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

Here is something for you there is this sub bus driver who looks just like Dee Wallace who is very rude and yelled at me for doing homework while she was talking and threw it in the trash. What should I do?

Asked by Jamie over 6 years ago

Don't do your homework on the bus.

Can school bus driver stop the bus on the side of the road for 10 minutes or more to take a break? This is around 7:00am

Asked by Stephanie almost 7 years ago

Yes. It also depends on whether they have students on the bus too. They may be trying to get their students under control too and one of the easiest ways to do that is to simply pull the bus over and wait. If the driver is at a school or near a school they may be killing time before drop off is allowed.

Can a school buses strobe light be amber or does it only have to be white?

Asked by 93 over 6 years ago

Strobe lights on top of the buses are clear. It looks like its white when it flashes but thats just the cover over the light.

I am interested in being a driver and I would like to know what the DOT exam is like and if I am overweight would I be hired

Asked by Vic almost 7 years ago

It depends on your region how the DOT physical works though typically it is pretty standard. If your BMI is too high they will send you for a sleep study before they will approve you to drive a bus or any large vehicle like a semi or tractor trailer. If you have diabetes as long as it is well controlled on pills or diet you will be OK. As of right now insulin dependent people are not able to drive a bus. Though that may vary by region. Your sight and your hearing must be OK and your blood pressure must be within normal limits.

Is it a violation of FERPA for a bus driver to look at or read papers that are in a special education student's backpack? ( Example; checking their daily communication sheet to see how they behaved at school)

Asked by chris88 about 7 years ago

Not necessarily, like all school employees they are bound to keep things confidential. However if the bus driver is using it against the student or improperly then definitely report it.

How do you keep from getting a horrible route? (I.e behavior issuies, extremely long, complicated to drive, or just plain horrrible kids to drive)?

Asked by Jj over 6 years ago

That's a complicated question because there is a driver that is good for every route. Kids respond to different ways of handling them and not all kids respond in the same way. Recently, I had to merge my route with another route and took on an additional 40 to 50 kids. It took about two weeks but I'm finally seeing progress in how these kids are responding to me mainly because of the example set by my original kids.

Can my bus driver make me sit behind her? A bunch of kids on my bus are super loud, but she never gets mad at them. She is trying to make me sit in a seat with two elementary girls! I am a 6th grade boy! She nearly took my phone! Allowed or not?!?!?!

Asked by Angry kid almost 7 years ago

Short answer, yes. The bus driver is allowed to assign seats as he or she sees fit. Yes, they are allowed to confiscate your items if they are a legitimate distraction.