Brian Noojin, 55, will never admit he has a favorite bus, although he’s grateful today’s is a newer one with Bluetooth connectivity and a smoother ride.
“I try to avoid that pitfall,” Noojin said. “If you get a preference too much, it affects your mindset.”
Noojin is one of six drivers in Monroe County for Rural Transit, a nonprofit that offers transportation for people who may need more support than city buses can provide. He’s been driving with the company for about six months.
Brian Noojin looks in a mirror to speak with passengers behind him April 25, 2025, on a Rural Transit bus in Bloomington. Noojin said he knows the names of about 30 regulars on his bus routes.
It’s a Friday morning, and Noojin is scheduled to complete 25 stops between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. He’s excited about his sixth pickup of the day — Jaelynn Portteus, 34, and her 8-year-old son Draexlin. They ride the bus twice a day to go to school.
Portteus straps her son into a booster seat and talks to Noojin like an old friend as they pull out onto the street. They chat about Draexlin’s most recent doctor’s appointment and the discovery that he may be allergic to potatoes. She gushes over the doctor’s enthusiasm about Draexlin’s bloodwork.
“Oh good,” Noojin said. “They didn’t have to draw any more, huh?”
“No, no,” Portteus said. “She said it was perfect.”
For Portteus, Rural Transit is a savior. Her son has autism and struggles with loud environments and crowded spaces. On Bloomington Transit buses, she said he would have meltdowns and be met with harsh criticism from drivers and passengers. He’s never had a meltdown on these buses.
Jaelynn Portteus, 34, asks Draexlin Portteus, 8, about his day April 25, 2025, on a Rural Transit bus in Bloomington. Portteus started using Rural Transit because it was a better environment for Draexlin, who has autism and struggles with loud environments.
“They act like you’re a disease on those buses,” Portteus said. “We like it a lot better here.”
They arrive a bit early for school, so the bus sits in the parking lot. Portteus asks Draexlin what he’s excited about today, and whether he thinks he’ll be picked up by Cass or Cassie, two of his teachers. He still mixes up their names sometimes, but never the bus drivers’.
Today, it’s Cass who meets them outside. Noojin and Draexlin exchange goodbyes before he exits. They would see each other again that afternoon on the way home from school.
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Anyone can schedule a ride with Rural Transit, but it caters to people who lack other forms of transportation or are unable to take city buses due to their location or accommodation needs. Although Noojin drives in Monroe County, the service is also offered in Putnam, Owen and Lawrence counties through the Area 10 Agency on Aging.
On any given day, Noojin drives between 150 and 200 miles around Monroe County, occasionally making longer trips for people needing to travel outside county lines.
He’s always been drawn to transportation and has spent 37 years living and working in the Bloomington area. It’s changed since he first arrived to study history and Western civilization at Indiana University, but he’s grown to love the community.
Brian Noojin lowers a wheelchair lift April 25, 2025, on a Rural Transit bus in the driveway of a passenger's home in Bloomington. Passengers who struggle with stairs or use mobility aids used the lift to board the bus.
In his teens and twenties, Noojin raced BMX and mountain bikes in competitions around the state. His first car was a yellow 1977 Ford Pinto with a rear-mounted gas tank known to explode if the car got rear-ended. Luckily, it never did.
He drove for a limousine company for a while and spent 26 years driving IU buses. He served as the director of Campus Bus for three years until he decided he needed a change of pace and took a job driving for a retirement community. Now, Noojin finds fulfillment by transporting and getting to know people across the county through Rural Transit.
The days are long — usually around 11 hours — but Noojin enjoys passing the time by learning about his passengers. In just six months, he’s gotten to know about 30 of his regulars and has met dozens more who take the bus occasionally to things like haircuts and annual checkups.
“Getting to know their names and having that kind of interaction with them that hopefully makes their days a little better is really one of the best things about doing this stuff,” Noojin said.
He also enjoys being able to listen to music all day. Noojin prefers punk rock and acoustic music, but he’ll mix it up if he knows certain passengers are scheduled to ride.
One of his regulars loves music from the 1980s, and another raves about country music. Though he’s not a fan himself, Noojin will switch to a country station when that passenger boards.
“It’s just the little things like that, you know, to help make their day a little better,” Noojin said.
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Noojin drives his route with careful precision. He stops at railroad tracks and rests his elbow on the windowsill, hands positioned at 9 and 11 o’clock.
His next scheduled passenger, Harry, is a former barber. He rides to dialysis appointments and prefers to sit in the front row on the right side of the bus.
Noojin pulls into Harry’s driveway and prepares the bus’s wheelchair lift before walking up to the home and calling for Harry. He waits for a bit, then opens the front door. He comes back without Harry moments later and packs up the wheelchair lift before returning to the driver’s seat.
Canceled. Harry’s daughter had called the dispatcher to let them know he wouldn’t need a ride but failed to include the right information. Noojin radios the dispatcher and tells them Harry won’t be needing a ride back from dialysis either.
Cancellations happen sometimes, and even though it can throw off a carefully-planned schedule, it’s better than getting caught in traffic or running behind — something Noojin tries his best to avoid.
“You feel bad, you know, people are going to doctor’s appointments and stuff,” Noojin said. “You’re really trying to make sure you get people where they need to be on time.”
He checks the rest of his schedule and continues driving. There’s just under an hour before his next passenger boards, and he’ll likely stop for coffee or take a break to read before making his next stop, right on schedule.
The ride is quiet except for the occasional rattle of the wheelchair lift as an ‘80s rock Pandora station plays through the speakers.
He’s grateful to be in one of the nicer buses today, even if he refuses to pick favorites.
