shuttle flights from the airport in Salisbury to Philadelphia International Airport, or making the drive themselves.
ADVERTISEMENT
The vehicles include a 15-seat Chevrolet 3500 model van, GMC Yukon SUV, Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan. Each of the vehicles also include an XM satellite radio and a DVD link-up for passengers' entertainment on the 110-mile voyage to Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
When asked about how many times he has driven with a full 15 passengers, Moore recounted at least six times where they have had all of the seats occupied. When an event such as that occurs, the luggage is put in a trailer that can be attached to the rear of the vehicle to accommodate the large amount of passengers. Moore and Phippin both say they prefer driving the Yukon.
Phippin is a Salisbury native who previously worked at UPS and has been working for BayRunner Shuttle since September of last year. "I've been driving my whole life," he said.
Phippin feels that his prior job experience helps him with his current line of work. "For the last four years I worked at UPS, I was right there at the airport so I've driven the trip."
Moore, who is originally from Scotland, has been driving for BayRunner since May 1, 2005. "I've been here since the beginning."
Prior to this, Moore was an airline captain for Piedmont Airlines, which ran flights from the Salisbury Airport. When asked about what attracted him to the job, Moore replied, "This gives me a chance to get back in touch with the passengers... this is what I like."
Although the trek is very routine, sometimes Moore will have the occasional request outside of going to BWI. "We'll also do charters by request for special locations... we've done several to Washington, D.C.," said Moore. "The first week I was driving, I took a lady to a convention in downtown D.C. and that was an adventure, because I hadn't driven there in 20 years."
Moore has had his share of memorable and interesting passengers on his shifts.
"A couple names stick out. (Actress and Salisbury native) Linda Hamilton rode with us once and I just brought (former WMDT and WBOC and current Weather Channel meteorologist) Mike Seidel down a couple of weeks ago."
Moore, like all of the other drivers, does at least one round-trip shift per day and says that the conversations he gets to have with his passengers are the most enjoyable part of the ride, along with crossing the Chesapeake Bay.
One such example is with passenger Diane Bradshaw of Salisbury, who was traveling from the company's headquarters on Riverside Drive to BWI to catch a plane to Kentucky. The enthusiastic redhead said, "This is my first time, but it won't be my last, I can tell you that."
Some of the conversations during the ride included some of Bradshaw's remembrances of the Eastern Shore in the mid 1950s, prior to the building of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, when the only way to cross the bay was by ferry. Another story was about one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit the shore.
"I remember in 1954, I was a child of course, and Hurricane Hazel came right up the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and in Crisfield, we were cut off from the outside world for three days."
Some of Bradshaw's other musings ranged from the need of more domestic oil to counter the raising of gas prices to horse stables in Kentucky and even her former brother-in-law.
"We all used to take rides crop dusting... I loved that plane." said Bradshaw. Moore then asked who was the pilot; Bradshaw replied, "Jimmy Vreeland."
Moore tells Bradshaw, "Jimmy Vreeland's a dear friend of mine." Moore says that most of the passengers have a connection to him in some way, either by knowing him directly or by knowing someone he knew.
After dropping off his passengers at BWI's outdoor check-in gates, Moore drives to a parking lot to switch vehicles with Phippin and wait for the next departure to Salisbury in three hours. To battle the boredom and idle time that comes along with hours of waiting, Moore comes prepared. "I bring stuff with me, I bring books to read, or in this case, I've been gone from the house for 10 days, so this is the last 10 days worth of mail."