On Jan. 16 I visited the Island to obtain new documents for a recently purchased vehicle at the registry of motor vehicles. Usually I look forward to these appointments less than I would a root canal procedure at the dentist.

But what a delightful experience it was and I wanted to give a well-deserved public round of applause to the excellent Islanders I encountered who showed how to operate government bureaucracies properly.

I arrived by ferry from Woods Hole and took a taxi to the RMV near the airport, arriving at 10 minutes before noon when the office closes for lunch for one hour. There was no line and I was greeted with a smile and friendly chitchat while the nice woman processed my new car registration and title. I helped myself to a free tootsie pop while I waited. She then handed me new license plates and car registration. It took less than 10 minutes — no hassle, no line, no grumpy bureaucrats. It was still before noon. I inquired if there was any public bus service back to Vineyard Haven and I was directed next door to the main office of the Vineyard Transit Authority. There I inquired about bus service back to the Ferry. A nice woman named Patty, said “hold on a minute” and walked over to a microphone on a desk and called a bus driver on his route. “Could you swing by base?” she asked. “I’ve got one passenger who needs to go to the roundabout in Edgartown and pick up a #1 bus to the ferry.”

Within two minutes a VTA bus pulls up and I was greeted with a smile by yet someone else, a friendly driver of the #87 bus, Roland. I inquired as to how much the fare was and was told $2.25 with a transfer to the other bus. I only had a $20 bill and began to insert it into the machine when he stopped me. “Don’t worry. I won’t charge you for this leg. When you get on the #1 just give him the transfer pass and $1.25. We don’t give change but you will get a pass with credit for the amount you can use for up to a year.”

The driver then got on the radio and called the driver for the #1 bus to tell him he had one passenger for transfer and inquired as to when the #1 bus will arrive at the roundabout. “I’ll be there in two minutes. I’ll wait for him,” was the reply.

When we pulled up at the roundabout, the driver of the #87 bus stopped me as I was exiting and handed me five quarters he had taken from his own pocket. “Here,” he said. “I don’t know when you’ll be back on Island and you might not be able to use the ticket if you pay with that $20 bill. I wouldn’t want you to be stuck with having paid twenty bucks.” I both protested and thanked him, and he in turn insisted. Roland handed me a transfer pass with 25 cents on it and his five quarters. “Just use this on the #1. That’ll get you to Vineyard Haven.”

I wasn’t broke. The bus driver was just being kind to a stranger. He didn’t want me inconvenienced with a fare card with an amount he didn’t think I would have the opportunity to use. So he paid my fare.

Since when do bus drivers pull out change from their own pocket and pay the fare of passengers as Roland did? And since when do workers at government-run mass transit systems get on the radio and detour buses to pick-up a passenger as Patty did? And since when can one get a new car registration and title at a Massachusetts RMV office in less than 10 minutes as I did on the Island?

I made it back to the ferry for the 1:15 to Woods Hole with time to spare for an excellent bowl of corn chowder and a BLT at the Waterside Market in Vineyard Haven (they were nice there, too).

These nice folks all added to my smile that had only gotten wider each time I encountered anyone on the Island on Wednesday. These kind gestures deserve to be recognized, which is why I am writing today: to thank everyone for just being nice to a stranger. It made my day.

Nate Thayer

Woods Hole