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

what happens if you get written up on a school bus

Asked by T-dog over 10 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 almost 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.

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

Asked by Anonymous over 10 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.

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 over 10 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.

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 about 10 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.

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 over 10 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.

(Follow up) They basic say he's stupid and make fun of his english which isn't perfect. But like I said, they sometimes say thank you to him when they get off the bus. They are fairly polite but can be pretty mean too. They can be nice and mean.

Asked by John about 10 years ago

Sadly, students in general tend to have a nice side and a mean side.  Its part of human nature for some people.  The thing is that some people need to be told that their mean side is not something that should be tolerated or encouraged.  If you feel strongly about this, stand up for yourself and the bus driver.  Maybe hearing from a peer that their words/actions are mean might get them to think twice.