Riding the Trolley with Soup Davis

I am an obsessive people-watcher. Which is one of the reasons working in a school never-got old for me. Schools are full of people and stories. 

When I started the podcast, I thought about other workplaces that allow for good people-watching, and public transportation came to mind. Bus drivers, train conductors, transit workers — they all see an incredible cross section of the city’s population every day. My grandfather, Charlie Gibbons, knew this well: He was a trolley car driver for SEPTA, Philadelphia’s public transportation system. So as a sort of tribute to Charlie, I decided to interview someone who drove the same route that he did. 

That’s what led me to SEPTA driver Soup Davis, who talks to me in this episode about what it’s like to see all those people, and why he decorates his trolley for the holiday season each year. 

Soup’s perspective on the city is fresh and interesting. Like me, I’m guessing you’ll walk away from this episode with a deep appreciation for all of the city workers who maintain optimism and sincere concern for the people around them. That’s not always easy in Philadelphia.

The Mighty Writers Podcast with Maureen Boland is produced by Mighty Writers in partnership with Rowhome Productions. The executive producer is Tim Whitaker. Lead producer is Danya AbdelHameid. Rowhome’s executive producers are Alex Lewis and John Myers.

Our theme song was composed by Jim Morgan.

This episode also includes music from Blue Dot Sessions.