Metro bus driver moonlights as high-flying acrobat

SEATTLE -- King County Metro employs hundreds of bus drivers who sit quietly behind the wheel all day, but only one of those drivers moonlights as a daredevil acrobat at night.

Jonathan Rose said he's just living in the moment and happens to have two jobs that are perfect for him.

By day, Rose drives the number 355 from Shoreline to Seattle. By night, he moonlights as a performer, dazzling crowds while hanging from ropes as an acrobat.

Bus riders who see Rose daily have no idea that under his Metro uniform are six-pack abs, bulging biceps and other muscles most men only wish they could achieve.

"Yeah they might not even recognize me," he said. "Yeah, I think people would be pretty surprised. I'm a bit on the introverted side. I'm just kind of quiet and mild mannered, but then of course on stage I have a job to do depending on the character and the act, I rise to the occasion."

He's worked for Metro for six years and said he stumbled into his offbeat night job.

"I had been doing some traveling in Mexico and actually, spontaneously, ran away with the circus," he said.

For two years, he helped take down and put up tents and performed small parts in the show.

"Being in the circus in Mexico was a great adventure," Rose said. "It was a lot of work. We travelled a lot and there's a lot that goes into maintaining the circus."

After his stint in the circus, which also included caring for a hippopotamus and an elephant, Rose returned to Seattle and started building his aerial skill set.

"I'd love to actually be able to do a backwards flip where I let go of the rope and catch on again," he said.

Rose said he wants his next big adventure to take him to Europe, where he'd like to perform in a longer-running show.

Anyone who'd like to catch his acrobatic performance can do so for the rest of the week at the Seattle Boat Show at CenturyLink Field. His show, called Splash, is the second act of the day.