Story and photo by Rick Mehaffey

Longtime Dial-A-Ride rider Joy Bright lives up to her name as the Jacksonville Beach resident brings cheerfulness and happiness to people she meets. Joy became aware of Dial-A-Ride years ago when her twin sister Janice introduced her to the Beaches transportation service for the elderly and disabled. Joy has become one of the staff’s favorite riders but they know to expect her to be late sometimes. She was born 12 minutes after Janice and she likes to say she is notoriously late, that she will always be 12 minutes late.

“I’m so grateful for this organization. If not for Dial-A-Ride, I would really be lost. The drivers are so helpful, so wonderful. And Bob is the best, he’s my hero,” she said, referring to Dial-A-Ride Operation Coordinator Bob Hughes. Over the years, she’s become an advocate for the service, occasionally writing a Letter to the Editor in the Beaches Leader. And she’s working on writing a jingle about Dial-A-Ride.

Joy is a Brooklyn, NY native who worked in the advertising and publishing business in Manhattan. With her love of dancing, she says she was a ballerina in the day and a disco queen at night, dancing at New York’s night clubs. Through Janice, she became friends with actors Harvey Keitel, Steve McQueen and other celebrities. She later moved to Boston and then came to Florida with her husband and son more than 40 years ago.

She lost her best friend in 2022 when Janice passed away, and although she misses her twin, she continues to wear a smile.