#Mets die-hard drove MTA bus through worst of coronavirus pandemic

Despite the novel coronavirus pandemic hitting the area hard and impacting these New Yorkers, they are in favor of the game returning. They feel it is needed. These six diehard baseball fans shared their stories with The Post.

This is part five of six:

The Mets were an easy choice for George Samuels. He grew up in Queens and his parents were Dodgers and Giants fans. He did more than just attend games, though. For years, he was a vendor at Shea Stadium and Citi Field. Later, he became a member of The 7 Line Army, a traveling group of Mets fans.

“I would see them have signs, see them out in center field,” he said. “I said, ‘You know what? This is something I’d like to do, because I’m a fan and I like to travel.’ ”

There hasn’t been much traveling lately for anyone due to COVID-19. It hasn’t stopped him from working, however. Samuels kept his job through the pandemic, driving the X28 and X38 express buses from Brooklyn to Manhattan. He was nervous, but ridership was down, and the 56-year-old opted to work. He was needed.

According to the MTA, 131 workers have died of virus-related causes.

“It was scary,” Samuels said. “You don’t know if your co-worker has it. You don’t know if any passengers may have had it.”

The Jamaica, Queens, native is eager to see what baseball is like once it returns.

“You can say I have sports in my head,” he said.

He’s missed it, especially his Mets.

“I think it’s going to be weird on both sides,” Samuels said. “The players, they’re used to the fans being in the stands. The fans are used to being at the games to watch. Now you watch it on TV. I watch the Korean baseball, it’s just not the same. It seems empty and hollow.”