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.
Late buses are generally used to get students within reasonable walking distance (1 mile) of their homes. That being said, I don't know the policies of your particular bus service. Maybe you should have your parents check with the bus barn and the school in order to make sure they do have your stop on the list.
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.
As i said before, we prefer not.
In general, it is frowned upon to put your hands on a child. That being said I have grabbed onto kids to stop them from hurting themselves. For example if a 5 year old gets out of the bus seat before their stop and my foot is on the brake, the bus will brake faster than the kid realizes and I often put my hand out to stop them from sliding into or hitting the windshield of the bus. If your child won't sit down, I will stop my bus until the child sits as they should. I may take them by the hand and lead them to the seat and ask them to sit down but I would never forcefully move them or cause them to get harmed in the process. If a child will not slide to the window to make room for other students, I will generally speak to that child's parent first. With many little kids, less is more. The more direct you can be in your expectations and less intimidating, the more likely they are going to listen and obey. That being said if the driver did put his or her hands on your child or child's belongings, ask the bus yard to pull the video tape and review the drivers actions.
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Depends on the age of the student for me. If its a highschooler i might discipline them by making them sit up separated by gender. Same with any other grade level. Repeated offenses and I would turn them into the school for inappropriate display of affection
If the bus is not pulled over in a safe manner and is left in the middle of a road, then the bus driver is in the wrong and should be reported. However, dirt roads don't often allow us to pull over as far as we'd like or are so narrow that we have to travel center. As far as your bus mate farting, I suggest the child learn to control his or her bodily functions.
Are your kids standing out at the stop 5-10 minutes ahead of time for the bus driver to see them? There may have been a substitute on the bus and not every substitute knows every stop and most rely on students being out at their designated stops on time. If your children have been told multiple times to be out on time ready and waiting and they were not, then I have no sympathy. That being said our policy in our district is that we go by every stop and at least look to see if the kids are at each stop. On colder mornings or mornings where rain is a concern, I don't mind waiting an extra minute for kids to come from the house but generally the kids need to be out and ready and waiting on the bus.
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