Meet David!

Joy Carpenter, a FrontRunner Operations Supervisor, nominated David Watson for Rider of the Month after he submitted an innovative idea to install tunnel mirrors along the exit ramps and tunnels of the Lehi Station. This has enabled riders to see each other as they ascend or descend the ramps there. “This amazing new idea has vastly improved the safety of all our riders, and reduced the number of accidents from wheelchairs, bicyclists and pedestrians at these crossings. We can’t thank riders like David enough for sharing new and improved ways for improving our rider experience,” Joy said.

David was born in Vancouver, Washington, and grew up in Portland, Oregon. He had a passion for music growing up, and served an LDS mission in the Midwest after his high school graduation. He studied both Elementary Education and Business and Speech Communication at BYU, graduating with a degree in the latter in 1978.

Upon graduation, he moved back to Portland, Oregon. He didn’t have much luck finding a job in his major, which lead him to a career as a broadcast engineer at KPTV Channel 12. Later, he worked as an audio-visual engineer at the Portland Oregon Temple, along with running his own VCR repair business. David returned to Utah in 1993 to work as an AV engineer for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, where he has now worked for 27 years. His claim to fame is helping run and maintain the Legacy Theater 70mm projection system and technical support for the Temple Square Visitor Center and temples around the world.

In 2008, David’s life changed forever. While he was driving home from St. George, another driver fell asleep on the freeway and rolled his van. David was in the accident, and as a result, he lost his left leg and sustained nerve damage to his right. He had to spend five months in the hospital and a rehabilitation clinic. Since his recovery, he has been using a wheelchair for over 11 years.

1 – How long have you been riding?

David has been riding public transportation for the last 22 years in Utah. He says, “I didn’t ride public transportation in Portland, but in 1998 I went to London and fell in love with the Tube. When I came home, I thought I would give TRAX a chance, and I discovered that I loved UTA. I appreciate the public hearings and online forums to share your ideas on routes, amenities and services. Now I am a big fan of public transportation.”

2- How do you usually use UTA?

David rode TRAX from Murray Central for 9 years. He rode TRAX for 70 percent of his work commutes. After he lost his leg in 2008, he moved to Lehi and switched to riding the Express Bus for four years. FrontRunner South was completed in late 2012, and he switched to the commuter rail to get to and from work. “My driving is minimal,” he says. “I only drive three to five times a year – the rest is spent on public transportation!” He loves how personable the train hosts and bus operators are. Bus drivers know him by name and have the wheelchair ramps ready to go before he even arrives at North Temple Station. “UTA is very wheelchair friendly,” he continues.

3 – Why do you ride?

David hates driving in rush hour traffic. He loves the fact that he can watch movies or listen to music on his iPad Mini as he commutes to work.

4 – Any tips or suggestions for riders?

David volunteers the following tips:

• Call and compliment UTA employees if they do a good job. Don’t always complain.
• If you’re unhappy with UTA, then simply drive in traffic for one week and you will appreciate UTA a lot more.
• Your travel time will go so much faster if you read a book, listen to music or watch a movie.

6 –What do you like to do in your free time?

Like he did growing up, David still loves to listen to 60s and 70s acoustic and classic rock. He also enjoys living in Lehi, near the Jordan Parkway Trail where he rides his eScooter so he can enjoy the great outdoors. He has ridden all the way to Utah Lake, a 15-mile round trip. He also loves to ride his scooter from home to Thanksgiving Point Gardens. He enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, along with their two grandchildren. He’s most proud of the fact that he has been married to his beautiful wife for the past 42 years.

Learn More

To learn more about how you can ride and love UTA like David, visit our How to Ride page. To nominate someone for a future Rider of the Month award, please message us on Facebook or Twitter at @RideUTA.