If Your Child Rides a School Bus...

Parents, listen up...

I transport two large groups of kids to and from school every day. I have high school/junior high school kids, and I also have elementary school kids. My older kids average around 40 per bus load and the younger kids average around 60 - give or take on each run. That's a lot of kids in my care each and every day.

I have a lot of responsibility when I'm driving that bus because I have to make sure your kids get to and from school safely. While I'm driving I'm watching traffic that's around me, behind me, and also what's way up ahead. I'm looking for signs of possible dangerous situations and thinking of how to avoid them. I'm keeping an eye on traffic signals, on my speed, and on your children - all at the same time.

The interior of my bus, a standard school bus, is approximately 34 feet long by 8 feet wide - again, give or take. When you put a large number of children in a space that small things are bound to get hectic occasionally. Kids talk loudly, they throw things to or at one another, they stand up, they switch seats, they eat and drink, they put their hands and/or heads out the windows, they poke, push, scream, yell, fight, argue, laugh, sing, play, and any number of other things. Many of these are against the rules and a major distraction to the bus driver.

Here is where you come in. Speak to your kids about proper school bus protocol. Go over the rules with them and make sure they understand what is and what is not acceptable behavior. Explain to them that violating the rules is not only a distraction to the driver, but it will also cause the child to get a write up, or a violation, or whatever it may be called in your area. But the biggest thing for you: DON'T BLAME THE BUS DRIVER OR MONITOR FOR ENFORCING THE RULES ON THE BUS.

Don't tell me I don't have the right to raise my voice to be heard over 60 little voices that are all going at the same time, and don't tell your child that you hate the bus driver and that she's an idiot because she makes the kids pull their heads back in the window and sit down when it's not their bus stop. Everything we do is for the safety of your child whether you like it or not, and for you to tell your kids that they don't have to listen to me or my monitor puts the lives of everyone on that bus at risk.

If you have an issue with something my monitor or I have done, call the Transportation office and let them know. Not only will I not give you talk time at the bus stop because I have to stay on schedule, but I won't take the chance that you'll get angry enough to illegally board the bus and possibly hurt me, my monitor, or one of the children, intentionally or not. It's happened to bus drivers all over the world. Don't believe me? Google it. Once all the children have boarded and are finding their seats, I will pull the door closed enough to leave my reds flashing but not allow you to speak to me. It's district policy for the safety of the children.

Yes, I will raise my voice to be heard over your children. I will tell them to sit down and face forward, I will tell them to stop picking on each other if I notice it's happening, I will make sure they stay seated if the bus is moving or if I am not sitting at their bus stop. I will tell them not to hang out the window to wave goodbye to mommy or daddy, or to chat with their friends. I will tell them not to throw things, not to speak too loudly, not to switch seats, to put food or drinks in their backpack, and to keep the aisle clear so I can see the traffic out the back door.

I'm sorry you don't think your child has to follow the bus rules. but remember this. Every time your kid decides to stand up while the bus is moving, or throws something at another child, or sticks a head or hand out the window, or lets loose with a blood-curdling scream just for fun...every single time your child causes a disruption that distracts me while I'm driving and I have to take my eyes off the road to correct that behavior, your child is essentially telling everybody else on that bus that he or she has absolutely no regard for the safety and well-being of the rest of us.

Every one of the rules is meant to protect your child and the rest of the riders on that bus. If you don't feel your child needs to listen to anyone but you and doesn't have to follow the rules, perhaps personally driving your child to and from school every day would be a better choice for you.

Until next time...peace to all.