Two people who met on a Utah Transit Authority bus last fall were married Friday morning in the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Afterward, transportation officials treated them to an exclusive ride on a trolley from the temple to Trolley Square.Greg Brown and Louise Hansen, both 30, met Sept. 27, 1989, aboard the Salt Lake-to-Ogden UTA bus route No. 70. They were both riding home from work. Louise was en route to Bountiful and Greg was going to Clearfield.
"I saw her get on the bus. She sat down across from me. I went down and sat by her. I just kind of looked over at her every once in a while and smiled," he said.
"I call that bus stop `the bus stop of destiny,' " he said. "I really love her and I'm glad and grateful this is how we met."
The new Mrs. Brown said she will never forget route 70. "I took a chance and started going out with Greg, and it worked out right. I never thought I was going to meet my husband like this."
Louise said that when she told friends she was getting serious with "the bus guy," her friends were surprised. "I didn't know it was going to turn into something this special," she said. "The real shock came to them when I told them the bus guy was taking me flying."
Greg said he was able to talk to Louise and get her attention after several rides.
On their first encounter, Greg thought he had ruined his chances with Louise when he didn't get enough nerve to ask her out right away. "I thought I blew that one 'cause I wanted to ask her."
But Greg didn't lose hope, and, like most love-stricken lads, persevered. "I thought that maybe I could take the bus the next day and hoped I would meet her again."
The following day, Greg said he was so nervous he got on the wrong bus, where he searched for Louise desperately, only to see her sitting on another bus.
"I jumped off that bus so fast I scared the driver. I got on the other one quickly and casually sat by her again and started talking to her."
Another ride later, Greg asked her for her phone number and told her he would call her that evening. That's how their romance began.
After the couple dated for five months, Greg popped the question and Louise accepted.
Ron Achter, who drove the couple to Trolley Square on Trolley No. 80, took the newlyweds to the Old Spaghetti Factory where they celebrated their wedding luncheon.
Achter, who was a little surprised when UTA officials asked him to go pick up a couple of newlyweds at the temple, said "This is fantastic. It's a great idea to meet your partner on the bus or on the trolley. This happens all the time, I'm sure."
For the honeymoon the couple are renting a private airplane to fly to St. George. They will spend five days there and fly to Las Vegas for one day.
The couple will be living in Centerville.
Louise, who works for First Interstate Bank, graduated from Weber State College last June in administrative systems. Greg works in Salt Lake City as a salesman.
"I'm very happy, but what I feel is hard to express. I've waited a long time for this, and it's been worth the wait," she said.