Since I mostly exit at the rear these days, I’ve had less of a chance to say “thank you” to the bus drivers. But when you exit from the front, it’s still a nice ritual. I’m sure it’s mostly rote for the people who say it, but it is a nice reminder that they conveyed us to work, or to go shopping, or to have some fun, and that we are thankful for that. They tend to do a good job of it.
There are so many jobs in the city that make it work that are thankless. It’s nice that there’s one that literally isn’t.
I do it all the time, especially now that I have my senior citizen card, and can ride for 75 cents any time of day.