A Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) coach operator is being praised for his quick thinking that helped two lost children return to their family - an event that illustrates the fact that bus drivers do much more than move people from place to place.
Sergio Valenzuela was parked at the Riverside Downtown Terminal last week, waiting for people to board his Route 13 bus, when he noticed two young girls alone, pacing back and forth though the crowded transit hub.
As his customers filed into the bus, Sergio continued to keep his eyes on the two kids, hoping a parent or guardian would eventually show up. A few minutes later, with no parent in sight, Sergio had seen enough.
“I got out of my bus and walked over to these two little girls and asked them if they were okay,” he said. “They said they were waiting for their grandmother and they were pretty shaken up because they were alone.”
After hearing the story, Sergio called police to the scene, who were eventually able to reunite the fi ve- and seven- year-old girls with their family.
On Thursday, the Riverside Transit Agency Board of Directors will honor Sergio with a hero award for his actions. RTA Chairman of the Board Frank Johnston said the event illustrates how RTA coach operators do some of their best work when they are not behind the wheel.
“This incident tested Sergio’s training, attention to detail and customer service, resulting in a great outcome,” Johnston said. “He represents RTA’s finest.”
RTA buses have always been safe places for children. In fact, every RTA’s fixed-route vehicle displays a yellow “Safe Place” sign that enables children to ask drivers for help and, if appropriate, get a lift to an area shelter or youth service provider.
As a parent of two young children himself, Sergio says he knows all too well how scary it can be to have a child go missing.
“I knew something was wrong,” he said. “Once the police showed up and did their part I felt a whole lot better. I wasn’t about to let them wander around alone.”
