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.
Its fairly easy once you get the hang of it. For a regular driver, the route does not usually change day-to-day with the exception of when the driver gets new kids on the route or kids move off the route making it unnecessary to drive into a certain section of their designated route boundary area. An example of this is if you have a child who lives at the end of a long dead end road who doesn't ride anymore, then the route would change in that you would not go down that road in the future. As a substitute, there are route descriptions that most bus shops will provide their drivers so that they may be able to follow it in order to pick up or drop off students.
I found as a sub, the easiest way to learn a route and remember it was to have a child tell you how the route runs. You eventually learn the stops on each bus route and create a mental map in your head.
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All of my kids know to sit properly in their seats. If one decides to go under the seat they get a front seat for a period of time until they learn that they must sit down properly. If your driver is allowing it, you should report it to the principal of your school or the transportation department for the safety of the other students on the bus.
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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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I am not sure if there are particular state or county laws where you live that govern the height of a window on a bus that is down. I suggest you check with your CDL trainer and boss at your bus shop yard. They can better advise you. My personal policy is to let the children let down the windows if they are hot. If the windows are not down, it is the children's personal choice not to let the windows down. If I have little ones, I have an older child help put those windows down in order to make the little ones more comfortable.
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As far as I know there is no law that requires that to happen, however, each district has its own policies on how routes are set up and run. Sometimes the bus shop dictates how a route goes and other times it is up to the drivers discretion. Personally, I believe that every few years routes need to be revamped and revised and it is best left up to the bus drivers who are driving the routes. The drivers know the number of students that are at each stop and can better determine if a route has a more logical way of being done.
Here in my county, due to some of the distance, the first ones on are often the last ones off as the afternoon route is run backwards from the morning route. For my own route, prior to going to a double run, I ran my route one way and the afternoon route was identical to the morning route. Now, since I have 78 kids listed on my roster and only a 72 passenger bus, mornings have stayed the same as I have less kids in the morning than in the afternoon, but my afternoon run has been split 2 ways. I still get done at the same time every day, but some of my kids who had been getting home at about 3:45 are now only getting home at 4 pm, and those of my kids who were getting off at 4:10 pm are now getting off at 3:40 pm because of the logistical change.
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That is true, you shouldnt put the bus in reverse and get out and walk behind. If you have an aide, have them walk behind the bus while you control the bus in order to test the back up lights. If you're alone, then I would either ask one of my co-workers to check or get a pvc pipe so that you can wedge it between the seat and brake pedal (with the parking brake set of course) and instead of getting out of the bus you can simply walk down the aisle inside the bus and peek out the back door to see if the lights seem to be functioning properly. I would not do what your boss is suggesting as that puts yours and others safety at risk.
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If the buses are equipped with seatbelts and the children can fasten them themselves, then we make them fasten their seatbelt. If they need help, we help them. We do adjust according to child size and needs. If in fact the belt is too tight, then you can probably speak to her supervisor, but chances are probably good that the seatbelts are properly adjusted so that the children cannot turn around in the seat or sit sideways. Similar to how a car is set up. Many buses have simple lap belts but more buses are going to the 3 point shoulder harness model similar to what you see in todays standard automobiles. Those, like the seatbelts in a car, are automatically adjusted. If the belts are leaving marks on your children then they are too tight, however, consider this... if the bus is in a roll over accident... would you rather your children slip out of an improperly adjusted belt and snap their necks or be fully secured to the seat minimizing injury.
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