My bus is scheduled for preventive maintence. Drat! I have to pick one of the old beat-up substitute buses for my daily route. I hate when that happens!
Six-thirty A.M. I arrive at work to find that my bus was scheduled for preventive maintenance. Drat! That means I have to use one of the decrepit substitute buses for my daily route. I hate when that happens! I have 60 kids on my elementary route, that many more for the junior high pick-up and about 55 to be delivered to the high school. It’s tough enough to concentrate on “safe-driving” habits in your own bus, but doubly tough when you are driving something you are not accustomed to driving. Besides that, the old buses just aren’t as stylish as the new Crown diesels I’m used to.
There’s something special about being a woman school bus driver. Men still cling to that old believe that we can’t handle something that big. (Funny how the assessment between male appendages and buses aren’t the same.) I always get a kick out of making a left hand turn at an intersection. Picture this…man in car at intersection, looks up, sees a bus; no reaction. He looks again…sees a woman driving. Almost causes accident, jamming car into reverse to allow extra room. I always like to see just how close I can come to his fender.
So back to the substitute bus issue! I picked good ol’ Number Eight because it was an automatic and not as dented and faded as Number Seven. Besides, Number Seven was known to have power steering only in one direction. The practice is to arrive and get your bus ready for the day. So, I proceed to gas up Number 8, check the tires, lights and wash the windshield.
The buses are all parked in a single line in the middle of the field. The exit and entrance gates are at the left end of the line. In order to get to the gas pump, I have to cramp the wheel hard to the left, pull out and circle behind the line of buses to the pump. The bus yard is quite large. There are six brand new driver’s education cars parked along the fences in front of the buses and other odds and ends of equipment strewn about and a small building that houses our driver’s lounge. The lounge is just a long table with several chairs where we can meet and talk about our day’s events and enjoy a cup of coffee while we wait. Sometimes it’s quite interesting to hear what happens to the other drivers.
After I’ve finished fueling and doing the equipment checks, I circle the yard again and crank the wheel hard to get back into my space in line. I’m finding out that number eight isn’t all that hot on power steering either. At least, I’m fueled and ready to go. Now for my coffee!
I’m sitting at the table with a few good friends, bemoaning the fact that I am driving the dreaded Number Eight when another driver sticks her head in the door and inquires, “Who’s driving Number Eight?”
Defensively, I jump to my feet and respond. “I am! I’ve already gotten fuel and checked it out.”
“Well, you’d better come out here then, because it’s leaving.”
I ran towards the door ready to do battle with whomever was taking my bus. Imagine my shocking surprise when I saw it exiting the gate followed quickly by my supervisor running as fast as he could to catch it. Oops…I guess I forgot to take it out of drive!
There is a happy ending to this story. I guess the handbrake worked well until the engine warmed up enough to override it. Since I had to crank the steering wheel so hard to get back into line, the tires were still pointed towards the gate. The driverless bus just drifted out of line gently, made a perfect left hand turn and went out the gate as slick as you please. Thank goodness there was nothing but a dirt field in front of the bus and eventually the furrows in the dirt stopped it. Oh….and did I mention that the six new Driver’s Education cars were parked directly in front of where Number Eight had been parked? There really is a God, and he knows how to drive a school bus!
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Reviewed by Teresa Henson
7/30/2003
This is so funny! I am going to have to have my Dad read this as he drove a school bus for a while! I am sure he can relate! Another great job Ginger!
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