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

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 about 10 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.

On my bus there is a person that always sits on the bus in the first seat on the door side. They're older and they are always on the bus. Why?

Asked by MacKenzie over 9 years ago

They could be a monitor or a new driver learning the route. If they have been there year round then I'd lean towards monitor or driver helper. If not, then it might be a new driver who has been told they need to learn every route in the district. Another possibility might be the driver could be being evaluated for a promotion or other work related things.

Can I see my son on video recording on the school bus that he got kick off (picking on him)

Asked by Dean over 8 years ago

That would depend on school district policy. If your child got kicked off the bus you can demand that the video be reviewed, but you may not be allowed to view it yourself because of the privacy of other students on the bus. What happens is that many parents will see a video and focus on the behavior of other kids on the bus instead of the behavior of their own child. That being said, if you feel your son is being wrongfully accused then you do need to ask them to follow up and pull the video tape to clear your child's name.

Do bus companies allow you to bring your child on the bus

Asked by Kim almost 9 years ago

It depends on the districts policy on the matter. Check with your district.

Can a person be a School Bus Driver if they have had an accident in the past year? The accident was their fault

Asked by Chuck over 8 years ago

Hi Chuck! Sorry for the delay in response. It would depend on what the accident involved. I can't speak for most bus companies but many of them go on a case by case basis. Most require a 5-7 year MVR history regardless of whether or not there was any offenses in that time. If you are disqualified from driving, you will be notified then. Good luck!

While the kids are on break,do the bus driver still work or get paid

Asked by Tanisha almost 9 years ago

That depends on the local bus depot and district contracts. In my district we get paid year round so even through the summer we get a paycheck. It often means our monthly pay is lower than normal than if we were to only get paid for the months we actually work but it balances out because then we aren't left without pay during the times when school is out. Pay is often low enough that drivers have to take on second and third jobs just to support their families.

I'm a Mad 13 year old old boy. I was literally just a second ago drove by with no stop or hesitation by a bus driver, she drive down my steep hill. Is it legal what she did by not stopping at all for when I was walking up to the bus stop.

Asked by MadKid6969 about 9 years ago

Were you at your designated stop on time and ready for the bus driver to pick you up? If you were and she did not stop then there may have been a substitute bus driver who did not know the route and stops on the bus route very well. We make mistakes. The best thing for you to do in that situation is go home and ask your parents to call the bus yard or school and see if they can send the bus back to get you or have them drive you to school and call in to the bus yard to find out what happened.