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

Also, I assume drivers get a lot of days off since they can get subs would I be right or wrong?

Asked by 05689 over 5 years ago

Even in this crisis we still have a driver shortage.

What do you think of this 4 hour round trip bus route? https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Up-at-5-and-Ready-for-the-Ride-Longest-school-3037329.php

Asked by Rob about 5 years ago

Someone's gotta do it. It's either that or the district offers remote learning options for the teenagers and not everyone succeeds that way.

What’s your opinion on electric and alternative fueled buses?

Asked by Mickey Mouse over 5 years ago

Great for inner city and areas that are largely congested where pollution might be a large concern. Impractical for large areas due to limits on how fast and long it can run on the alternative fuels before returning to regular fuel.

How do you control kids when their being difficult? What kinds of disciplinary actions do you usually take

Asked by ****** over 5 years ago

I use a variety of positive reinforcement tactics. For most kids, a routine is best so assigning them a seat on the bus and a seatmate they're friends with alleviates 90 percent of behavior issues. The other 10 percent, I use positive rewards for good behavior and largely ignore the bad behavior. Sometimes with a difficult child, I assign them a "job" like making sure everyone is awake. Now occasionally even this method doesn't work and I do have to resort to writing a child up and turning them into the school but that is a last resort.

Is the think gold line flag for bus drivers?

Asked by Cecil about 5 years ago

I'm not entirely sure what the gold line flag stands for.

Now question have you ever took a route that no one else wanted for some reason? Why? What was it like?

Asked by Pamela about 5 years ago

There are always routes out there that nobody else wants but I am a firm believer that there is a bus driver for every route meaning that there is a bus driver that will be able to reach the kids on each route in that special way. It is sort of like a matching game, you have to figure out which bus driver matches with what route. Some routes are definitely more challenging than others.

Why do bus drivers sometimes bounce in their seats

Asked by bus rider over 5 years ago

That's due to the driver having an air ride seat. The air ride seat allows the seat itself to cushion against the imperfections in the road. It's kinda like riding a horse if we hit a bumpy part of the road. It saves our backs from hurting as bad after our long routes.