WASHINGTON — It all began with a Metrobus.

For 11-year-old Sam Mencimer, no matter the fare, the ride to school was priceless.

Even if it meant being a few minutes late, he’d always wait for one particular bus — the 54 line from Takoma to L'Enfant Plaza — driven by Joy Kenley.

“I was always excited,” Mencimer -- now 22 -- said, remembering his childhood bus rides. “It was the highlight of my day.”

Kenley, now a Metro station manager, was always greeted by a boy brimming with curiosity.

“I would stand behind the yellow line and ask question after question after question,” Mencimer said.

He wanted to know everything — what every button did, how buses were fueled, where they went to sleep at night.

“He wasn’t concerned with the fare box,” Kenley said with a laugh. “It was more the oper

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