Friday, May 1, 2009

What Part of 'Don't Walk in Front of the Bus' Don't You Understand?

School Bus Stories recounts what happened earlier this week with a rider who was once struck by a bus but who still won't listen to pleas not to step in front of the bus.
... while I was waiting to unload the kid came walking by my bus to catch a transfer bus. He threw a water bottle up into the air and it landed in front of my bus where more buses were shortly due to be pulling up in front of my bus. The kid impulsively jumped into the street to retrieve the water bottle.

I opened the door my bus and went down the steps. I sternly told the kid that he is, was not to go into the street in front of my bus or any bus. That it was dangerous and that I did not want to see him get hurt.

... This kid might believe that I told him not to jump out in front of the bus because of his story about getting run over by a bus. Not true. I have been taught by my trainers that students are not to do that and that it's dangerous. I have read the stories of these accidents.

It is dangerous. That kid is an example of how dangerous it can be and that bus drivers, how ever diligent and watchful and careful and cautious can make a mistake. There are a multitude of distractions that can occur from a call on a radio to an occurrence outside or inside the bus that shifts attention.
Do you have riders like this? How can drivers get kids to understand safety in the Danger Zone?

1 comment:

  1. I imagine everyone has riders like this. Some students you can tell them multiple times not to cross in front of or behind the bus because they are putting their life and the lives of others in danger.

    In our district if it is a regular rider that habitually presents this type of behavior then that student would be written up on a conduct report that would then be handled by the school. Our district campuses are amazing at helping our transportation department keep the students behvior(s) "in check".

    A student could be removed from transportation services all together if that type of behavior continued.

    Even if the student was not a regular rider the driver can always report the incident to that students school.

    Other than that we can only encourge our schools to put bus safety in thier curriculum so all students are aware of the danger zones around a bus.

    ReplyDelete

We want this to be an open forum for the hundreds of thousands of people that help get students to school safely every day. We want to hear what you think, what's going on at your facility and what solutions you've found. But, please, keep it civil. Just like on the bus, we'll have no tolerance for attacks or anything defamatory. We won't write you up, but we'll delete the comments right away. So don't bother. But if you have something to share, this is your place.

Thanks,
STN Editors