The Ride of the Northwood Driver

There was a crispness in the air
one lovely autumn day.
The sunlight glinted off the bus
as the Northwood pulled away.
The engine hummed contentedly.
The radio played a quiet song.
All riders rested peacefully,
as the Northwood rolled along.
The light ahead turned to red,
the bus soon slowed its pace.
It made the stop with ease,
and that special Northwood grace.
And as the bus sat resting
another pulled 'long side.
It was Ann Arbor's finest,
The AATA RIDE.
The drivers locked eyes,
and straitened their ties.
These drivers, you see, are competitive guys.

The DONT WALK sign was flashing.
The drivers were ready.
Their driving skills honed,
and their reflexes steady.
The light changed to green,
and they stomped on the pedal.
With a squealing of tires,
and a grinding of metal,
the busses lurched forward,
with a shudder of torque.
The engines strained valiantly,
but it was hard work.

The riders were startled
By this sudden event,
and they peered out the windows
to see what this all meant.
Had there been a collision?
Was there some sort of dent?
One rider was certain
the front fender was bent.
But the jerk of the bus
was no accident.
Just the start of a bus drag,
and here's how it went:

The RIDE began in the lead,
with Northwood out-wheeled,
the RIDE driver smiled,
Northwood wouldn't yield.
As RIDE slowed for the light
Northwood cruised on ahead
even thought the light changed
from yellow to red.
The RIDE driver slipped the brake,
and applied gas instead.
Pedestrians leapt to the curb
glad not to be dead.
These two busses burned 
though the streets of the town
for what seemed like hours
until the RIDE's engine ran down.
The Northwood drove on
with victory in hand
The race had gone just as
the driver had planned.

This tale is now legend
and the drivers, admired.
But sadly, for them
they were both fired.