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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Last Answer on February 07, 2021

Best Rated

Why would a school bus driver need to know if the child goes home on the bus or is picked up?
Is he casing my home or my kid?

he seemed to put that on a card is that to be expected?
I didn't think much of it till i got back to the house.

Asked by Steven over 11 years ago

We need to have rosters on our bus.  If we are ever in an accident or the police come on our bus, we have to be able to give them an accurate roster of who is on the bus at any given time.  Obviously, the system isn't perfect because there are several children on a bus at any given time, but its important for us to have your childs name, address, phone numbers of both parents, emergency phone numbers, and any allergies or medical conditions such as Asthma or ADHD that we need to be aware of.

I promise you, we are not casing your house or your child, but it helps the school keep track of which kids are supposed to ride buses home or getting picked up.  Some kids also only ride the bus in the mornings or in the afternoons.  It helps us keep track of how many kids are on the bus.

Why do school buses have those blindingly bright lights flashing on the roof?

Asked by Anonymous almost 11 years ago

The bright flashing lights are known as strobe lights and they are on the roof of the bus for visibility reasons.  Just like a garbage truck or a street cleaner or a snow plow will have flashing lights on it, a school bus is something that requires lots of visibility due to the precious cargo we transport every day.  Our student lights will flash amber/yellow and red and our stop signs will come out and flash.  Some newer models have included strobe lights in the stop sign to increase visibility to distracted drivers.  If the light is low level or there is heavy fog, snow, or rain, the strobe light allows drivers to spot our vehicles from several feet and allow other drivers to take necessary precautions when driving in those conditions.

what happens if you get written up on a school bus

Asked by T-dog about 11 years ago

Hi T-Dog,

There are various reasons why kids get written up on the school bus, and what happens to them depends on what they did.  For a student who disrespected the bus driver, the consequence might be a warning the first time, then subsequent suspensions ranging anywhere from 1-10 days depending on the number of other write-ups the student has received.  But, for a student who may have been physically fighting on the bus, the school may opt to jump over the "warning" stage and simply go right to suspension.

In my district, the general progression of write-ups is warning, 1-3 days off, 3-5 days off, 5-7 days off, 10 days off, then permanently off for the rest of the semester/year.

how do iget something out that fell inside the dashborad

Asked by terry over 11 years ago

That would be a question for an auto mechanic.  Unfortunately I am a bus driver, but there happens to be an auto mechanic on jobstr.  Hope you get an answer.

soooo got a little question for you braaa init mate. btw i luv ur bus init fam cos its welard ting. just wonderin how much ur insurance costs intit m8.

Asked by w.dog about 11 years ago

"w. dog" - First I am not sure what you're asking because I actually read english and write in english.  Second, please feel free to resubmit your question using proper english sentences.

Our school district reduced bus drivers time by 50% going from a duel tier to single tier system. They increased the number of drivers and buses and they did not want to pay health insurance. Do you see this backfiring eventually?

Asked by lucy1 about 11 years ago

I had to look up what dual tier vs. single tier is first.  If I understand it correctly, dual tier is when school bus routes are split by grade level, for example: 1 elementary run, 1 middle school run, and 1 high school run.  There are advantages and disadvantages to both systems.  I grew up in a multi-tier system whereas when I moved and became a bus driver myself, it is now single tier.  I suppose the district is trying to save money and time by consolidating all the dual routes into single routes.  As for them not wanting to pay insurance for their employees, that is a different beast all together.  I don't see the change from dual to single backfiring, but I do see a lot of backlash over the health insurance issue, especially if you live in a state like mine which does not offer expanded medicaid under the new "Obamacare" health fiasco.  Lots of businesses are looking for ways to cut corners thanks to the aforementioned three ring circus in DC.

My kids' bus driver drops them off at an intersection that is about 200 yards from our driveway to keep from having to come further down our road. We live on a dirt road so there is no sidewalk. Can she drop them off on a road with no sidewalk?

Asked by blainewarren1 almost 11 years ago

First off - is the dirt road a dead end road?  Secondly - is the dirt road a road that gets a significant amount of traffic?  I ask these questions because dirt roads can vary.  If there is not alot of traffic going down your particular dirt road, then a sidewalk is not really needed or necessary.  It won't kill kids to walk a little bit.  (For my readers, 200 yards is about 2 football fields long.)  Unless your child is in 1st grade or younger, then there is really no reason why they couldn't walk a little bit.  Chances are good the only folks who will be coming down your dirt road will be neighbors who live nearby and you likely let them walk over to the neighbors house.  Additionally, if the road is a dead end (as many dirt roads are), there may not be a place for a school bus to turn around.  If you are still concerned, you can always meet the bus in your vehicle in order to collect your children.