logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
20m 11s

Busman's Holiday

RADIO DIARIES & RADIOTOPIA
About this episode
One day in 1947, NYC bus driver William Cimillo showed up to his daily bus route, but instead of turning right, he turned left. Over the next week, he traveled 1,300 miles in his municipal bus, ending up in Hollywood, Florida. The bus had broken down, he’d run out of money, and had no way of getting home. Plus, he was now the most wanted bus driver in the country. This story originally aired on This American Life in 2014. Go to www.radiodiaries.org to find more stories and sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Up next
Mar 19
The Real Refugees of Casablanca
When the Hollywood classic, Casablanca, was released in 1943, moviegoers were thrilled by the love story. Humphrey Bogart stars as the cynical owner of Rick’s Cafe, a nightclub in Morocco. Ingrid Bergman is his old flame, Ilsa, now married to Victor Laszlo, a dashing resistance l ... Show More
12m 30s
Feb 26
Orson Welles and the Blind Soldier 3: The Trial
This is the final episode of our series about Isaac Woodard, a Black soldier who was beaten and blinded by a white police officer in 1946. In the last episode, radio host Orson Welles, who was investigating the case, learned the officer's identity.Isaac Woodard himself told a rep ... Show More
18m 23s
Feb 19
Orson Welles and the Blind Soldier 2: Officer X
Last week, we shared the story of Isaac Woodard, a Black soldier who was brutally beaten by a white police officer in South Carolina. No one knew the name of the police officer. Or even the town where it happened. Not even Woodard himself. By the summer of '46, the case was gaini ... Show More
13m 12s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
Reasons Revisited: On the buses
All aboard! Last weekend, Greater Manchester made history as the first place outside London to bring its bus system into public control. Since 1986 - when buses were deregulated - fares have almost doubled, routes have been cut and fewer people are taking the bus. The Bee Network ... Show More
14m 30s
Jan 2020
Good Follows Good
One day when Willy arrived at the bus stop he noticed an old woman who needs bus fare, no one was helping her. When the bus arrived Willy was ready to get on when he realized he should give his bus fare to the old lady. He was young and could walk home. He gave her the money and ... Show More
13m 10s
Aug 2021
Buses
Look, we all know the wheels on the bus go round and round. And of course, that the wipers on the bus go "swish, swish, swish." And it's common knowledge that the horn on the bus goes "beep, beep, beep." And obviously, the babies on the bus go "wahhh, wahhh, wahhh." Don't worry, ... Show More
1h 6m
Dec 2014
Greyhound 100
For 100 years, an intriguing mix of people have been criss-crossing the US by Greyhound bus. To mark the company's centenary, Laura Barton sets off on an unplanned journey ‘to look for America’. She is conscious of the discrepancy between what the bus line represents in the colle ... Show More
27m 1s
Feb 2020
Missing the Bus
<p>If you heard that there was a piece of technology that could do away with traffic jams, make cities more equitable, and help us solve climate change, you might think about driverless cars, or hyperloops or any of the other new transportation technologies that get lots of hype ... Show More
35m 46s
Jun 2022
Caracas’s magic bus
We all know that information is power; but what if you live in a country without a free press or regular access to the internet? You have to be creative, and find nimble ways to help your community stay informed. That’s exactly what journalists in Caracas, Venezuela are doing by ... Show More
29m 6s
Nov 2023
513. Should Public Transit Be Free? (Update)
<p>It boosts economic opportunity and social mobility. It’s good for the environment. So why do we charge people to use it? The short answer: it’s complicated. Also: We talk to the man who gets half the nation’s mass-transit riders where they want to go (most of the time). </p><p ... Show More
56m 10s