School Bus Driver

School Bus Driver

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.

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1007 Questions

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Last Answer on February 07, 2021

Best Rated

Can a bus driver let students from another school on the bus?

Asked by Zyria Smith over 10 years ago

That depends on a case by case basis. It may be that the driver was asked to cover another area and school and is having to make adjustments accordingly. All too often where we pick up and who we pick up is determined by the school system itself.

Our school buses have been overcrowded this week (first week of school), having 3 middle schoolers to a seat and even more standing in the aisle. What should bus drivers do in that situation?

Asked by BB almost 10 years ago

Well given we are experiencing overcrowding ourselves here due to lack of drivers available, I welcome you to contact your local bus shop and go through the class to become a bus driver. Then and only then will the route be split up so that overcrowding can be alleviated. Otherwise (and this sounds harsh) drive your own kid or squeeze in a seat. If the overcrowding does continue you can call the bus yard to see if there are alternative options as well.

Is there a law against a school bus driver getting off the bus while it is parked in the middle of the road and running and no other adults on the bus, to walk up to every child’s house and knock on the door and talk to parents? State of Texas

Asked by Cgarcia almost 9 years ago

At every stop? Not sure to be honest. If this bus is a special needs bus there is likely a monitor on the bus. If the bus is having to talk to parents at every stop I'm not sure what the issue was but there may have been an incident or a route change and this driver felt it best to notify by going door to door. It also depends on the districts policy too.

Hello, I'm needing to know how to address the bus driver with out sounding like a complaining parent . I understand that the driver cannot control every situation . Would it be better to write him a note or talk to him directly ?

Asked by Momma bear almost 9 years ago

If you feel comfortable approaching the driver, you can always talk to a driver at the stop, however most drivers are on a time schedule so if you send a note with your child and have it ask the driver to either call you at their leisure or explain the situation in the note, the driver can then address the situation. Either way, I do suggest leaving your phone number as a point of contact for the driver so that they can follow up with you and get clarification with the situation or at least you have then reached out to the driver to get some resolution to a situation. I encourage all my bus parents to contact me if they have issues or concerns and I encourage them to text me or call me or write notes to me so that I can address behavior issues or other problems that crop up on the bus. Good luck, I hope you get the situation resolved!

If a student ever asked you to open the door at a stop, would you do it?

Asked by Sam almost 10 years ago

It would depend on the situation. We are not allowed to let children off at undesignated areas unless previously being notified to. If the student simply wanted to get off the bus randomly, the answer would likely be no unless there is a safety issue at hand.

7th - I finished my food before I got on the bus and put it behind me but the 6th graders found it, put it on the floor and yelled I was eating on the bus. Now I have to sit up front with the little kids for a week. How can I tell her I wasn't eating

Asked by Emma almost 10 years ago

Talk to your bus driver and be honest with her. Also, if you had trash on the bus, it might have solved issues if you simply put the trash in the trash can instead of behind you in the seat. That could lead to you forgetting to take it with you when you get off the bus and throwing it away properly. Additionally, a week with the little kids isn't as bad as it seems. Sometimes its easier to just accept a consequence, remembering to throw the trash away in the trash can instead of leaving it or putting it on the seat for others to find, and moving on.

Why do bus drivers sometimes have a random person riding on the bus with them? Is that person just examining the driver or is the driver gonna quit? Went through this once and my bus driver stayed.

Asked by Kendra almost 11 years ago

There can be any number of reasons a bus driver has someone riding the bus with them. If its not a regular occurrence, then the person is likely a safety evaluator or supervisor of some sort. This may be so that the driver is periodically and randomly evaluated by the company they work for. Another reason you might find someone riding the bus with your driver is simply so that other person can learn your bus drivers route details. Periodically we might have to be absent from work for some reason or another and a substitute driver is needed. In order to cut down on the confusion, subs will often learn each route separately. Finally, if your bus is one that needs supervision by an aide, the driver could have requested someone to be an aide on the bus in order to help manage students behavior.