November 26, 2025
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Joy Kentley was riding the bus in Washington and one day she saw a 10-year-old child who kept asking her questions. Years later they became colleagues.

For years, Joy Kentley took people in Washington to school or work by bus – mostly in silence, CNN reported. One person broke the silence – then-10-year-old Sam Mencimer. He stopped in front and asked the bus driver “a lot of questions,” as he himself admitted to the American portal.

Kentley patiently answered every question: “I made his day, and he made mine,” he reported. The friendship between the bus driver and passenger lasted about two years – and a decade later, Joy Kentley and Sam Mencimer became colleagues.

A patient bus driver and a curious student – ​​a decade later they are colleagues

One day, Joy Kentley invited Sam and his family to a tour of the bus garage, where the buses were parked at night: “I thought it was the coolest thing – I still do,” commented Sam Mencimer to CNN.

At one point, Sam takes a different route to school and Joy Kentley’s route also changes. He later became a station manager – he helped passengers plan their journey and ensure safety.

After college, Sam worked as a signal technician

Sam, who interned at an agency during college, then took a job as a signals technician at the company where Joy Kentley also worked. He looked for it and knocked on the office door.

“I’m so happy to see him. I’m so proud of Sam,” Kentley said. And Sam Mencimer knows he got this position because of Joy: “I want to make sure that if anyone else gets this opportunity, I can be the one to make it happen,” he told CNN.

Bus: Don’t talk to the driver while driving

Conversations on the bus between the bus driver and passengers – such as between Joy and Sam – are not always accepted in Germany. On some German buses there are signs stating that you should not talk to the driver while driving.

However, exceptions can be made upon request, which is why the signs are disappearing in some areas, Mr. Bus Driver on YouTube. This must be approved by the highest authorities of the country.

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