Behind the Scenes: Learning to Drive the Yums
I could not wait to get behind the wheel of that awesome looking bus! I instantly knew that while driving, I would be able to put a smile on people’s faces. But…what I didn’t know was how difficult it was going to be for me to drive!
Prior to the YUM, I was driving an automatic 1992 Ford Crown Victoria, and had never driven a manual car before. When I learned the YUMs were stick shifts I freaked out! I was both scared and excited to learn something new.
Brian, The Bus Man, was a great driving instructor! He was so knowledgeable and patient. He was still smiling after I stalled the bus five times in a row at the stop sign! Whoops! Thankfully as time passed, and with lots of practice, I was able to get the hang of it!
Now that I’m out on tour I feel a lot more comfortable behind the wheel. My favorite thing about driving is seeing people’s reactions on the road! I loaf it! But I’m still nervous for those hills in San Francisco! Good thing I’ve still got some time to practice! Catch me in the Loafster coastin’ through California!
- Madison Ornstil, West Tour
“I get to drive that cute little orange bus!” was the first thought I had in my head when I learned I would soon be driving the YUMs. But I can’t lie, this cheese lover was a bit nervous about getting behind the wheel! For some of my teammates, Elida and Katie, it was their first time learning to drive a stick shift, and certainly, none of us had ever driven a custom VW Bus before!
The Bus Man, Brian, took us to an empty parking lot to test our skills in our new mode of transportation. We took turns getting in, buckling up, and gave it our best shot! We instantly had a number of passerby’s walking over to check out the buses. There was an abundance of smiles and waves from other cars – Ahhhh I could get use to this!
Driving the bus was a bit scary at first. They are extra sensitive to pressure on the clutch. During my first day of sampling, the Tillatruck ran out of gas and I almost had a mini panic attack thinking I’d done something terrible! (See the video!)
My two veteran teammates, April & Ashley, were very helpful! We’re all driving like pros now! Come catch us cruising through Texas this Spring!
- Inge Pe’a, East Tour
