"Light up - Blow up"

I had the absolute pleasure of working the Underground Tours with Bruce for twenty years. The bond I felt with Bruce was immediate, strong, and lasting, and he was the main reason I stayed at the tours for as long as I did. “Light up-blow up” (no smoking) is the ending punch line for probably the lamest joke in Bruce’s introduction, a fact that we mercilessly teased each other about for years. We’d both try and deliver it better than the other, usually to limited response from tourists, but great fun for us.

For many tour guides, a good day at the tours would consist of large, responsive, friendly tourists who tip generously, and a bad day would be screaming kids, grumpy people, 90 degree temperatures, and an empty tip jar. For me, however, a good day at the tours was simply being able to work with Bruce.

There was never a bad day when you shared it with Bruce Jackson.

I watched Bruce interact with people from all over the country and world, and he always did so with kindness, humor, and a gentleness that made you feel special. He touched thousands of people’s lives in a positive way, and I consider it a blessing to have been able to work with him and call him for a friend for all those years. He will be sadly missed, yet fondly remember for years to come.

Larry Taylor