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

Should I call the bus barn after the bus took off and the neighbors could not get their lunch because she honked then drove off as soon as they came out. I don't know how much money they have and that driver could have caused them to miss a meal

Asked by Jay almost 5 years ago

Being that some systems are on a certain schedule, it's likely the parent has been notified of when the bus will be there to drop food. If you did witness this, the neighborly thing to do would be to check on the family and ask if you can help them by calling the bus barn. It's hard to say whether or not they've already been told "be out at x time we will be there at y time" just like a normal bus stop. I would err on the side of caution and be polite with a phone call.

Is the think gold line flag for bus drivers?

Asked by Cecil almost 5 years ago

I'm not entirely sure what the gold line flag stands for.

Is there a shortage becuase most districts are choosing beggars? They want a specific type of person and strict hiring qualifications but don't pay well and have to put up with kids, parents, traffic, and all the rest of it.

Asked by Ninja almost 5 years ago

There's a shortage because it is hard to find someone who is willing to put up with all that we put up with for the low pay we get. Often times we make even less than food service workers and janitorial staff and are expected to have all the qualifications to ensure the children get from home to school and back again safely. Couple that with a severe lack of discipline follow through on the school administration part and it's a vicious cycle.

I don't know what your supposed to do in lightning so evidently your a dumb ass if your wanting in it but then sometimes bus stops are far from home and if you wait inside and the bus driver does not see you immediately then you deserve to miss thebus

Asked by Jake almost 5 years ago

Generally when it storms I make sure to give my kids extra time to get from their houses to my bus I don't feel that it is necessary to rush a child in getting on a bus because they could get injured if they rush. It is important to me to make sure that the children have ample time to get from their houses to the bus.

How do you control kids when their being difficult? What kinds of disciplinary actions do you usually take

Asked by ****** about 5 years ago

I use a variety of positive reinforcement tactics. For most kids, a routine is best so assigning them a seat on the bus and a seatmate they're friends with alleviates 90 percent of behavior issues. The other 10 percent, I use positive rewards for good behavior and largely ignore the bad behavior. Sometimes with a difficult child, I assign them a "job" like making sure everyone is awake. Now occasionally even this method doesn't work and I do have to resort to writing a child up and turning them into the school but that is a last resort.

So a little brain teaser for you. What do you think if right now we get on the bus a little before 7 (depending on the driver) we start at 8. Next year where goin to start at 7:45 so what time do you think that will push it back to. Thanks

Asked by Crazyperson about 5 years ago

Probably 15 to 30 minutes to ensure everyone gets to school on time.

Now question have you ever took a route that no one else wanted for some reason? Why? What was it like?

Asked by Pamela almost 5 years ago

There are always routes out there that nobody else wants but I am a firm believer that there is a bus driver for every route meaning that there is a bus driver that will be able to reach the kids on each route in that special way. It is sort of like a matching game, you have to figure out which bus driver matches with what route. Some routes are definitely more challenging than others.