This video is about My last ride! Wanted to do something that employees managers and customers at Greyhound Canada could be proud of. It has been a pleasure to work here for the past 30 plus years.
Hi Dale. I retired 5 years ago out of the Vancouver division after 28 years of service. I really appreciate this tune and can totally relate to it. Unlike you I booked off my last trip just wanted to quietly slip out the back door. Some days I miss the job other days not so much……………..
I feel the same way. I can’t believe I put in over 31 years. Some days I hated every minute and some days I just loved the job. Anyways it’s all over now. Just memories left. Thanks for the wonderful comments.
What a great song! I took the greyhound every summer from Thunder Bay to Moose Jaw for 20 years and you were probably our driver for a majority of those rides...I enjoyed the greyhound and it was a big part of my childhood up to adulthood too! My friend who traveled often from Kenora to Winnipeg also watched this and we just cried haha! Again, this is such a great song. Thanks!
Jess141315 thank you! Please share it. I love the feed back. Would like to do a professional version of this song one day. I worked there for 30 years so you probably did have me as a driver. Again thanks for watching!
This is so cute! I take the Greyhound and I am so grateful when I get a driver that actually cares! It warms my heart because when I do take the bus, I'm usually leaving home to go to college. Its saddening and having a nice driver makes the experience so much better :) Thank you Dale for being one of these drivers that care!!
Speaking as one who has many miles behind him and is seeking to drive for Greyhound, 30 years of service and safety is something most folks cannot imagine, much less handle. Congratulations Dale! May you and your family be blessed.
Hi Dale, enjoyed the song and the video. I am from the UK and Geoff Taggart introduced me to your music, he has sent me some tracks you have recorded and I will be playing them on a show I present on a community radio station here in the UK. Geoff provides me with songs and promos for which I am grateful. Your story will add to the songs when I play them. Best of luck with your new job.
@@DalePatkau HI Dale...wow! I just saw the CBC report on you and Greyhound. Geez...kinda tugged at my heartstrings. Hope all is well with you and yours. I sent you an IM. I'd be proud and happy to do a collab with you. Hell, I'll even let you pick the tune...ha! Be well, friend. Skeeter
After driving bus for 43 years, I will never forget that last trip we did to Toronto. I'm driving a Peterbilt truck into Minnesota now, so I am starting to heal. But it'll never be the same. RIP Hound. Thanks for a nice song.
Great song Dale, very moving & full of larger truth under the personal lyric. Just my opinion, but it's as good a folk song as I've ever heard by _anyone,_ famous or otherwise. The "real" contained in it is very easy to hear. Thanks for sharing it.
I am so glad you made this video. it brought me to tears, and I am so glad you have another job driving bus. The people in those communities need the bus service. I don't know what I would do without my town buses as I am visually Impaired and can not and will not ever drive. You and many like you give the public a good server. Thank you
As a former Greyhound bus driver from the States (1 year in Portland, 1.8 years in Seattle and Portland, Oregon), I am sorry to hear that service is ending in West Canada. You seem to be one of the good ones, and I hope that one day we meet! I am now a tour bus operator for a company in Oregon that does some Canadian Rockies trips!
Jason Futch thank you so much for taking the time to listen to the song. It continues to have an impact down here so continue to share it with whomever you wish. Till we meet, take care my friend! Regards, Dale
Congratulations Dale, Wow! Fantastic song and video! We gathered around and watched your video after the last bus departed Calgary. You captured what being a Greyhound driver meant and how it was such an important part of our life. It's very sad to see Greyhounds service end in central and Western Canada. I met my Wife at Greyhound and I will always be thankful to have been part of the Greyhound family. All the best Dale!
Amazing and always inspiring to hear about people who have found such great meaning from their contribution to the world. "Shaking hands, not knowing what to say" - love that line. Happy Retirement!
My grandmother’s brother drove over a million accident free miles. He was just one of many family members I have who drove in British Columbia. Great tune and a great tribute to those who got people where they needed to go.
My last ride with greyhound was on October 10, 2018. I think I have had this wonderful driver a bit during my years of riding the greyhound bus. October 29 would have been my last ride but there no wheelchair bus that day so October 10 ended up being my last ride instead. Was a bitter taste in my mouth October 29. I have met so many drivers in my years of riding the greyhound bus; they were like family; thank you for sharing this song you made Dale Paktua. Thank you for the safe rides you've given over the years. All the best in your future journies.
Loaded a thousand busses sold more tickets shipped freight made sure the drivers were good to go I’ve been away for years my dad was a driver my brother was a dispatcher, a company a family that should still be running down the road thanks for the song
My dad drove over 33 years. His brother and his son drove 15 years and my brother loaded buses for about 5 years. You are right , a family business that should still be running! Still can’t figure it out! Thanks for the listing. Dale
Amazing video. Brought me to tears. So many memories riding the bus as a little one. This is how i got to spend time with my dad. From ashley fontaine(beghin)
Thank you very much uncle Dale for doing this video and posting it. I enjoyed working along side with you as a driver and platform loader. I wish you and your family all the best. Your niece and Greyhound Thompson, Winnipeg and Vancouver driver, Tasha.
Regards from Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia - 9 Greyhound drivers (part time & full time) plus some 'casual' employees based here in a subtropical regional city of around 80 000 people. Government contracts inland, for-profit along the coast. Solo driving shifts only (team driving would be like a marriage... difficult!). Eight kilometre walk/jog to depot with 13 kilograms of tools in my backpack. Dogs barking before a 2.30AM start some mornings. Today was my last ride....3 weeks off in Osaka, Japan✈️🍲🍺✈️🛌🚌👍
I've driven from 2008- 2019, so I can relate to this. It's more than a nine to five. It's a culture and way of life. Bless you brother and all of you up there.
as an ex employee for greyhound back in 70s all this ending service makes me sad and mad...for customers and employees...thanx for your many years of service
Thank you dale. Watched it at the Calgary depot as some of us gathered for a toast after the last bus came in. It did pay the mortgage And raised many a family. My wife was there 25 years and I was 30. We will miss seeing it go down the road.
I feel for you as well. Like you I have lost my job from two separate places that closed due to declining patronage (print shop and department store). And I feel as though (sparsely populated) Western Canada has been given the cold shoulder a lot lately, almost as if we are "out of sight, out of mind" to those in the East. But excellent song anyways...exactly my kind of music! You may have been a Greyhound driver, but you are a great music performer as well. I really appreciate the lyrics having emotion and meaning behind them, as opposed to being just a catchy tune (though this song is both). Best of luck in whatever future holds for you.
I rode in the (reserved) front seat with you. A gentleman, family man & Superman BUS DRIVER. When I thin bout getting another job, I go lie down till I get over it!
Hello there. I came over here to have a listen after seeing your comment on Lewin's video (from GarageBand&Beyond) about mixing/mastering acoustic guitar and vocals. Lewin has got great content for us GB users - I've been subbed to him probably over three years now. Love that guy. Anyhoo, I listened to the song in this video and a couple others as well and I could definitely pick out a couple areas to be improved on which I believe would contribute greatly to the overall quality of sound of your music. I'm not a pro or anything, but I have spent a great deal of time working in GB over the past 4 (nearly 5) years. And in my attempt to improve my skill set in that regard, I've devoted a lot of time to learn what I can from tutorials like Lewin's that go into the more technical aspects of making music. With that said - and assuming from the comment you left over there that you'd like to improve a bit - I believe I might be able to help out a bit. Your music is good - but I think I could help you to make it _better._ If you're interested, or you have any questions, or you'd like to chat to find out more you can reply here if you'd like. I've also sent you an invite on Google Hangouts - communicating on a 1:1 level on that platform is 100x better than YT's messaging system. So as an option, you could accept that invitation and we'd start up a chat there. If you're _not_ interested, well, that's not gonna hurt my feelings lol - I'll just wish you luck, hope you have a happy retirement (congrats btw) and I'll be on my way. I'm not trying to sell you on anything here. And I know this might sound crazy but, my only goal here is to help out if I can. So get back to me if you're up for it. And have a good day..
Dale, I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for greyhound. I was just a punk kid trying to be a bus driver in a family run bus company in Dryden. I have learned so much from guys like you. The adventures we had, the coffee we drank ,the stories we told and most importantly the friendship you gave are a part of me that I will never forget and will always cherish. So this is not good bye. .I'll see you on the road. Rob
Hey thanks Rob. We were all punks at one time. You grow up fast when your working for greyhound. Lots of responsibilities for sure. I may take you up on the offer to come work there someday. See ya on the road! 👍👍
Thanks for your service. Saskatchewan still desperately needs STC, many hundreds of people are stranded without it. Canadians deserve good public services.
The Premier says that the private sector should take over, for which I completely agree. But when the private sector also pulls out, that leaves a big void that will likely never get filled for some time. And some people simply cannot drive themselves or fly due to health problems. There are now no more trans-continental bus service north of Kansas/Colorado (which crosses the Prairies on I-70).
It reminds me of all the rides on the hound to Omemee to see my family; a slower, more contemplative kind of travel with interesting conversations and times of quiet reflection. Jetlag-less and more real.
nice song, enjoy your next stage. Used to take Greyhound as a student from the Peg to Thunder Bay in the 80s. stop in Dryden for a break, then onward. Seen some close calls, and became a bus driver myself.
canuck600A I’m not sure. We drove a lot of buses numbered in the 500 hundreds so maybe! They were the automatics with what I like to call tractor seats in them. Lol.
So greyhound lines inc decided to discontinue their runs to and from western Canada due to low ridership or something they will miss the dog running around western Canada and its a shame to the passengers who need it
Thank you for all the work keeping passengers
Safe. Thank you as employee and many times
A passenger as well
Such a great Video, thank you. I have sent this video to two dear friends who retired from Greyhound also. God bless you and your family Dale.
pd4106 thank you! I’m glad I did it! Still hard to believe greyhound is not on the road anymore.
Hi Dale. I retired 5 years ago out of the Vancouver division after 28 years of service. I really appreciate this tune and can totally relate to it. Unlike you I booked off my last trip just wanted to quietly slip out the back door. Some days I miss the job other days not so much……………..
I feel the same way. I can’t believe I put in over 31 years. Some days I hated every minute and some days I just loved the job. Anyways it’s all over now. Just memories left. Thanks for the wonderful comments.
What a great song! I took the greyhound every summer from Thunder Bay to Moose Jaw for 20 years and you were probably our driver for a majority of those rides...I enjoyed the greyhound and it was a big part of my childhood up to adulthood too! My friend who traveled often from Kenora to Winnipeg also watched this and we just cried haha! Again, this is such a great song. Thanks!
Jess141315 thank you! Please share it. I love the feed back. Would like to do a professional version of this song one day. I worked there for 30 years so you probably did have me as a driver. Again thanks for watching!
anyone else stillwatching this in 2021? I can't not watch it so heart felt
This is so cute! I take the Greyhound and I am so grateful when I get a driver that actually cares! It warms my heart because when I do take the bus, I'm usually leaving home to go to college. Its saddening and having a nice driver makes the experience so much better :) Thank you Dale for being one of these drivers that care!!
Alma P you are so welcome my friend! I was friendly with everyone and I’m truly going to miss Greyhound. Good and bad!
Alma P please share this with others riders!
Speaking as one who has many miles behind him and is seeking to drive for Greyhound, 30 years of service and safety is something most folks cannot imagine, much less handle. Congratulations Dale! May you and your family be blessed.
M Coleman thank you. Very proud of my accomplishment at Greyhound!
Hi Dale, enjoyed the song and the video. I am from the UK and Geoff Taggart introduced me to your music, he has sent me some tracks you have recorded and I will be playing them on a show I present on a community radio station here in the UK. Geoff provides me with songs and promos for which I am grateful. Your story will add to the songs when I play them. Best of luck with your new job.
Ron Walker thank you for the kind words.
Sounding righteous brother Dale...congats on your last ride. Please be well!
Skeeter McGraw haven’t heard from you for a while. Hope all is well with you? Thank you for your kind comments.
@@DalePatkau
HI Dale...wow! I just saw the CBC report on you and Greyhound. Geez...kinda tugged at my heartstrings. Hope all is well with you and yours. I sent you an IM. I'd be proud and happy to do a collab with you. Hell, I'll even let you pick the tune...ha! Be well, friend.
Skeeter
Dale I heard You work for another bus company maple bus lines in Winnipeg Manitoba is this true?
After driving bus for 43 years, I will never forget that last trip we did to Toronto. I'm driving a Peterbilt truck into Minnesota now, so I am starting to heal. But it'll never be the same. RIP Hound. Thanks for a nice song.
Great song Dale, very moving & full of larger truth under the personal lyric. Just my opinion, but it's as good a folk song as I've ever heard by _anyone,_ famous or otherwise. The "real" contained in it is very easy to hear. Thanks for sharing it.
John Gerson thanks for your comment! It’s easy to write when it’s from the heart!
@@DalePatkau That's where the best songs come from, and you sure "fetched out" a good'un! Thanks again.
I am so glad you made this video. it brought me to tears, and I am so glad you have another job driving bus. The people in those communities need the bus service. I don't know what I would do without my town buses as I am visually Impaired and can not and will not ever drive. You and many like you give the public a good server. Thank you
Beverley Allardyce yes I hope the new company can fill Greyhounds shoes 👞
Dale this is beautiful and moving. Thank you for your gift to all of us who have ridden the greyhound over the years.
Mary Young Leckie 🙏
Thanks Mary. It was a sad day for many of us for sure. Sorry i didn't respond earlier. I just saw this now. lol
As a former Greyhound bus driver from the States (1 year in Portland, 1.8 years in Seattle and Portland, Oregon), I am sorry to hear that service is ending in West Canada. You seem to be one of the good ones, and I hope that one day we meet! I am now a tour bus operator for a company in Oregon that does some Canadian Rockies trips!
Jason Futch thank you so much for taking the time to listen to the song. It continues to have an impact down here so continue to share it with whomever you wish. Till we meet, take care my friend! Regards, Dale
Congratulations Dale, Wow! Fantastic song and video! We gathered around and watched your video after the last bus departed Calgary. You captured what being a Greyhound driver meant and how it was such an important part of our life. It's very sad to see Greyhounds service end in central and Western Canada. I met my Wife at Greyhound and I will always be thankful to have been part of the Greyhound family. All the best Dale!
Ron Labine thank you! Will miss the job for sure. Say hi to Bob and Greg for me please!
Amazing and always inspiring to hear about people who have found such great meaning from their contribution to the world. "Shaking hands, not knowing what to say" - love that line. Happy Retirement!
My grandmother’s brother drove over a million accident free miles. He was just one of many family members I have who drove in British Columbia.
Great tune and a great tribute to those who got people where they needed to go.
tom barnes my dad had over 33 1/2 years and I had 30 plus. It has been a great ride for sure. Many many memories! Thanks for liking the tune!
Amazing Dale
My last ride with greyhound was on October 10, 2018. I think I have had this wonderful driver a bit during my years of riding the greyhound bus. October 29 would have been my last ride but there no wheelchair bus that day so October 10 ended up being my last ride instead. Was a bitter taste in my mouth October 29. I have met so many drivers in my years of riding the greyhound bus; they were like family; thank you for sharing this song you made Dale Paktua. Thank you for the safe rides you've given over the years. All the best in your future journies.
Loaded a thousand busses sold more tickets shipped freight made sure the drivers were good to go I’ve been away for years my dad was a driver my brother was a dispatcher, a company a family that should still be running down the road thanks for the song
My dad drove over 33 years. His brother and his son drove 15 years and my brother loaded buses for about 5 years.
You are right , a family business that should still be running! Still can’t figure it out! Thanks for the listing. Dale
Amazing video. Brought me to tears. So many memories riding the bus as a little one. This is how i got to spend time with my dad. From ashley fontaine(beghin)
Chris Fontaine thanks Ashley. Maybe see you this afternoon?
Ashley and glen are going today thank you
Thank you very much uncle Dale for doing this video and posting it. I enjoyed working along side with you as a driver and platform loader. I wish you and your family all the best. Your niece and Greyhound Thompson, Winnipeg and Vancouver driver, Tasha.
Regards from Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia - 9 Greyhound drivers (part time & full time) plus some 'casual' employees based here in a subtropical regional city of around 80 000 people. Government contracts inland, for-profit along the coast. Solo driving shifts only (team driving would be like a marriage... difficult!). Eight kilometre walk/jog to depot with 13 kilograms of tools in my backpack. Dogs barking before a 2.30AM start some mornings. Today was my last ride....3 weeks off in Osaka, Japan✈️🍲🍺✈️🛌🚌👍
I drove that bus. 1272. Rides good.
I've driven from 2008- 2019, so I can relate to this. It's more than a nine to five. It's a culture and way of life. Bless you brother and all of you up there.
as an ex employee for greyhound back in 70s all this ending service makes me sad and mad...for customers and employees...thanx for your many years of service
Awesome job Dale! I've watched it multiple times allready and sounds great. Truly enjoyed the ride with you over the last 17 years.
Neil Carlson thanks Neil. It was a pleasure working with you too!
I love this song Dale. I would love to record it😊
Thank you dale. Watched it at the Calgary depot as some of us gathered for a toast after the last bus came in. It did pay the mortgage And raised many a family. My wife was there 25 years and I was 30. We will miss seeing it go down the road.
Great Video and great song. Well done Dale. You gave it 100%. Brent Boyenko Calgary driver.
I feel for you as well. Like you I have lost my job from two separate places that closed due to declining patronage (print shop and department store). And I feel as though (sparsely populated) Western Canada has been given the cold shoulder a lot lately, almost as if we are "out of sight, out of mind" to those in the East. But excellent song anyways...exactly my kind of music! You may have been a Greyhound driver, but you are a great music performer as well. I really appreciate the lyrics having emotion and meaning behind them, as opposed to being just a catchy tune (though this song is both). Best of luck in whatever future holds for you.
FreewayInterstate thank you sir. I appreciate your kind words. Best of luck!
I rode in the (reserved) front seat with you. A gentleman, family man & Superman BUS DRIVER. When I thin bout getting another job, I go lie down till I get over it!
Judith Hodgins Lol. Thank you for remembering me! Thanks to all my customers! I appreciate everyone of you!
Hello there. I came over here to have a listen after seeing your comment on Lewin's video (from GarageBand&Beyond) about mixing/mastering acoustic guitar and vocals. Lewin has got great content for us GB users - I've been subbed to him probably over three years now. Love that guy. Anyhoo, I listened to the song in this video and a couple others as well and I could definitely pick out a couple areas to be improved on which I believe would contribute greatly to the overall quality of sound of your music. I'm not a pro or anything, but I have spent a great deal of time working in GB over the past 4 (nearly 5) years. And in my attempt to improve my skill set in that regard, I've devoted a lot of time to learn what I can from tutorials like Lewin's that go into the more technical aspects of making music. With that said - and assuming from the comment you left over there that you'd like to improve a bit - I believe I might be able to help out a bit. Your music is good - but I think I could help you to make it _better._
If you're interested, or you have any questions, or you'd like to chat to find out more you can reply here if you'd like. I've also sent you an invite on Google Hangouts - communicating on a 1:1 level on that platform is 100x better than YT's messaging system. So as an option, you could accept that invitation and we'd start up a chat there.
If you're _not_ interested, well, that's not gonna hurt my feelings lol - I'll just wish you luck, hope you have a happy retirement (congrats btw) and I'll be on my way. I'm not trying to sell you on anything here. And I know this might sound crazy but, my only goal here is to help out if I can. So get back to me if you're up for it. And have a good day..
Nice to see you still playing the guitar. Happy to here you landed another gig.
You have a lot to be proud of! Congratulations.
Thank you Ross!
Great song Dale you can alway sing as a pastime in your retirement. Great voice. Good luck in your future.
Awesome Awesome Dale. Great song buddy. Enjoy your retirement with more singing and picking.
Lance Stone I am going to meet you some day my friend ! Thank you!
@@DalePatkau come on down anytime friend. We will pick and sing for hours on end. Lol
Contgrats Dale! Awesome song! Bittersweet song. You wernt just plucking guitar strings...
Ypu were one of the greats! Enjoy life buddy!
Congratulations on your retirement!! I know exactly how you feel!! I retired from STC when they shut the doors. Great tune by the way!!
Terry Eagles thanks Terry!
Dale, I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for greyhound. I was just a punk kid trying to be a bus driver in a family run bus company in Dryden. I have learned so much from guys like you. The adventures we had, the coffee we drank ,the stories we told and most importantly the friendship you gave are a part of me that I will never forget and will always cherish. So this is not good bye. .I'll see you on the road.
Rob
Hey thanks Rob. We were all punks at one time. You grow up fast when your working for greyhound. Lots of responsibilities for sure. I may take you up on the offer to come work there someday. See ya on the road! 👍👍
Thanks for your service. Saskatchewan still desperately needs STC, many hundreds of people are stranded without it. Canadians deserve good public services.
MsBeautifulRed yes I agree! Thank you!
The Premier says that the private sector should take over, for which I completely agree. But when the private sector also pulls out, that leaves a big void that will likely never get filled for some time. And some people simply cannot drive themselves or fly due to health problems. There are now no more trans-continental bus service north of Kansas/Colorado (which crosses the Prairies on I-70).
Melancholic song, best wishes.
It reminds me of all the rides on the hound to Omemee to see my family; a slower, more contemplative kind of travel with interesting conversations and times of quiet reflection. Jetlag-less and more real.
nice song, enjoy your next stage. Used to take Greyhound as a student from the Peg to Thunder Bay in the 80s. stop in Dryden for a break, then onward. Seen some close calls, and became a bus driver myself.
Tango Cash thank you so much.
Nice song Dale
Fantastic song, and a nice send-off to a dynasty.
toohard2do thank you!
Great song Dale!
David Cambon thank you!
Loved it
Thanks Robert!
Thanks for the song. Enjoy your retirement. My last ride will be on the 31st . Rod Camphaug Kamloops driver.
roderick camphaug thanks you too!
great Song and Video Have a great retirement Sir You deserve it
Marc Drolet thank you!
In that picture from when you started your career, is that a MC-7?
canuck600A I’m not sure. We drove a lot of buses numbered in the 500 hundreds so maybe! They were the automatics with what I like to call tractor seats in them. Lol.
It's probably a MC-8 then, they were # in the low 500's & the first 9 was 565. (I'm a bus nerd)
Great song! A loss of an institution in the west without a proper replacement. Enjoy retirement Dale!
So greyhound lines inc decided to discontinue their runs to and from western Canada due to low ridership or something they will miss the dog running around western Canada and its a shame to the passengers who need it
Cool
Justin Harvey thank you sir!
good song … well done.
How can a country the size of Canada be left without transportation for its people???
Ayjay I think in the future there might be another intercity city bus company that will serve Western Canada like it’s predecessor greyhound
Enjoy your retirement !
Is this your story?
Justin Harvey yes sir! 30 years behind that wheel! Time for singing career. Lol
Cool ,good job enjoy, and sing...