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05/16/11, 01:52 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Northern Saskatchewan
Posts: 1,477
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BAH!!! Be careful what you wish for!
So I got laid off recently and started a few part time jobs. I decided to get my school bus license and be a spare driver until I can get my own route. Easy, right? So I worked hard, passed the written test with no marks off and then passed my road test on the first try. Cool!! Then I met with the head of transportation for the school division and got all signed up last week. Everything is peachy! I am officially a school bus driver. Cool. Bragging rights and stuff....
well...party is over. I got called to sub drive this afternoon!! Yup! All fun and games until I ACTUALLY have to take kids home. I feel so so outside my box right now. I have the bus already and its sitting in front of my house. Its an automatic so that pretty cool. Its a fairly new bus. A nice bus. But it feels so weird to have it in my yard and know that I have the keys for it....and that I am expected to take it to the school at 3:20 and go and pick up some kids and take them home! I rode along for the run this morning, which helped, but I have to do it backwards after school and some kids aren't going to be there and some kids are going to be on after school that were not on in the morning. Two teens have been instructed to sit up front and help me out. So I KNOW I will be good. The actual driving of the bus I am not worried about at all.
I am having a very small "what was I thinking" moment. After my run today I am going to feel really good and the nerves will be over. I know it.
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05/16/11, 01:58 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Illinois (West Central)
Posts: 429
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Jackie,
You will do fine. My mother drove a school bus for over 20 years and she is someone who worries about everything. I'll bet she was worse than you are right now on her first day.
Good Luck,
Dave
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_____________________________________________
"The more you know, The less you need"
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05/16/11, 01:59 PM
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Pook's Hollow
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4,570
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OK, I won't share my horror stories of when I was a bus driver . . . 
Good luck on your first run!
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"Crivens!" 
Half Caper Farm - breeding Saanens, Boers and Nigerian Dwarfs
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05/16/11, 01:59 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 83
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From one driver to another. YOU WILL BE FINE.
Just go with the flow. And don't forget to breath.
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05/16/11, 02:00 PM
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Happy Homemaker
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 1,793
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I'm sorry. I remember the things that happened on the school bus!
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05/16/11, 02:04 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: KY
Posts: 12,669
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You'll do great and you already know it, so there's nothing to worry about. So go have Happy Trails and all that. 
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There are endless combinations of truth. 
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05/16/11, 02:08 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Northern Saskatchewan
Posts: 1,477
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There is only like 12 kids on this bus and its a BIG bus. THe kids are all spaced out so much that this morning they didn't even talk just sat quiet looking out the windows. They are all really good kids. I am not too terribly worried about any 'things' happening.
Taking a big school trip is going to be another matter though. But i'll worry about that when the time comes.
This first run is going to be a killer on the nerves. After that I will be fine. I KNOW I can drive the bus really well so that helps. I guess I am just over thinking some things.
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05/16/11, 02:08 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,522
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Congratulations on the job! You'll be fine. Your concerns speak to your sense of being conscientious, and I'm sure you'll be a great bus driver. The first day of a new job is always the worst.
Please let everyone know how it went---and how it turned out to be no big deal!
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05/16/11, 03:16 PM
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1/2 bubble off plumb
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: NE OH
Posts: 8,793
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Congratulations on the job. Two thumbs up for the district for putting 2 teens up front to help you find the stops, that's a great idea!
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05/16/11, 04:15 PM
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Murphy was an optimist ;)
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 21,502
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You will do just fine.... I havent ridden a school bus in years, and dont plan to start again anytime soon so it should be easy for ya. I wouldnt take a bus driving job for all the tea in China, I remember me all too well. LOL
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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain
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05/16/11, 05:31 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,664
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Well, how was it? 
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05/16/11, 06:13 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: here, there, anywhere
Posts: 2,296
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Did any kids blow chunks?
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05/16/11, 06:16 PM
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Brenda Groth
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Michigan
Posts: 7,817
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well you must be home now, how did it go, well I hope..you are a brave person !
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05/16/11, 06:37 PM
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Member of the mod squad
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: FLW, MO
Posts: 7,179
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Quote:
Originally Posted by l.a.
did any kids blow chunks? |
lol!
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05/16/11, 06:59 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Northern Saskatchewan
Posts: 1,477
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Thanks guys!!
Ok I actually just got back. Its only 5pm here. Run usually takes until 4:45 but I was done at 3:32. Then I had a few calls to make because I found a defect on my circle check. Then I had to drive home from where I left the bus.
Anyways... I only had 8 kids and 6 stops. It was ridiculously easy. Not sure what I was worried about. THe only small issue I had was that the wind is CRAZY. Like bad. Wind warning bad. So I didn't get the bus up to full speed on the highway because it was just too dangerous. Otherwise it was fine.
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05/16/11, 07:14 PM
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newfieannie
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: nova scotia
Posts: 5,635
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good to know everything worked out well Jackie. ~Georgia.
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Georgians
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05/17/11, 05:11 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Pa
Posts: 508
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Now it's time to step up to a nice fancy charter bus, LOL.
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05/17/11, 08:11 PM
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Guest
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,799
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I'm glad your first day went well, and the ones to come do too! I was a school bus driver a few years ago and remember well the nerves when they handed me the papers with the addresses for my first route. I was SO nervous! I drove the route in my car the night before to see at least what the houses looked like before I had to do it with kids. That first morning I almost threw up....but by the time I got all the kids picked up and delivered them to the school I was feeling pretty proud of myself.
Within a week or so I was really enjoying it. I loved my bus like one of my own kids, and I still miss driving to this day.
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05/17/11, 09:17 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 5,739
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Ahhh the memories on riding school buses. One driver was so bad he knocked over everyone's mail boxes. One of the senior kids pulled him out of the seat and said I'll back up for you I'm tired of fixing the mail box. The same driver stopped the bus on a busy highway and said he wasn't moving until we were all quiet and he didn't want a peep. Of course, as soon as it got quiet somebody peeped. It was terrifying with semis rushing past. Then there was the driver who furnished the older boys with copies of Playboy to keep them quiet and out of trouble. Or the time lightening hit a transformer which then exploded just as the bus was even with it. Or the time it was so foggy the driver actually got off the bus and walked ahead to listen for traffic. Bullying is also bad on buses. My sister and I were jr. and sr. when our younger sister started kindergarten. One of the boys on the bus decided to bully little sis ... he didn't know she had two big sisters on the bus. Surprise! I bet he thought twice before trying that again. I'm sure everyone who has ridden on the school bus has their own stories!
Glad it went well for you today.
__________________
This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
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