More than 40 years ago, James Maddox started riding Dumas' bus to get to work at an Atlanta area restaurant. They are in my heart, and in my mind … And every day when I go to work, they are with me.”Įvery day Dumas goes to work, he helps countless passengers get where they need to be – a job, a grocery store, the movies.Īnd sometimes, where the passenger needs to be, is right there on the bus with Dumas. “My wife and I talk about this: We could let bitterness control our lives and our family’s lives, but I tell you what - I carry my sons with me. Son Coy “Metri” Demetrius died four years ago from a liver illness at the age of 29. His oldest son, Coy Dumas III, was killed in a car accident 16 years ago at the age of 24. ![]() Outside of work, Dumas enjoys coaching middle school football and baseball teams for Cobb County public schools, and he is actively involved in his church, Covenant Christian Ministries in Marietta. “I am not arrogant, but I am very good at it, and I take pride in it.” He has no plans of retiring any time soon. He completes it eight times before finishing up just before 3 p.m. He repeats the route stretching about 32 miles round trip, and lasting about 53 minutes. His route includes Atlanta Jobs Corps Center. and from there, he travels along Skipper Drive, Baker Road, Waterford Road. His route departs from the West Lake MARTA Station at 5:16 a.m. and they have breakfast together before he leaves for work. “There are good people on this route, but it isn’t the easiest route.”ĭumas lives in Austell, in west Cobb County, with his wife of 39 years, Teresa "Terri." She wakes him every morning at 2:30 a.m. He now drives the same route as Dumas, working a later shift. Years later, Dorsey decided he wanted to follow Dumas’ footsteps and be a MARTA bus driver. “He would talk to us and encourage us to stay out of trouble. “He was always friendly and he looks the same,” said Dorsey. One of those children is Larry Dorsey Jr., who rode on Dumas’ bus from the age of 3 until 10. Children who rode his bus as youngsters are now well into adulthood. Over the years, Dumas has witnessed romances blossom, friendships form. “I think it’s important to let people know you care about them. “We never know how we are going to affect people,” he said. He’s handed out flyers advertising community programming, free breakfasts and open pantries at area churches. He has urged a young mom to nourish her toddler with more fruits and vegetables and less sugary sweets. He’s encouraged men frustrated with their jobs to hang in there until they can secure another, better job. “I have done everything except deliver a child, and I came close to doing that twice,” said Dumas. He’s also a counselor, a friend or confidant. 1,” a nod to Dumas being the longest-serving MARTA bus driver. Passengers call Dumas, “captain,” or “No. An elderly man, wheelchair bound, heads outside his house every morning on Allegro Drive to wave to Dumas as he rumbles by. Even residents who don’t ride the bus look forward to Dumas weaving his way through the community. These are neighborhoods where residents rely heavily on public transportation, a place where passengers have formed a strong bond with their MARTA bus driver. While other areas west of Atlanta are experiencing a surge in redevelopment, Route 53 travels through stretches that remain pockmarked by vacant, decaying homes. Instead, he's driven almost all of his 45 years on the job in the West Lake and Grove Park areas. (His singular accident behind the wheel was back in the late 1970s when a truck driver hit the side of his MARTA bus Dumas was not faulted for the crash, and no passengers were injured).Īs Dumas' seniority has risen in the ranks for MARTA bus drivers, he could have switched to other routes - a leafy, upscale Buckhead neighborhood or bustling areas around Emory University. That’s the equivalent of driving the Earth’s circumference 40 times. And now, there is a new pin, one marking a remarkable achievement, a patch woven in shimmering gold thread – “1,000,000 Miles.” He was awarded it for driving 1 million miles without an avoidable accident. Pins and MARTA patches dot his shirt – a patch for being a safe operator for 44 years, a pin from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, a MARTA instructor pin. ![]() ![]() “I’ve been riding his route for six years, and he’s more like family to me.”ĭumas, who first started driving a MARTA bus in 1972, wears a perfectly pressed white shirt, black shiny shoes and the black captain’s hat every day on the job. Johnson works as a janitor, and was on her way to work the evening shift in Atlanta. “He is a very positive person,” says Chiquita Johnson, 33, who was still smiling as she takes a seat.
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