The Bus Driver
15 Years Experience
South, ..
Female, 37
I have been a bus driver since late 2006. I know the inside story, the scoop, the down low dirt of what it takes to be a bus driver, how to handle kids and adults, and how to survive on the "streets" so to speak. I used to have a blog, feel free to browse it or ask me a question here.
Hi Alec!
First off - if you notice that the heater in the back is blowing, please let the bus driver know. Their arm may have inadvertently hit the button on the control panel which controls the heat blower. Secondly, most of the time if a driver gets too hot they turn the heat off under the hood or up in the drivers compartment by flipping a lever to stop the heat flow. Third, when you put 40-60 bodies in a small area, its going to be a little hot and uncomfortable. If the driver has air conditioning, they will put it on, but if there is no air conditioning, simply open a few windows on each side all the way down both sides of the bus and there will be a cross breeze that comes through which will cool off some of the interior of the bus.
There may be other reasons why the heat is needed on certain days, but most of that is due to the defrosting of the windshields and visibility. Bottom line is - if you're hot, let the bus driver know so they can adjust accordingly. If they don't, then simply relocate your seat away from the seats where the heaters are.
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Its a matter of using the mirrors to line your bus up with the other two buses. Keeping it in line with the other two buses, back up slowly until your bus nose is in line with the other busses. It is fairly simple to do once you get a handle on how your bus turns and backs. If you are unsure, I recommend going to a parking lot with white lines painted on the pavement. Attempt to back your bus keeping it centered betweeen the two lines. Once you can do that without running over the lines, backing your bus is a cinch.
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In that case, then I would turn the bus off. I was just stating that some buses require the bus to be started and running or the key to be turned in the on position to allow power to flow to the lift. Some lifts will not operate without the parking brake being engaged either on some of the smaller "transit" type buses. I would double check your company policy on this issue though.
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Buses are equipped with an emergency or parking brake, but it can be very dangerous to pull this brake while the bus is moving as it will cause the bus to jerk to a stop and can cause an accident if used improperly. In the case of an emergency and the bus is simply rolling low speed (under 5 mph) then the emergency brake button can be pulled in order to stop the bus. It looks like this: http://www.apartswarehouse.com/Images/Products/298818-s.JPG
In the case where the driver becomes incapacitated at any time while the bus is moving at speeds greater than 5 mph, you can instruct students to put the gear shift in neutral which will stop the motor from propelling the wheels. Then instruct the student to keep a steady hand on the steering wheel guiding it to the side of the road. Once the bus has rolled to a stop or has dropped below 5 mph, then the student can pull the parking brake to stop the bus completely. I would not advise a student to cut off the bus engine using the keys until the bus has come to a near complete stop as the power going to the steering wheel will stop if the student cuts off the power too soon. That can make the bus hard to maneuver in an emergency.
Most bus companies have CB radios to use in the case of an emergency. Instruct students on how to access the radio and how to call for help in an emergency.
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Depends on the reason for writing the name down. Sometimes I may ask a child for their name and write it down as a note to myself to let the office know I have them still on the bus if they missed their stop. Sometimes, it may be that we need their name to look up their address in the computer system, or find a working parent/guardian number to contact. Finally, I may write a child's name down in order to write them up for misbehavior. Not everything leads to misbehavior and a citation, but for other reasons.
When I had an after school route - I had my students names on one sheet as well as their stops listed, in order of drop off. When they got on the bus, I would ask their name (if I hadn't already learned it) and would check off that they were on the bus. It helped me keep track of the number of students who rode and which way I needed to drive in order to drop them off efficiently and quickly.
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It depends on your individual district. Some districts forbid taking a bus to a personal residence and others allow for the drivers to take their buses home. In my experience, the bus drivers are allowed to take their buses home, but if their buses are needed for inspection or whatever, then we have to find a ride home, or take a spare home until we get our regular buses back.
Personally, I don't take my bus home because I simply have no place to park the vehicle. Of course, the stipulations are that if they give you the privilege of taking the bus home, that you will not abuse that privilege and make sure that you do not use the bus for personal reasons like grocery shopping etc. Additionally, you agree to keep it safe from vandals, and to ensure that just like your regular car that you make sure you secure it.
Even though I don't take my bus home, I would need to clear it occasionally with my supervisor for me to take my bus to my second job since it usually started right after my bus driving job. After I got off for a break, I would run the bus back to the shop, secure the gate, and get my own personal vehicle.
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In order for the lift to operate, there has to be some power to the bus. I do not know if the bus just needs to be in the "on" position or fully running for the lift to work, but usually since on special needs buses there is more than one person on the bus (driver and aide) it is usually safe to leave the bus running while picking up and dropping off a student since there are several adults around to handle situations.
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