John retired from South Garage on Sept. 9, 2011, with more than 32 years of service. He was among the first group of drivers to begin work from the then brand-new South Garage upon its opening in 1980. During his career, John received Metro Transit's Safe Operator Award 28 times. He received the Outstanding Operator Award 20 times, qualifying him as an Elite Master Operator – one of only 26 Metro Transit employees to have attained that status.