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.
Chances are good if the driver was at fault for the accident, the driver will be arrested and charged with negligence. That is entirely up to the police and investigating officers. Accidents happen and sometimes they are preventable. The real question is whether the driver was at fault or not. Just like anyone else that has been in an accident the person is entitled to a fair trial in accordance with the laws.
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That all depends on the reason for the write up and your individual schools policy on write ups coming from bus drivers. In my district, administrators are supposed to follow a policy that goes something like this:
1st write up: warning2nd write up: 1-3 days off the bus depending on offense3rd write up: 3-5 days off the bus4th write up: 5-10 days off the bus5th write up: 10 days off or permanent removal from bus riding privilege for at least the remainder of the school year.6th write up: Permanent removal of bus riding privilege for at least the remainder of the school year.
In many instances they don't follow this policy like they should and issue far too many warnings, but if they follow it like they should, we would have less behavior issues on our buses. Chances are good you will only get a warning. I recommend to all kids who get write ups that they better their chances with the bus driver if they verbally apologize for their behavior and perhaps even write a letter of apology to the bus driver or their fellow students depending on what the situation was. An apology goes a long way with me when it comes to my bus kids. If you have the guts to apologize for your behavior, I am actually LESS likely to follow through and submit the write up to the school because you showed me that you are willing to accept consequences for your actions. (In those cases I usually ask the student to sit in the front seat for a period of time and then at the end give them the write up to tear up or dispose of to drive home the point that they should behave) I suggest you get on the bus tomorrow morning and apologize to the bus driver and own up to your actions. That speaks volumes. Good luck!
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That's a tough question to answer. My instinct is that before the bus starts moving that all children should be secured in seatbelts (provided the bus has a seatbelt for the child) or at the very least, all children should be seated. I drive a bus without seatbelts and my rule of thumb is that I will wait until most, if not all of my kids are settled in their seats before continuing with the route. At a maximum, I might let up on the brake and roll the bus forward but I wont hit the gas until they are seated. The only other time where this might need to have an exception is if the bus stop is on a main busy highway and it would be more dangerous to remain stopped for longer than is necessary. Aides on the buses help alleviate any driver issues with getting the kids buckled in.
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That largely depends on the bus company itself. Most drivers who have children only do it because it affords them the opportunity to drive their own children to and from school and get paid for it. That being said some drivers may be asked to take on different routes until the route that is near their home comes open. Each bus company does routing differently. In my county, parents are allowed to have their own children on their buses, but it can sometimes cause issues with "favoritism" among students whether real or imagined.
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We are required to stop at every stop, however if a student does not exit the house or is at the stop in a timely manner (we request at least 5 minutes before the stop time to be AT the stop waiting on the bus) then we can leave. If my bus students are not out waiting on me, I will stop and wait for 3-5 seconds before closing the door and moving on. This is in addition to setting the brake, shifting the bus in neutral, and activating the lights. If some of them are out, but others are still walking to the stop, then I will wait for them at the stop. If I do not see them exit the house in a timely manner then I can leave them. Some drivers will honk the horn to notify the kids that they are at their stop, however I do not do this except under extreme circumstances for example if a child is an every day rider for instance and suddenly misses the bus one morning. This is because every child would take advantage of the extra time and come to expect the horn beep. If I have to be out for any reason or any length of time, I want my substitute to know that my bus kids will be at their designated stop at the designated time. If it is raining however, I do allow for extra time so that the children can come to the bus from a covered area.
In the afternoons, we are only required to see if a parent is home for children that are under 3rd grade. Unless otherwise instructed by a parent to leave the child at the stop, it is always best to err on the side of caution. We can potentially get in trouble if a student is left unattended that should have been supervised. In the past, if a student tells me they have forgotten their house key, I will call the child's parent to find out what the parent wishes me to do with the child.
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There are a myriad of reasons why a bus could stop at a gas station. The bus should not be left with students unattended or if the driver has to leave, then the driver should take the keys out of the ignition and secure the bus as though no-one were on it. Sometimes there may have been a sick child and the driver made a judgement call to get the child to a bathroom, or the driver may have been ill him or herself.
Another thing that it may have been would be a sports team which usually leaves at around the same time school lets out. Often, the teams like gas station pit stops before leaving town or while out of town. I'd call the local bus yard and see if that driver is allowed to do that. Each county has its own rules.
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Are you sure that's the only reason they got kicked off the bus? There may have been other reasons for your friend to be denied riding the bus that you are not privileged enough to hear about. A little more information can help me answer this.
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