Joseph Fullmer was being interviewed for an operator position with Winnipeg Transit in late 2020 when the topic turned to customer service. Given pre-pandemic, daily ridership was in the neighbourhood of 170,000, the person posing the questions wanted to know if Fullmer felt comfortable dealing with people from all walks of life.
Fullmer, whose lengthy resumé includes stints as a miner, logger, construction worker and salesperson, almost broke out laughing at the query. Instead, he flashed a gap-toothed grin, ran his hand over his head to check that his man bun was still in place, then informed his inquisitor, no worries; if there was one thing he had going for him, it was his “people skills.”
True that. Almost two and a half years later, hardly a day goes by that Fullmer, 61, isn’t commended, either in-person or on social media, for his ebullient, 60-smiles-per-hour attitude, when he’s behind the wheel of a Winnipeg Transit bus.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Hardly a day goes by that Winnipeg Transit driver Joseph Fullmer, 61, isn’t commended, either in-person or on social media, for his ebullient, 60-smiles-per-hour attitude.
Two weeks ago, he was parked at the Garden City transit loop patiently waiting for his route’s 12:15 p.m. departure time. Seated in what he referred to as the “best corner office in town,” he greeted each passenger with a hearty, “Welcome to the No. 18, headed downtown via Jefferson (Avenue). Please find a seat and thanks so much for riding with us, on this beautiful, sunny afternoon.”
It didn’t take long to realize this wasn’t going to be some mundane trip, after he pulled out of his assigned spot. Sure, all city buses come equipped with an Alexa-type device that announces upcoming stops. Except Fullmer chooses to handle that chore himself, by calling out, “Leila and McPhillips,” or “Main and Redwood,” in a sing-song voice.
Not only that; he also maintains a steady commentary regarding sites he’s passing (“To your right is Seven Oaks Hospital. Always trust your doctor.”) along with the occasional botanical reference (“Over there is a Douglas fir, my favourite of the firs.”) and weather update.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Fullmer also serves as an informal tour guide. 
“It’s currently a chilly, minus-10 outside,” he shouted, as he made a wide right turn onto Main Street, “but who doesn’t love Winnipeg’s natural air conditioning? I know I do.”
Twenty-five minutes into the run, a person stepped aboard, simply to say hello.
“I’m not catching your bus today,” the man said almost apologetically, “but after seeing you on Facebook the other day, I just wanted to say thanks for being such a good guy, and for making the city a better place.”
Seated in the Winnipeg Square food court during a scheduled, 90-minute layover, Fullmer, who began his day at 6:15 a.m., and won’t return home until just after 7 p.m., agrees that embarking on a new career at age 59 probably isn’t for everyone. Mind you, he’s never thought of himself as “everyone.”
The married father of two grown children moved to Winnipeg “for love” in 2002, after splitting time between Oregon, where he was born and raised, and Hawaii, where his daughter from a previous marriage runs a massage therapy clinic.
Fullmer, who lives in Point Douglas, was installing doors and windows in 2015 when a physician informed him his heart had a hole in it, likely since childhood, and it might be wise to choose a less physical occupation. He went through a rough patch when “even McDonald’s” wouldn’t return his calls, before he landed a sales position at a home improvement centre.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Transit operator Joseph Fullmer says embarking on a new career at age 59, as he did in 2020, probably isn’t for everyone.
He excelled at the job, he met his targets regularly, only some of his managers told him he was too outgoing and that he should maybe “wipe that smile off your face,” from time to time.
Well, that was never going to happen, he says, taking a sip of his double-double.
He was familiar with Winnipeg Transit from taking the bus to and from work. In 2020, a few months into the pandemic, he sent in an application, after spotting an ad for drivers. After all, he had handled a four-tonne dump truck when he was younger, not to mention umpteen pieces of farm machinery. How difficult could it be to weave a 12-metre-long bus in and out of traffic, he asked himself?
Still, he was skeptical Transit Tom would ever hire a “guy like me,” listing the adjectives vocal, colourful and alive, when asked what “like me” means, exactly.
“But then during training, they talked a lot about developing your character, and I was like, ‘Hey, if it’s character you want, you’ve got the right guy.’”
“But then during training, they talked a lot about developing your character, and I was like, ‘Hey, if it’s character you want, you’ve got the right guy.’”–Joseph Fullmer, Winnipeg Transit driver
As hard as it is to believe after seeing and hearing him in action now, Fullmer barely uttered a syllable during his first few months as a driver. Afraid he would miss a stop, or neglect to notice a person running to catch the bus, he kept his eyes firmly on the road, only glancing over to say, “Welcome,” and “Thanks, have a great day,” to those getting on and off.
That began to change once he became more comfortable with his surroundings. Within six months, he was instructing riders to, for example, “Always support the Salvation Army, they were there for me and they’re there for you,” if he was driving past one of the charitable organization’s thrift stores. Or, “Always remember, for city hall to work, you have to work city hall,” if 510 Main St. was on the horizon. (Part tour guide, during our trip he gleefully pointed out the “Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Planetarium, Old Market Square… so many possibilities in this glorious part of town,” during the 30 seconds he spent idling at a red light, in the heart of the Exchange District.)
Not only do customers get a bang out of his antics — one woman entering the bus with her young son said, “Oh, look, it’s our favourite driver,” as she scanned her Peggo card — Fullmer says being engaged makes his shifts more pleasurable, too.
Mikaela Mackenzie / Winnipeg Free Press Transit operator Joseph Fullmer refers to the driver’s seat as the ‘best corner office in town,’ and greets each passenger with a hearty, ‘Welcome to the No. 18.’
“Some people go to work with dread and despair, and can’t wait for the day to be over. For me, it’s the opposite. I can’t wait to get going,” he says, noting he sees no reason he can’t drive into his 80s, providing he has a medical note from his doctor stating his heart is fit as a fiddle, to do so. “Even right now, while I’m sitting here with you, I’m looking forward to getting back on the road at 2:43 (p.m.).”
Of course, city buses can get, as he puts it, “colourful” at times. A smile and a kind word goes a long way toward diffusing certain situations, he says, and as long as riders aren’t using vulgarities, it isn’t his place to judge what somebody might be dealing with.
“Some people go to work with dread and despair, and can’t wait for the day to be over. For me, it’s the opposite. I can’t wait to get going.”–Joseph Fullmer, Winnipeg Transit driver
And yes, there are always one or two party poopers who aren’t fans of his shtick, and tell him, in no uncertain terms, to “shut yer yap and drive the bus.”
To those people, he always delivers a similar, humorous message: that they are one-in-a-million, and because of that, they should maybe go buy a lottery ticket.
He also lets naysayers know that a quieter bus, one more to their liking, perhaps, will be along any minute. Then he sends them on their way with an ear-to-ear grin, telling them, “to have a super great day, and thanks again for choosing Winnipeg Transit.”
