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.
Buses are equipped with an emergency or parking brake, but it can be very dangerous to pull this brake while the bus is moving as it will cause the bus to jerk to a stop and can cause an accident if used improperly. In the case of an emergency and the bus is simply rolling low speed (under 5 mph) then the emergency brake button can be pulled in order to stop the bus. It looks like this: http://www.apartswarehouse.com/Images/Products/298818-s.JPG
In the case where the driver becomes incapacitated at any time while the bus is moving at speeds greater than 5 mph, you can instruct students to put the gear shift in neutral which will stop the motor from propelling the wheels. Then instruct the student to keep a steady hand on the steering wheel guiding it to the side of the road. Once the bus has rolled to a stop or has dropped below 5 mph, then the student can pull the parking brake to stop the bus completely. I would not advise a student to cut off the bus engine using the keys until the bus has come to a near complete stop as the power going to the steering wheel will stop if the student cuts off the power too soon. That can make the bus hard to maneuver in an emergency.
Most bus companies have CB radios to use in the case of an emergency. Instruct students on how to access the radio and how to call for help in an emergency.
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As far as I know there is no law that requires that to happen, however, each district has its own policies on how routes are set up and run. Sometimes the bus shop dictates how a route goes and other times it is up to the drivers discretion. Personally, I believe that every few years routes need to be revamped and revised and it is best left up to the bus drivers who are driving the routes. The drivers know the number of students that are at each stop and can better determine if a route has a more logical way of being done.
Here in my county, due to some of the distance, the first ones on are often the last ones off as the afternoon route is run backwards from the morning route. For my own route, prior to going to a double run, I ran my route one way and the afternoon route was identical to the morning route. Now, since I have 78 kids listed on my roster and only a 72 passenger bus, mornings have stayed the same as I have less kids in the morning than in the afternoon, but my afternoon run has been split 2 ways. I still get done at the same time every day, but some of my kids who had been getting home at about 3:45 are now only getting home at 4 pm, and those of my kids who were getting off at 4:10 pm are now getting off at 3:40 pm because of the logistical change.
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In order for the lift to operate, there has to be some power to the bus. I do not know if the bus just needs to be in the "on" position or fully running for the lift to work, but usually since on special needs buses there is more than one person on the bus (driver and aide) it is usually safe to leave the bus running while picking up and dropping off a student since there are several adults around to handle situations.
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The camera will roll anywhere from 5-15 minutes after the bus is shut down, and then the camera will stop rolling.
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If the buses are equipped with seatbelts and the children can fasten them themselves, then we make them fasten their seatbelt. If they need help, we help them. We do adjust according to child size and needs. If in fact the belt is too tight, then you can probably speak to her supervisor, but chances are probably good that the seatbelts are properly adjusted so that the children cannot turn around in the seat or sit sideways. Similar to how a car is set up. Many buses have simple lap belts but more buses are going to the 3 point shoulder harness model similar to what you see in todays standard automobiles. Those, like the seatbelts in a car, are automatically adjusted. If the belts are leaving marks on your children then they are too tight, however, consider this... if the bus is in a roll over accident... would you rather your children slip out of an improperly adjusted belt and snap their necks or be fully secured to the seat minimizing injury.
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In my district, special needs buses have to have two people on board, the driver and the aide. I was speaking only from personal experience. I've also had other bus drivers help me and I help them as well on checking the reverse and rear lights. Here in my district, we do not get off our buses to walk students into school. The only time we are to be off our buses with students on board is to operate the lift. Thats why special needs buses will have an aide and a driver on board in order to help manage the situation.
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That depends on the situation at hand. As a rule of thumb, I don't put my hands on any of the children on my bus because of the liability issues surrounding that. If a child offers a hug, I will sideways hug or simply reach my hand up and pat them on the side of the head ensuring that minimal body contact happens. That being said, if there is a safety issue and the children are at risk of being injured or killed (an example of this would be if a vehicle is choosing to ignore our stop signs and warning lights for loading and unloading children) I will put my arm out to stop a child or pull them back from harms way. Not in any malicious intent, but only to watch out for their well being.
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