Bus Driver Donates Her Own Shoes to Passenger in Need
By Mike-Ross
On Friday, a Metro Transit bus driver redefined the phrase "going the extra mile" when she selflessly gave a passenger the shoes off her own feet.
Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
Jayne Arendt-Verhelst, a 57-year-old bus driver known for her cheerful demeanor, has earned the nickname "the happy driver" among her regular passengers.
“I have a few characters I greet every day,” she told FOX 9. She even gives them unique nicknames, like 'Oklahoma,' who strongly dislikes tornadoes, and 'Nikki Sixx,' who bears a resemblance to the Mötley Crüe rocker.
During a routine stop on West 7th in St. Paul, Jayne opened her bus doors to an unhoused woman who appeared as if she had walked straight out of a disaster movie. Passenger Sarah Seldon, sitting toward the back of the bus, noticed the woman had no shoes and initially thought she might be asked to leave. Instead, Jayne surprised everyone by removing her own shoes and giving them to the woman.
“She said, ‘Wait, hold on,’ and then just swung her shoes off,” Sarah recounted. The woman left the bus a few stops later, now wearing Jayne’s Skechers.
Sarah, who recently experienced homelessness herself, understood the significance of this gesture.
"Seeing that kind of kindness can give someone hope and propel them toward seeking help," she said.
Inspired by what she witnessed, Sarah shared the story on Reddit, which led to an outpouring of praise for Jayne and bus drivers everywhere.
Jayne, however, didn’t expect the attention.
“Every day, people ask me, ‘Do you still have your shoes on?’” she said with a laugh. “Stop it, stop it, stop it.”
Watch the news video below.
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