Hi Moms...I have come here for advice before and you all haven't failed me yet. Here I am again...this time I feel it is more serious, so please bear with me as I tell you what my dilema is now. My 9 year old daughter rides the bus to and from school every day. Last Friday she came home and told me that the bus went through a rail road crossing when the lights were flashing and that the arm hit the top of the bus as they were going through. I asked her some questions like, did he stop at the tracks and open the door? Did everyone get quiet before you went over? She said that he didnt stop at all, just saw the lights start flashing and went through, then they heard the arm hit the bus. I called the school Monday morning and talked to the principal. She told me she would talk to a handful of the other students on the bus, get their stories and go from there. ALL of the students that she talked to told her the exact same story. She talked to the driver and he said that there was someone (??) there directing him to go over the tracks (which wouldn't happen, especially if there are arms that go down when the lights start flashing). That is all that he said about the situation. The principal then called the bus company and talked to "her representative" who said she would review the tape on the bus. The tape didn't show a train (which how could it because the camera tapes INSIDE the bus)and that is where it ended. I was talking to another mom this morning and she said that he son told her than the driver said "I'm tired of being the last bus at school" and then went over the tracks while the lights were flashing,etc. the same story as my daugher. Now, my issue is "now what"? This man drives my child to school and home every day and this is not how a bus driver should be driving. I don't know what to do. He should be reprimanded in some way, right? I would drive her back and forth to school but she attends a magnet school that is 10 miles one way from our house, the drive is about 25 minutes with traffic, school starts at 8 and I have a 2 year old that sleeps late. Help?? Thanks moms.
Thank you ALL for your responses...I contacted the principal of the school yesterday and she gave me the name of the transportation director for our school district. I called that person and left two messages so far today. I am also, in the meantime, gathering the names and phone numbers of the children on the bus to contact their parents to see if they know what happened...I am not giving up...I will update again soon! Thank you again. PS...I am not putting her on the bus until there is another driver.
Wow that's a hard one - maybe by him being "caught" by all the kids on the bus he will drive safer from here on out. Another solution might be to find someone on the bus who feels the same way and would be willing to carpool - they drop off you pick up. Good luck!!
Agreed. I would contact the parents of the children that ride that bus and talk about carpooling in protest. I would NOT let my child get on that bus! Try to beat out a TRAIN??? OMG! That is completely insane and deserves more than just a talking to! I do not understand why he wasn't fired on the spot. And I definitely would talk to the police dept.
My mother in law is the director of transportation for Homer school district and just from hearing her stories I have a little insight. One, you really don't know that he wasn't reprimanded. He very well may have been and since he's been talked to about it at the very least he knows he has students on his bus who WILL tell their parents if he's doing dangerous things then that alone could cause him to think twice before doing something stupid again. If your still unsure, find out who the director of transportation is for your school district and call that person directly and discuss it with him/her. Make sure you tell your daughter that she did the right thing by telling you what she observed and that you'd like her to pay close attention when she's on the bus and report back to you anything else she sees/hears that's inappropriate. I would be scared to death hearing my child tell me that so your totally right to be worried. If you don't feel the principal is taking it seriously or your not happy with your discussion with the director of transportation, start making a stink. Go the school board and if your still unsatisfied, call your local news outlets and then see what the school does.
If it were me, I would try to contact as many of the other parents of kids on the school bus as possible and form a petition for the firing of the bus driver. This is a serious issue and for them to just let it go is absurd. I wonder also if you couldn't talk to the police about it, being a traffic violation that put multiple kids' lives in danger and all. If that doesn't work, I would honestly get your younger one up in the mornings and take your child to school. There are enough dangers our kids face in this day and age and if there are some that we can actually cross off and handle ourselves, I say we should do just that. I know how it can be when you have a little one to have to get up and around, but I'm sure if you thought about the alternative of having to get your young one around to rush to a scene of an accident due to a bus driver's negligence, you'd agree that the inconvenience in the mornings is far more important. Also, you never know, maybe there are one or two other parents who would be happy to carpool with you so you'd only have to make the drive a couple of times a week.
I'd get my 2 yo up and fed and in the car to drive her sister to school. You could also create a carpool with other parents. I would never put my child back on that bus and I would write a very, very stong letter to the school principal and to the owner of the school bus company. The driver should not only be fired but ALL drivers re-trained and then all parents should be assured that they are a safe bus company. Threaten some legal action, your daughter's life is in danger.
no matter what, keep pressing the issue. Don't stop until someone does something.
School buses are regulated by the IDOT Traffic Safety Division. After the Cary-Grove Incidient in 1995, no one wants to see this happen again.
Contact them though here: http://www.dot.state.il.us/safety.html
This is very serious! I would demand to see the tape and also paperwork on how this was handled with the driver. The children's safety is at risk and you as a parent of one of these children have the right to be sure things are taken care of and you also have the right to see the tape to be sure the bus co. is being truthful. After all you have one bus driver who does not want to be in trouble and a handful of children with the same story. I would believe the children. Good luck.
If it's a Chicago Public School, contact the Ombudsman Services Mary Koblas, Director, ###-###-####. Tell them you are considering putting your child in a private school. That will get action.
I would absolutely NOT put her back on this bus until the bus driver is fired. That is 100% unacceptable. All of the children could have died from his carelessness and it is NOT something I would take lightly.
If needed, get with the other mom and go into the school and demand that you speak with HIS supervisor.
How very scary!! I'm so sorry you have to deal with this. It just amazes me the way people take chances these days- especially the ones we trust with our kids. :(
Amanda
Just another reply to support the other two. I would NOT put my child back on that bus. ANY hassle in the morning is NOTHING compared to the safety of your other child. I'd would also agree with getting other parents together to fight this negligence. How horrible to have to hear a report like this from your child!
If the school isn't doing anything and the bus company is giving you the run around maybe you should report it to the local police department. Aside from being unsafe for the kids it is against the law. They might not be able to do anything since they didn't see him go around the gates but they might have an officer sit by the gates to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Take your child off that bus, and NEVER let her drive with that driver. Believe me, I understand not wanting to wake your baby, but you daughters life is literally at stake here. If something like that happend once, you can be sure it will happen again! If you can find a way to take and pick your child up from school, that is what I would do! Good luck, sorry you have to deal with this!
I agree with the other posters who say NOT TO PUT YOUR CHILD ON THAT BUS again! It is so worth changing your 2yo's schedule to find another alternative.
My jaw is hanging open! I worked for a day camp years ago and drove a school bus to pick up and drop off campers at their homes. I was required to undergo the same training and certification as a professional school bus driver. I had my Commercial Drivers License with a passenger endorsement for more than five years. IT IS ILLEGAL TO DRIVE A BUS OVER TRAIN TRACKS WITHOUT STOPPING AND OPENING THE DOOR. Further, it is downright irresponsible for this driver to have continued over the tracks if the train lights were flashing. This driver should be reprimanded at best, but probably fired. Please continue to call the principal of the school and call the bus company to get to the bottom of this. Your baby is on this bus, and the driver is behaving recklessly. What is it going to take for the principal and the bus company to take action? I shudder to think. Don't back down until you are satisfied with the end result. Good luck!
S.-
You have gotten quite a bit of good advice so far. The only thing I want to add is that If they were doing some sort of repair that would require the lights to flash and the arm to go down there would have to be some record of it. Have you thought of contacting the railroad to find out? I have no idea how you would go about doing that, but I am sure that any mom who's child was on that bus would find a way. Like some of the other posters have said, you may never really know if he was repremainded, but this calls for something more that a letter in his file!
My daughter has had plenty of issues on the bus this year and despite all the kids signing a bus contract, nothing changes. We have gone from driver of the year, to the I dont care about anything driver of the year. In all my "investigations" it is the bus drivers word against the kids, EVEN when the whole bus says the same thing. The bus transportation office sticks with the driver 99% of the time. Do we know if the driver was reprimanded, no we dont. BUT it is against state law and against his drivers privelege to hold a license to drive a bus to go around the gates. If in fact there was someone there directing traffic around the gates, which is possible, that is easy enough to find out and the bus company should be investigating. That being said the bus company works for the school district, not the other way around. You need to start with the school district and demand an investigation, and demand to be told what is found out. It is your right. The district is responsible for providing safe transportation to and fro for your child and this is not safe. Tired of being the last bus at the school? this isnt a popularity contest. I can say from experience that TOO many bus drivers dont give a hoot and will and do cut any corners possible. If this bus is with laidlaw, I would bypass their personnel altogether and definately start with the district. I could write a book on the infractions our driver has done this year and laidlaw, now first student doesnt seem to care. I can say with a resonable amount of certainty the driver wasnt reprimanded and the bus company just "threw" the complaint under the rug. The camera's on the bus are a joke also, they only pick up half of what they should...Sorry to ramble on, but bus issues are a hot topin in my house lately and the lack of anything being done about them.
Please, in your child's best interest, take this up with the district. Maybe the driver was right and someone flagged him thru and the kids didnt see this, but at least you will have closure knowing he didnt disobey the law and put 60 childrens lives in jeopardy.
Hi S. -
You'll have to band together with the other parents -- united voices work better and your concerns will be heard. Talk to the bus company directly or see if PTA can help.
Good luck!
S. in Lisle
I would not send her on the bus at all until this issue is properly handled (which, may be never). Your daughter's life is worth getting up early and waking up your 2 year old. I would call the school district Superintendent and I would call the president of the bus company. I would demand some investigation and proper action (bus driver being fired). Heck, you can even call the police and see if there is anything you can do. The problem with bus companies for the schools is that they are almost always short on drivers. So, they tend to be more lenient with them than they should. We, as parents, need to stand up for our children's safety. Maybe try to get a bunch of parents of other kids on his bus to join together and protest somehow.
I agree with the carpool idea, or just dealing with the morning hassle and drive her yourself. I would NOT put her back on the bus if I were you. I am aprehensive about buses anyway, so this would seal the deal for me!
Hi, S. my name is L.. I think you and the other parents should make a police report. That was putting the children in danger and that's against the law. Try talking with the school principal again and let them know that you are going to the police and file a complaint about this and that you did alert the proper authority including the school. Pray everything works out
Contact the school board in public comment, in person, by letter, by phone call, in the letter to the editor section of the newspaper. You can do it as an individual or as a group. Demand a response and some action. Protesting by not using the bus is not effective because the school district would prefer if everyone drove anyway because that would be less money shelled out in busing costs. Take your complaint to the people who can make a difference and actually do something.
