When you ride a Metro bus that Nathan Vass is driving, you might notice a few things.

It starts with when you get on the bus: he makes a point of saying hello to every passenger who climbs aboard. 

Once you grab a seat, you’ll see he’s also on the intercom, announcing every single stop. When he isn’t orienting riders, he’s chatty and talks with people sitting at the front of the bus. And when you step off the bus he says goodbye. 

What you may not notice is that Nathan is noticing everything happening around him: the conversations he’s having and the regulars who show up every day. 

He often writes about his interactions and those stories are compiled in a new book called “Deciding to See: The View from Nathan’s Bus.” 

The book is a collection of dozens of narratives of daily interactions across the city, touching on loss, joy, and connection on a King County Metro bus.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Guest:

Nathan Vass, author of Deciding to See: The View from Nathan's Bus

Relevant Links:

Seattle Times: Nathan Vass brings readers onto his bus in new book ‘Deciding to See’

KUOW: This Seattle bus driver decided to be extra nice to his passengers. Here's how it went

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.