This post has a slightly different flavour than most of mine have. The pictures have absolutely nothing to do with the words, but I added them just because.These are all taken this past spring.
Many years ago, some of my fellow bus drivers would make comments like, someone should write this down, or this should be put in a book.
Well,I am not a writer, but one day sat down and began recording what we as bus drivers experience regularly. This is the first instalment of my writing and in time more will follow.
These are all things that actually happened as told, to the driver mentioned.
Chapter One
Good Morning!
The incessant ringing of the telephone woke Art. He rolled over in bed, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked at the time. It was only 6:45 AM. What would anyone be calling about this early? Outside the cold wind was blowing and the stars were still visible in the early morning sky. It was was just the kind of morning to pull the blankets a little closer and sleep for a few more hours. As Art sleepily made his way to the phone, he was trying to brace himself for whatever the caller might have to say. To say that he was not prepared for what he heard would be an understatement.
Upon picking up the receiver, a lady’s cheerful voice at the other end said, "Good Morning Art, I just wanted to tell you that little Lisa will not be on the bus today.” After a short pause, a grin broke over Arts' face and you could hear the smile in his voice as he relied, “ Thank you, but I wasn’t going to pick her up anyway, today is Saturday.”
What followed was another brief pause and then a mumbled apology for getting him up this early on a cold, wintry day and then a hurried Good-bye.. By this time Art was fully awake and as he made his way back to the warmth of his bed, his mind was filled with a multitude of questions. Not the least of which was, “ Why did I choose a career as a school bus driver?”
Every driver has at some time faced this question and the answers are as unique as the drivers.. Who is a school bus driver? This type of job is part-time and therefore attracts people from various walks of life. There are and have been farmers, homemakers, a store clerk, a chimney sweep, a music teacher, an auctioneer and more.
As a driver faces the question of why, the first answer would probably be, “ It gives a pay check”, but there has to be more to it than that. To be surrounded by 20-60 or more active, loud and sometimes very unruly children for several hours each day, and that during some hazardous road conditions, is at time quite a challenge. The children and their various needs, coupled with extremes in weather and road conditions makes this a very unusual job. Yes, there must be more than just the money that lures people into this job and makes them stay with it for many years.
To be continued.......
