From the Bet You Didn’t Know files comes this little-known campus trivia nugget, care of the vice chancellor at UNC-Greensboro:
“I know, without a doubt, my main claim to fame: I was the first full-time U of I undergraduate student to drive for MTD when the relationship between the U of I and MTD first started,” says Bryan Terry (BA '90, history). “The first year, the service was offered for free. Now, I believe it is a mandatory part of the bill.
“Buses are such a part of the campus now that I am sure many just see them as a staple. But I can tell you that I was the first driver of what was then the Illini 22 route, which basically made the loop around campus.
“I was fortunate to drive on Friday nights — from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. — which meant I got to pick up all the students as they poured out of the Daniel Street bars. That first night was a trip. I drove all over trying to figure out the route.
“I made some really good friends, both on the bus with riders as well as the dedicated drivers of MTD. I still get a warm feeling when I think about the Illini 22 route.”
