Student living complex Redpoint Oxford, formerly known as College Town Oxford, notified students by email on Wednesday, Nov. 12 that it is discontinuing its shuttle service at the end of the month. The loss of the service means beloved shuttle bus driver Ruel Vaughn, known as Mr. Pete, will be out of a job.
“It is really hard to talk about. This job makes me so happy,” Vaughn said.
Some Redpoint residents, such as Abigail Goldsworthy, mourned Vaughn’s departure. The junior finance major called the bus driver her “honorary grandpa.”
“Mr. Pete has been family to me for the past two years; he’s always been one call away and someone we’ve been able to talk to,” Goldsworthy said. “He always takes the time to know us really well. He’s met our parents; he remembers our birthdays; he brought us candy for Halloween; he goes above and beyond to make us all feel special.”
The shuttle service, run by the company Rebel Ride, provides Redpoint residents with transportation to and from the Square on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, as well as to and from campus on home game Saturdays.
Oxford-University Transit (OUT) will replace the shuttle system on Nov. 30, but Vaughn, an 80-year-old military veteran, says his official last day is Friday, Nov. 21.
Redpoint declined The Daily Mississippian’s requests for comment.
Vaughn previously served in the U.S. Army and worked in the railroad industry for 38 years. Bored with retirement, he began working as a bus driver. He drove a school bus for a few years and has worked with Redpoint for more than five years.
Vaughn cites the University of Mississippi students as the highlight of his Redpoint employment.
“My favorite part of my job is the kids,” Vaughn said. “I get to meet so many amazing students and hear about their lives. Some of them I get to see go through their last few years of school.”
Vaughn often works beyond the regular shuttle service hours of 8:30 p.m.-1 a.m. to ensure that Redpoint residents return home safely.
“A lot of people don’t like this job, but I love getting to sleep in and work late at night,” Vaughn said. “The people make it easier.”
Bella Barron, a Redpoint resident and senior integrated marketing communications major, testified to Vaughn’s commitment to the students — not just a paycheck.
“He doesn’t care about the money; he just cares about us,” Barron said. “We have been on the Square past the hours the service is offered, and he still picks us up because he cares so much about making sure we get home safe.”
Vaughn left such an impression on Goldsworthy, Barron and their roommates that the group decided to take action.
“We set up a GroupMe and encouraged people to email Redpoint and Scion. We made a QR (code) that you could scan with a pre-written email. We even made signs saying ‘Keep Pete’ for the QR code to go with,” Goldsworthy said.
Scion is a student housing company that has ownership of four student-living communities in Oxford: Redpoint, Lark Oxford, The Heritage Collection and Archive Oxford.
Goldsworthy is a student marketer for Red Bull, and her job has helped her spread the word. The quartet of Goldsworthy and her roommates have gone door-to-door through Redpoint offering free Red Bull drinks as an incentive to send an email in support of Mr. Pete’s continued employment.
“I told my manager about the issue, and she was in full support. So we set up a Google Form where you can submit a screenshot of your email and be entered to win a free 24-pack of Red Bull,” Goldsworthy said.
The GroupMe, which has accumulated members that are both residents of Redpoint and non-residents, has united more than 100 members since it was formed on Nov. 4, when Vaughn texted the quartet of women individually to let them know of his employment termination.
Despite their efforts, the team behind the GroupMe has not heard back from Redpoint.
Goldsworthy and her roommates’ bond with Vaughn runs deep, and it means more people than the bus driver will be leaving come time for lease renewal.
“I am not re-signing my lease next year because Mr. Pete is not going to be there,” Goldsworthy said.
One roommate of Goldsworthy and Barron, senior finance major Skyler Alberts, says she is unsure she trusts the OUT system as much as she trusts Vaughn.
“I know this new service will try to keep things safe, but we just don’t have the comfortability and trust that we have with Mr. Pete,” Alberts said.
Alberts furthered her defense of Vaughn. She said she once left her phone on the shuttle, and Vaughn turned the bus around to return it to her.
“Yes, he’s so much fun, but from a safety perspective, that is truly what he cares about the most. He knows all of our unit numbers, and for us girls he will drop us off right in front of our house,” Alberts said.
Many parents of Redpoint residents trust Vaughn with their children’s safety, too. Georgia Balfour’s mother, Claire, sent an email to The Daily Mississippian, expressing her admiration for Vaughn.
“Pete is a lifeline for so many of these students. I personally have ridden on his bus and enjoyed knowing and talking with him. It is so apparent how much he loves these kids and cares about their livelihoods,” Claire Balfour said. “He is not just any shuttle bus driver. HE IS PETE!”
Vaughn’s 80th birthday, which was Nov. 9 — eight days after he received news that he was fired — was celebrated by the team of college women supporting him.
“We wanted to give Mr. Pete a gift for his 80th birthday, so we all pitched in money to get him a gift card to his favorite restaurant. I drove 40 minutes to his house to give it to him, and he invited me into his home. I met his wife and sat and talked with them for three hours,” Barron said.
On his birthday, Vaughn was called into work, but even then, he donned a smile.
“I texted him ‘happy birthday,’ and I asked him if he was getting the birthday dinner he told us about. And he said, ‘No, I got called into work,’” Georgia Balfour said. “I responded (by) telling him I was sorry to hear that, and he said, ‘I love it. I am happy I get to drive some students today.’”
Despite the efforts made by the Repoint resident community and beyond, Vaughn maintains his humility.
“I just want to do my job the right way,” Vaughn said. “I don’t think there is anything special about me. I just really care about the students who ride my bus.”
