10 Memorable Bus Drivers From Movies and Television
When you think about it, being a bus driver is a pretty thankless job. If you’re driving a school bus, there’s a decent chance the little brats in the back are vandalizing the bus and throwing things at cars, all while screaming and yelling and totally destroying any possibility for even a minute of silence.
And if you’re late to pick up these brats, you’ve got to deal with the condemnation of their parents. If it’s a city bus you’re driving, you’ve got to deal with degenerates all day long who demand that you pick them up and drop them off on time, traffic or weather conditions be damned. I do sympathize with the bus driver.
Here are 10 memorable bus drivers from movies and television.
Lorenzo Anello – A Bronx Tale
Despite Sonny’s claims that the working man is a sucker, Lorenzo provides a great example for his son by getting up to work hard every day in order to provide for his family and remaining a law-abiding citizen. This, coupled with the fact that Lorenzo will stand up to Sonny, earns him the respect of Sonny and, eventually, his son Calogero. Great, underrated movie.
Ms. Crabtree – South Park
Ms. Crabtree was murdered by a serial killer in Season 8 of South Park, but while alive, she would often scream at the kids of South Park Elementary for no apparent reason. I don’t remember ever seeing her without a bird nesting in her disgusting hair.
Annie Porter – Speed
Sandra Bullock’s breakthrough role came when she played Annie Porter alongside Keanu Reeves in Speed. Annie had to maintain a speed of 50 mph while driving a city bus full of passengers or else bombs affixed to the bus’ underside would be detonated.
Chris Farley (uncredited) in Billy Madison
That Veronica Vaughn is one piece of ay-esh. I know from experience, dude, if you know what I mean. Well, not me personally, but a guy I know – him and her GOT IT ON, Whoooo Wheeeee! No, no they didn’t But you can imagine what it’d be like if they did, huh? Huh?
NO YELLING ON THE BUS!
Otto Mann – The Simpsons
Otto has been driving the bus to and from Springfield Elementary ever since The Simpsons began. Although Bart usually misbehaves on the bus, he and Otto – a huge stoner – seem to have formed a pretty decent relationship over the years.
Red – Senior Trip
From one stoner to another – it’s a brief cameo, but it’s hard to forget Tommy Chong as Red the bus driver in Senior Trip.
Rick Gassko – Bachelor Party
Before being subjected to debauchery and participating in multiple felonies alongside his friends, Rick Gassko drives a school bus to and from a Catholic school run by nuns. Rick’s not big on discipline, though, and once they kids are far away enough from the school, he lets them do pretty much whatever they want. He even lets them gamble, so long as he gets 10% of the cut.
Ray Charles in Spy Hard
Get it? Because he’s blind!
Ralph Kramden – The Honeymooners
The inspiration for Fred Flintstone and the basis for hundreds of references by the generation before mine (my dad and uncle, to this day, still refer to one another as “Ralph” or “Ralphie”), Jackie Gleason’s Ralph Kramden is easily the most iconic bus driver in television and movie history. A true Hall of Fame character, if there is such a thing.
Dennis – Spice World
Yup, Meat Loaf was Dennis the bus driver in Spice World. After The Rocky Horror Picture Show but before Fight Club, Meat Loaf was driving around Sporty, Scary, Baby, Ginger, and Posh.
Any bus drivers I left out? Let me know in the comments!
You can also read:
- 10 of the Most Memorable Movie Suicides
- 10 of the Most Memorable Betrayals in Movies
- The 15 Most Iconic Movie Masks of All Time
- The Eight Scariest Single Frames from Movies
- 10 Awesome Old Guys in Comedy Movies
Pam Grier – Mars Attacks
Pam Grier is memorable in everything she does 😉
Where is the bus driver from Pete and Pete?
I always thought the bus driver from “Sixteen Candles” was pretty weird, especially what was happening on the bus.
anthony michael hall in trojan war
So glad you put on Chris Farley’s character. I quote that entier thing all the time!
Fantastic list and, despite that I’ve come to this conversation over a year late, I applaud the decision to recognize this otherwise thankless profession.
However, I feel I need to demand extra credit for my man Meat Loaf. He also played the bus driver in Leap of Faith, making him the only one on the list who has doubled up on bus driver duty. All hail the mighty Loaf.
Pokémon guy.
I LOVE bus drivers 🙂 There are quite a few sexy ones here in England!
Though I vaguely remember a scene involving another blind bus driver. The main character and the obligatory female side kick are on the run from the bad guys when they stop at a bus stop just as the bus pulls up. The door opens and you see a famous blind person at the wheel, the guy goes “Uh… We’ll catch the next one.” and the driver smiles, closes the door, and drives off. Damn if I can remember the movie it’s from. 🙁