Last Thursday, we took the local elementary schools to a free rodeo put on by local rodeo enthusiasts who hold a rodeo every year. Last year, we went and the place was packed, but there was still plenty of seating for everyone. This year however, it seemed the crowd doubled and there was standing room only. People were parked every which way and it was near impossible to maneuver the 35+ buses that were assigned to transport students to and from the rodeo. Some of us even had to do double duty, myself included.
Because of this double duty and due to the location of the two schools I transported, the local sheriffs provided escorts to and from the rodeo, flashing lights and all. When we have police escorting us, it’s the only time we can LEGALLY go through stop signs and red lights. It freaked some of the teachers out that were riding with me when we came up on the first stop sign. It was also cool to be the last bus in line, radioing ahead for clearance (the police were listening to us), and seeing the cruisers come flying past us at 80+ mph to get to the next checkpoint to block traffic for us. All in all, a great use of police resources.
In other news, I get to go see Disney on Ice this year. I’ve heard its actually Nemo on Ice, so I get to see the little fishy skate. Again your tax dollars hard at work.
Next item of business, Screamer Boy. Screamer Boy is an obnoxious middle schooler who insists on making every bus drivers life a living hell. There are about a handful of kids on this same bus who are equally as obnoxious and when confronted about the deplorable behavior, these kids deny any involvement or any knowledge as to who it is that is being the most obnoxious. I drove the bus about 2 weeks ago and all of these kids (middle school AND high school) were extremely obnoxious and downright disrespectful. I even pulled over and demanded they stop the behavior at once and they got up in my face and demanded that I let them off and told me to basically go to hell in a nutshell. The kids even refused to get quiet at the railroad crossings which is required by LAW.
Screamer Boy insisted on screaming obnoxiously in short bursts the entire bus ride, getting on my nerves quite frankly, he almost caused me to have an accident SEVERAL times because of his screaming. If a kid screams, I’m trained to find the problem quickly as a kid may be in DANGER. This screaming was obnoxious and DELIBERATE. Screamer Boy got off at his stop (he was the only one at his stop) then turned and screamed at the bus deliberately in a motion as to say F-U B*tch. I made note of what he looked like and who it was.
I got sweet revenge last Thursday when again, I found myself driving the same bus. I pulled up at the middle school and Screamer Boy got on the bus. I told him flat out that he was going to sit in the front seat. He looked at me and said “You can’t make me sit in the front seat, and I’m not gonna sit in the front seat.” I think he said a few cuss words in my direction and was extremely disrespectful in tone. I called the principal over to the bus and explained the situation from two weeks ago. The principal called him to the front of the bus and requested that he follow my directions. He got very disrespectful and lippy with her and she told him that either he could follow my direction and sit in the front seat or find himself another ride home. He chose to get off the bus and find another ride home. Surprisingly with him off the bus, no one else acted out or was disrespectful. I believe the kid is probably the ringleader of this group and gets everyone started and then sits back and watches the bus driver go crazy. I suspect this because a fellow bus driver drove the route today and had the exact same problems as I did. The sad thing is, the route is all of 15-20 minutes once the kids are loaded from all the schools. They can’t seem to behave sometimes.
Zero Tolerance,
The Bus Driver
Showing posts with label Hooligans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hooligans. Show all posts
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Mini-Mouthboy and the Stolen Bicycle
I wrote about Mini-Mouthboy early on in November 2008. While some of his behavior has improved, he still has not gotten the point of staying in his seat without causing trouble. I moved Pipsqueak away from him because he and Pipsqueak would get into massive trouble together and it caused a huge headache for me.
NewBoy and NewGirl are siblings that ride on my first round in the afternoon. Apparently NewBoy and his family are new to the neighborhood of resident troublemakers and delinquent children. On my route alone, I constantly have students in In School Suspension, or in some form of trouble either in school or on the bus. NewBoy’s parents are learning this lesson the hard way. NewBoy had his brand new Christmas bicycle stolen off their porch outside their house. The bike cost 150 dollars. NewBoy lamented this tragedy to anyone who would listen on the bus and Mini-Mouthboy somehow got tangled up in this situation.
On my second pass by NewBoy’s house, NewBoy’s mother flags me down. (Stick with me folks, it gets confusing here!) She relates this tale of the stolen bicycle and then claims that “someone” on the bus told her son that he was the one who stole the bike and it was at his house and NewBoy could “come and get it if you dare.” She then describes the “someone” and I had the urge to say, “Lady, you just described HALF the kids on my bus!” Instead I smiled and nodded as she continued to be upset about this bike and what this “someone” had said to her son. She tells me they filed a police report and I politely told her that I would do what I could to cooperate with the police in hopes of tracking down NewBoy’s bike. The “someone” in question turned out to be…. You guessed it…. Mini-Mouthboy, who proceeded to tell me HIS side of the story with no prompting. Covering up much?! Mini-Mouthboy also tells me who he THINKS stole the bike. (Everyone still with me?? Anyone confused yet?? Great!! So am I!!!!!)
I later find out that Mini-Mouthboy allegedly made some threats of bodily harm to NewBoy in regards to the stolen bike but due to confidentiality reasons, I cannot tell NewBoy’s parents Mini-Mouthboy’s name, but that NewBoy can point out the boy who threatened him and that I would do what I needed to do by giving the name to the police or the proper authorities.
Long story short, I’ve given Mini-Mouthboy’s name to the police along with his address and his mother’s name. Hopefully this situation won’t get any bigger or more confusing.
In other news, several of my Cherubs are getting on my nerves. Constant back talking and disrespect are things I deal with on a daily basis and it has got to stop!
Riding a Unicycle,
The Bus Driver
NewBoy and NewGirl are siblings that ride on my first round in the afternoon. Apparently NewBoy and his family are new to the neighborhood of resident troublemakers and delinquent children. On my route alone, I constantly have students in In School Suspension, or in some form of trouble either in school or on the bus. NewBoy’s parents are learning this lesson the hard way. NewBoy had his brand new Christmas bicycle stolen off their porch outside their house. The bike cost 150 dollars. NewBoy lamented this tragedy to anyone who would listen on the bus and Mini-Mouthboy somehow got tangled up in this situation.
On my second pass by NewBoy’s house, NewBoy’s mother flags me down. (Stick with me folks, it gets confusing here!) She relates this tale of the stolen bicycle and then claims that “someone” on the bus told her son that he was the one who stole the bike and it was at his house and NewBoy could “come and get it if you dare.” She then describes the “someone” and I had the urge to say, “Lady, you just described HALF the kids on my bus!” Instead I smiled and nodded as she continued to be upset about this bike and what this “someone” had said to her son. She tells me they filed a police report and I politely told her that I would do what I could to cooperate with the police in hopes of tracking down NewBoy’s bike. The “someone” in question turned out to be…. You guessed it…. Mini-Mouthboy, who proceeded to tell me HIS side of the story with no prompting. Covering up much?! Mini-Mouthboy also tells me who he THINKS stole the bike. (Everyone still with me?? Anyone confused yet?? Great!! So am I!!!!!)
I later find out that Mini-Mouthboy allegedly made some threats of bodily harm to NewBoy in regards to the stolen bike but due to confidentiality reasons, I cannot tell NewBoy’s parents Mini-Mouthboy’s name, but that NewBoy can point out the boy who threatened him and that I would do what I needed to do by giving the name to the police or the proper authorities.
Long story short, I’ve given Mini-Mouthboy’s name to the police along with his address and his mother’s name. Hopefully this situation won’t get any bigger or more confusing.
In other news, several of my Cherubs are getting on my nerves. Constant back talking and disrespect are things I deal with on a daily basis and it has got to stop!
Riding a Unicycle,
The Bus Driver
Monday, November 3, 2008
Come to Jesus!!
So, my talk wasn’t really so much of a talk as I’ve had no voice for the last 7 days, and when I do talk I sound either like a really bad chipmunk or I sound so hoarse like I’ve been yelling for 5 days straight. Instead I enacted on my plan for assigned seats. Since I don’t know the kids names yet, but I know the faces of the troublemakers, I have a few tricks up my sleeve.
Today I seated all the children from pre-k up till middle school. The only grades I did not seat were the highschoolers and the 4th and 5th graders. Those kids get on during my second run and they’re usually very well behaved, though with my 4th and 5th graders, they’re inching towards a “Come to Jesus” meeting as well. I had a few of my middle school hooligans elect to walk home instead of sit in an assigned seat. Its going to be a very cold walk home once the weather gets into the mid 50’s during the day. But take solace that the seats will be there, waiting for their wonderful cherub faces to fill them.
I have diagrammed out a game plan, which will be tweaked as I get the names of the kids. Tomorrow, I plan to go to the dollar store and pick up some index cards, a couple rolls of tape, a sharpie, and ask about getting numbers on my seats. Then as they get on I will actually assign them seats. Once I have all their names down on index cards and on a separate sheet of paper designating the seat, I will then do my organization. The index cards will be immediately posted above the seat in which they are to sit. For my very few “good” middle school kids, I will allow them to choose a seat, but then they have to sit in that seat until I change it or until I allow change. My “hooligans” get no choice. I will do the same with my 4th and 5th graders on round 2.
Hosting a Revival!!
The Bus Driver
Today I seated all the children from pre-k up till middle school. The only grades I did not seat were the highschoolers and the 4th and 5th graders. Those kids get on during my second run and they’re usually very well behaved, though with my 4th and 5th graders, they’re inching towards a “Come to Jesus” meeting as well. I had a few of my middle school hooligans elect to walk home instead of sit in an assigned seat. Its going to be a very cold walk home once the weather gets into the mid 50’s during the day. But take solace that the seats will be there, waiting for their wonderful cherub faces to fill them.
I have diagrammed out a game plan, which will be tweaked as I get the names of the kids. Tomorrow, I plan to go to the dollar store and pick up some index cards, a couple rolls of tape, a sharpie, and ask about getting numbers on my seats. Then as they get on I will actually assign them seats. Once I have all their names down on index cards and on a separate sheet of paper designating the seat, I will then do my organization. The index cards will be immediately posted above the seat in which they are to sit. For my very few “good” middle school kids, I will allow them to choose a seat, but then they have to sit in that seat until I change it or until I allow change. My “hooligans” get no choice. I will do the same with my 4th and 5th graders on round 2.
Hosting a Revival!!
The Bus Driver
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)