Mixed bag from my seat. I run a bus in a tourist town. Most of the locals are just peacefully commuting. Some are rowdy when spirited but usually never in the direction of the driver. There’s definitely some trouble makers and people with limited access to showers. The tourists haven’t been on a bus since middle school so they need some hand holding. Expect to answer the same question a dozen times a shift which usually involve confirming that the bus is going where the head-sign says it’s going.

Hours can be rough; especially before you get any seniority. It helps if you view it as a civic duty. You’re alleviating some traffic / parking / fuel use while providing safe transportation to those that need it.

You will catch every type of cold and flu. FWIW, I like the driver barrier. You only need to start typing “bus driver attacked…” before an endless list of videos pop up. I also like my private bubble of air while the occupants in the back expel lung cheese and every other bodily fluid on each other.