What do Joe Dassin, Frank Sinatra and Depeche Mode have in common? These are some of the artists whose hits Ronald Desjardins usually covers while driving his Société de transport de Montréal (STM) bus. 24 hours accompanied him for a trip.
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Armed with his big smile and sunglasses, Ronald Desjardins arrived at our meeting point, in front of the De Castelnau metro station, on the blue line.
In recent weeks, a video in which he performs Under a Rain of Stars by Quebecer Cindy Daniel attracted attention on social networks. It was also far from being the first time that the experienced driver was filmed by users while he pushed the bill.
The 50-year-old man says he regularly receives feedback of its passengers. “That [mes chansons] makes them in a good mood, positive, smiling,” he tells us, just before boarding his bus, which travels line 55 Saint-Laurent, heading south.
As soon as he sits behind the wheel, Ronald Desjardins turns on his radio. He turns his playlist on shuffle and the show can begin.
The man who celebrated his 15 years of service at the STM this year loves all genres of music. However, he tells us that he has a weakness for the song Belletaken from the musical Notre Dame de Paris.
To make matters worse, the song sounded over the loudspeakers while the bus was caught in traffic on Saint-Urbain Street. Ronald Desjardins then went into performance mode, and he didn’t skimp on the gestures!
And does he consider himself a good singer? “I’m told yes, but I don’t know. I don’t hear myself and I don’t listen to myself singing,” responds modestly the one who sings “mainly for pleasure,” he says.
Relieve stress through music
While some employees may find the job of bus driver stressful, particularly in Montreal, Ronald Desjardins is quite the opposite.
“I would tell you that it helps me relax. I listen to music all the time. It’s part of my life and I can’t help but sing when there’s a good song,” he says.
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PHOTO Jean-Michel Clermont-Goulet | 24 hours
Music allows him to add some atmosphere to his bus. Once, a group of students spontaneously accompanied him on a song by British singer Ed Sheeran, he says.
“There were about 15 little girls who had just gotten out of class and we all sang it together. It was great,” he recalls with a smile on his face.
“I have fun doing my job,” says Ronald. I really enjoy doing what I do. And if people like it, then so much the better!”
Does he ever receive negative comments? Rarely. He notably remembers a lady who complained because her reading list included too many English-speaking pieces.
However, that is a thing of the past, he assures us, before letting us go down. Its playlist has since been adjusted so that French- and English-speaking music mixes more equitably.
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2023-10-06 20:26:01
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