When he's not volunteering, Howard Boksenbaum likes to, well… uh, volunteer.

It turns out, the longtime Barrington resident retired a few years ago as the director of Rhode Island's Office of Library and Information Services and has since found himself as busy as ever. 

Mr. Boksenbaum volunteers as a driver for Tap-In (Touch A Person In Need) and as a docent at the Roger Williams Park Zoo. He also volunteers his time (and talents) as a member of the Providence Civic Orchestra, and even voluntarily drove across the country with friends when one of them was moving to Spokane, Wash.

BT: How long have you been volunteering at Tap-In?

HB: "I started in 2014."

BT: What was your first reaction to being a driver? 

HB: "I felt like I was doing something worthwhile. I felt good… I think all of us Tap-In drivers try to make it (the drive) more enjoyable, being nice to people. A lot of the people we drive are in pain or in some trouble. We do this because people need it, not because it's fun." 

BT: Any strange requests? Locations?

HB: "No. But I have heard of some people being taken out to lunch."

BT: Most interesting drive?

HB: "My most adventurous… this is only semi-embarrassing. It was mid-winter… we were going to a dentist appointment, but we were incredibly early. We decided to take the scenic route and go down South Lake Drive. It looked like it was plowed. We got about 50 feet and we got stuck. I called the police, the DPW. Everybody got stuck in the snow. The DPW finally towed us out."

BT: What do you drive?

HB: "A Honda Civic hybrid. It's good. It's low to the ground, so it's easy to get in and out."

BT: Are you a good driver?

HB: "I am an excellent driver."

BT: Are you a fast driver?

HB: "Fast? No. Well…I'm a little fast sometimes."

BT: What's your favorite spot in Barrington?

HB: "Probably my house. Other than that, there's the bike path between Police Cove Park and St. John's Church. It's full of wildlife. I walk it often."

BT: What was your first car?

HB: "A 1957 Plymouth. My dad gave it to me instead of trading it in on his 1961 Plymouth."

BT: What was your favorite car?

HB: "That was my 1972 Civic. It had 13-inch wheels… It got good mileage. I did a lot of driving back then."

BT: How long have you lived in town?

HB: "We moved to Barrington in 1991, from Providence."

BT: GPS or map?

HB: "Having not grown up with GPS, I will say map. I find it (GPS) a distraction when I'm driving."

BT: What are your hobbies?

HB: "Music (the Providence Civic Orchestra), and I read a lot. "

BT: Favorite book?

HB: "Right now I am reading 'Underground Railway' by Colson Whitehead. My favorite author is Anthony Trollope. I recommend him to anyone who writes."

BT: What's in your car's trunk?

HB: "A coffee maker, because the docents' coffee maker at the zoo broke. A raincoat, cables, a first aid kit … reusable shopping bags, an umbrella, a window scraper…"

BT: Longest drive?

HB: "From here to Pittsburgh." He also drove across country with two friends when one was moving to Spokane, Washington. "We stopped at the SPAM museum… I hate SPAM."

BT: What's the best part of volunteering as a Tap-In driver?

HB: "The best part is connecting with people, at Tap-In, the dispatchers, and the passengers."