P2P bus drivers support students and set the late-night vibes at UNC

A core experience for many first-year students at UNC is riding the P2P — officially the point-to-point — a late-night bus that goes from South Campus to Franklin Street from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. P2P bus drivers take hundreds of students on journeys through campus and the surrounding areas, transporting them to a late-night party or to get a midnight snack. 

Grandison Wells has worked as a P2P driver for 25 years. He grew up in Winston-Salem and graduated from UNC in 1986. 

He said he enjoys interacting with passengers and discussing all that has changed about the University’s campus since his time as a student. A long-time fan of the Tar Heels, Wells attended the first game at the Dean E. Smith Center when he was a student. 

Wells also said he feels like students can be open with him without fear of being judged.

“I get to interact with the students, and we're able to form a sort of relationship,” he said. “You know, people are here for four years, some more, and it's good to have somebody that, if you actually wanted to talk about things, we more or less don't pass judgment on you, but you can feel that you’re free and open to talk to them.” 

Mark Huffstetler started working as a P2P driver in 2011. Prior to that he spent most of his time traveling, driving large vehicles across the country, he said.

Despite retiring from cross-country driving, Huffstetler still feels a sense of freedom as a P2P driver.

“It's good to be out and have the freedom to move around, instead of being stuck at a desk or maybe stuck at a manufacturing facility for eight hours,” he said. “We have a lot of freedom.” 

Anthony Eversley is from New York City and has been a P2P driver since 2020. He previously worked for the Department of Correction in North Carolina, and said being a P2P driver has been more relaxing and a nice change of pace from what he was doing before.

“When I first started the job, I was surprised at how many greetings you get — driving the bus safely, getting to the stops, avoiding issues,” he said. “I get a lot of thank you’s from the student passengers, and it makes you feel good.” 

One way drivers interact with the passengers is through the music they play. Wells said drivers seek to match the mood of the passengers with their music.

“For me, Sundays would be something with some smooth pace music, maybe some jazz, maybe just some simple R&B type songs, and then on Thursday through Saturday, maybe more up-tempo music, because really, that's when people start gearing to go out for the weekend, start getting their party on,” he said.

Wells also said Halloween is an interesting time for driving students because of the costumes. Some students even dressed up as P2P buses, making cutouts with cardboard, he said. 

Huffstetler said that he sometimes plays music while driving, but only occasionally because passengers are usually talking and he doesn’t want to play over them.

“When I do play music, it’s like classic rock,” he said. “It's usually a station that provides a variety of all different types of classic rock music.” 

The drivers also work to ensure that students feel safe during the night, Huffstetler said.

Eversley said he is especially careful to pull up close to the curb and remind people to watch their step when it is raining. 

For the drivers, the P2P is an important part of the public transportation that keeps Chapel Hill going. 

“I do not think Chapel Hill could operate without public transportation,” Huffstetler said. “There is such a large amount of people in such a small area, that you have to be able to get around."

This year the P2P will be using new buses which will look similar to a traditional school bus, with a large front bumper instead of a flat front, Huffstetler said. The new buses will start operating at the beginning of the fall semester.

Above all, the drivers feel like they are contributing to the Carolina community by providing safe and accessible transportation.

“It's a good sense of purpose,” Huffstetler said. “You know that you're able to help people out and do things for them." 

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