The next day when I picked him up I cheerfully said, "how is your new pet". He looked sad and said he no longer had his pet. He said his mother took one look at it and said, "get that filthy thing out of the house". He looked up so seriously and said, "I wanted to keep him so I gave him a bubble bath. I think he got monia and died". It was so sad but it took all my strenght to keep from laughing. I am so glad I was able to.
Judy Staker
Rogue River School Dist.
#2
Close to the last day of school two first graders got on the bus holding
what turned out to be an egg. They told me that it was going to be a
baby chicken. and that the baby was about to hatch, they could see its
beak moving inside the shell. About half way home the chick really
started pecking (?) at the shell and the little girls started telling me
to hurry up because the chick was just about out of the shell. I did
what I could but the chick was hatched in the front seat of my bus.
They decided to name the chick after me and told me that I could be its
grandfather since they didn't know anything about any of its relatives
or even if it had any.
Bus driving has its moments and this was a new one for me.
.....................Frank - Bus #150
Well here is another storey that happened to one of my drivers.
#3
On the second day of school this year, I found out I carried twins on my
bus, identical boys. One child was attending the morning kindergarten
class and the other attended the afternoon session.
When I dropped off the one twin, the other was always waiting with Dad
ready to board for the trip
back to town. On one occasion a little girl dropped some papers and as
I was bending over to help
pick them up the identically dressed boys changed places without me
noticing, when I looked up I saw the twin quietly sitting in his seat so
I said " come on buddy, hurry off so your brother can go
to school.." to which he replied in a distressed voice "BUT I AM MY
BROTHER"
Lesa 8 year veteran of bus driving
#4
Hi Judy!
Here's the poem you requested. You may put it on your home page if you
like.
*****************************************************************
For those of us who drive the bus,it's really nothing new.
For others though who do not know, I'll say a thing or two.
We do this 'cause it fills a need, we'll say that from the start.
The point you see is just that we are masochists at heart.
We get the flu, the sniffles too and all the childhood woe.
But we're the guys who still must rise,and off to work we go.
For some would fuss if that old bus weren't standing at the gate.
While Jim and Fred get out of bed, they yell:
"Hey driver, wait!"
I'm sure you know that years ago,
back in the olden days.
We walked to school and as a rule 'twas all uphill both ways.
We love our jobs, the Janes and Bobs who ride with us each day.
But we've become a little numb from things along the way.
Like parents who without a clue, want Jimmy off the bus.
"Against the law! But I'm, his Paw!" They rant and fume and cuss.
Then there's the car who thinks you are the reason why he's late.
He strips his gears and then just clears the kids there by the gate.
And here's a quote that gets my goat, as if it's what you did:
"And where were you when my sweet Sue got hit by that mean kid?"
Now I was here, that should be clear, not really doing much.
Try keeping lids on sixty kids, and not miss stops and such.
Our day is crowned when with the sound of barfing in the seat;
We stop the bus, its up to us to keep it clean and neat.
And there's the joys of yells and noise, it really is absurd.
For then Inez comes up and says: "Jack used the bad F-word!"
Now some might see how this could be a burden now and then.
But not for us who drive the bus, we'll do it all again!
Roger Kimmel r.kimmel@juno.com
#5
Okay here is a story for you. *heh* I am
currently driving in another school district than the one I normally
do, because I am sub contracted out by my employer-at the moment. So
here I am, a stand by sub at this new location, I go out on this
route two days in a row. The first day, I miss a turn, and go around
the block to drop the kids off... They thought it was rather funny
that a bus driver would miss their turn. (heh) So the next day the
same children who laughed and teased, and said "that's okay Miss bus driver, we all make mistakes" (they really said that! sheesh, kids!)
Anyways the next day here they are, singing loudly and talking to me in bright cheerful voices how they are going to cross their fingers and pray that we don't miss our turns today. And there they sit, with their fingers crossed. And I missed the turn again because I was laughing at their antics. Sometimes I am such a blonde... *heh*
anyways.... not much of a story... but for the momment, its the one I can remember. *smirk*
*HUGS*
Jennie ( aka SabbyJ)
#6
I have been trying to think of a unique and funny story, but haven't quite come up with one yet. Lets see...there was the time some high school kids put a dead rat on my bus as a
practical joke. I have had a lot of interesting things happen while on special ed routes, but there're not really funny.
Oh...they told us never to slam on our brakes for animals, but a squirel ran out in front of me when I was driving a bus loaded with kindergarteners and I locked up the brakes and screeched to a stop. I thought, "Oh my god, the kids will be upset!" But when I turned around to check on them they were all laughing and asking to do it again. That was kind of cute.
Well, I'll keep thinking and visit the sight again.
See ya, Kevin
#7
It started out like a normal afternoon elementary run, when one of my kindergardners raised her hand and told me that Tyler said the E word. I sat there for a minute wondering what on gods green earth is the E word. I ask the little girl to come to the front of the bus so I could talk to her. I then ask her what the E word was. With big alligator tears in her eyes she whispered into my ear the Tyler called her and idiot. I bit my lip for a long time trying not to laugh in the little girls face. And with a very
angry look on my face I told Tyler he had to say he was sorry and that I would have to talk to his mom. Both kids are now crying and its taking everything I've got to not laugh about the E word.
#8
Hi Judy,
I am a school bus driver for Laidlaw Transit, their New England Division (Lowell, Mass). I love your website!! :) you did a nice job setting it up. It is so
nice to see that there are so many of us out there dedicated to our jobs. I have a funny bus story for you.
We were doing our semi-annual bus evacuations. This is standard procedure for most of the kids from High School on down to the First grade, and
usually the kids remember the drills from year to year. What makes it tricky is when you have to teach it to your new kindergarten students. You have to
be careful how you explain it to them so you don't scare them or make them uneasy. I was teaching my group and all was going well. They seemed
to understand the importance of the evacuations and why we practice them. They had a lot of questions which I answered to the best of my ability.
Then we began to talk about the importance of leaving your belongings behind when you depart the bus and why. Actually most of them knew the
answer, that their things can be replaced, such as backpacks, jackets etc., but that they are precious and can't be replaced. I have one little girl,
Rebecca, who is wise beyond her years, I guess the best way to describe her is "precocious". I know we aren't supposed to have "favorites" but for me
she's the one. After I finished talking I asked them if they understood why they are to never take, or go back on the bus for their things and they all said
yes, including Rebecca. Then she looks at me and says,"well Deb, then you will have to buy me a new backpack, because this is "poor week" at my
house". That child was as serious as a heart attack, took all I had not to start laughing. Poor week is one of my favorite expressions, my own kids know
not to ask for things when it is that time of the month. I told her mother about it when I got to Rebecca's stop. She turned beat red and we both burst
out laughing.
Sincerely,
Debbie Kemp
twinkie14@mediaone.net