Want to help the school bus driver shortage? Watch your temper on the road.
Last time in this space, I wrote about the anger that consumes so many Americans. As the driver of a school bus, I often see it in motorists who tailgate, recklessly weave from lane to lane, and deliberately cut others off (often while flipping them the bird) or even try to run them off the road.
Few things test even a reasonable driver’s patience like a school bus. We make frequent stops and must wait until students are seated or safely 15 feet away from the bus before we roll on. Some kids are slow getting to the bus from their homes. Sometimes it takes a student carrying a load of books, an overstuffed backpack or a big musical instrument time to reach their seat or the door, especially if the bus is crowded.
Sometimes parents ask us questions or a kid requests a mask. On my bus, most kids have been coming aboard with the required facewear. If they don’t have a mask, they ask me for one — which can take a moment or two to fetch. None have refused to wear one or even complained.
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The safety of passengers is a bus driver’s paramount responsibility. Honking at us won’t make us move any sooner. Cursing and giving us the middle-finger salute will probably inspire us to respond more, shall we say, leisurely.
The worst cases are drivers who run our flashing red lights and extended stop sign arms. According the Governor’s Traffic Safety Commission, it happens thousands of times each day in New York. I often hear fellow drivers mention these incidents and it happened to me two weeks ago in Poughkeepsie.
It’s legal to continue through our yellows, but not advisable. Slow down and prepare to stop at least 20 feet from a bus. Running our yellows and especially our reds puts kids’ lives in danger. You never know if they or parents or both will suddenly step out from in front or behind a bus into the path of your car. This time of year, when we’re out in the dark of early morning and late afternoon/evening, is especially hazardous.
Fortunately, the district I drive for (one of the largest in Dutchess County) is now outfitting its buses with cameras that will record anyone who violates the state law that carries fines ranging from $250 for a first offense to upward of $1,000 with a license suspension for a third in 18 months. Five points will be tacked onto your license each time and jail is possible if the offense is bad enough.
With the national shortage of school bus drivers a major news story, more people are becoming aware of the important, challenging job we do and what is involved. We tend to drive more slowly when covering an unfamiliar route on short notice and working off of run sheets with printed directions and addresses. We occasionally need to pause to check them. We also rely on kids to guide us and they aren’t always the most reliable sources.
School bus drivers have plenty of distractions to contend with while watching out for other vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, animals, fallen tree limbs and other hazards. Discipline issues can cause delays, though we usually put on our hazard lights and pull over into a safe spot before we address them. My preferred method is via my (hopefully) award-winning Roadside Lecture Series. You are free to pass a bus that has stopped on the shoulder with hazards flashing, but please do it with caution.
So if you find yourself in a rush and stuck behind a school bus while your frustration and anger rise, take a deep breath. Think about the possible and even likely consequences of your actions. And know that your patience is appreciated.
Write to columnist John Rolfe at personallypojo@gmail.com or visit his website Celestialchuckle.com