County Bus Drivers

[mjarrels]

Local county bus driver died this weekend... lived in Florida for the past two years. Great guy, when my kids were late, he honked the horn and waited... Son and Daughter alwayes ran to the bus... I was there alot when they got off in the afternoon and we talked. He was a vet, like me... Great guy who served his country and would talk about it!

"If you see a Navy AO running... Best to keep up"

mark

 

[tallyho8]

When a movie star dies or a politician or a sports hero, it is front page news. But when a regular Joe, who has been a good person all his life dies there is hardly a word.

How nice it is for someone to remember the common Joe for the good life that he led.

 

[2manyrocks]

Just because a person wasn't noticed in this life doesn't mean he hasn't been noticed by his Creator and rewarded in eternity accordingly.

 

[dmccarty]

We just had a bus accident where a car driver was killed. The bus was empty of kids thankfully. I used to drive through the intersection where the accident happened. It a real zoo. The intersection needs a traffic light which I'm sure it will now get. The intersection used to be very rural and only a few years ago the road dead ended onto a gravel road that went no where. The gravel road is now paved and is 4 lanes, side walked, bike laned, and goes somewhere. The area just exploded houses and developments over the last 3-4 years.

The sad thing about the driver that was killed was that it was not his fault. A third vehicle pulled in front of the bus. The bus tried to avoid the third vehicle and hit the other car killing the driver.

Our oldest rides the bus which is driven by school teachers. Never seen this before but I think it helps. The kids know the driver/teacher and vice versa. Has to help keep control on the bus. For us the bus stops in the parking lot of a grocery store. All the kids/parents have to drive to the lot but its very convenient. The drivers/teachers will wait for us if we are late. Its really nice.

Later,
Dan

 

[SnowRidge]

School bus driver must be one of the worst jobs in the country. When I was in high school, I cracked wise in the back of the bus about our somewhat overweight driver, "Hey, how did that great big hole in the ground (an old quarry) get there? Porky jumped out of an airplane, and his parachute didn't open."

He threw me off the bus then and there. The route was a big loop, and at that point, I was actually further from home than if I had still been at the school. I had a long hike. Learned my lesson, I did. Unfortunately, if a driver did something like that today, he probably would be arrested for child endangerment, or some such nonsense.

Not too far from us, a driver was shot and killed by one of the students when she stopped at his house. Apparently she had turned him in for bad behaviour, or the like.

Low pay, odd hours, no respect from some of the students and their parents, and a legal system that makes them responsible but confers little authority. The job sucks, and I wouldn't do it. So I am glad to see someone take the time to salute a driver for being there and doing the job well. It doesn't happen often enough.

 

[mnbowhunter1960]

When I was a grade school kid living in the country and riding the bus we used to take turns at getting to run the stop sign or the door, now that was a treat! I would doubt you could even touch either one any more or they are electronic, I remember both the drivers we had on our route they were as good a people as you would ever meet and very well respected both are long gone now but I will never forget them. MH, MN

 

[QRTRHRS]

I have the "P" endorsement on my license but no way the "S" endorsement. In fact, the school where I took my CDL class was using a school bus for the class B as well as the P and of course the S at the time.

I did not care for that bus at all. You sat in board far from the mirrors compared to a truck and the tail swing was something to be minded.

When I was a kid, our bus driver owned his own bus. Old "Bun" we called him. The bus was ancient. Little heat in the winter! Old "Bun" ruled with an iron fist. No acting out on his bus or you were off! Then when you got home, he had already called so then you really got it!

 

[QRTRHRS]

PS, Mark, sorry about the loss of your friend. Sounds to me like even though you only knew him for two years that he had a great effect on your life? Common man or not, that is something to think about. Where had the man served?

 

[weldingisfun]

Local county bus driver died this weekend... lived in Florida for the past two years. Great guy, when my kids were late, he honked the horn and waited... Son and Daughter alwayes ran to the bus... I was there alot when they got off in the afternoon and we talked. He was a vet, like me... Great guy who served his country and would talk about it!

"If you see a Navy AO running... Best to keep up"

mark

"Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."