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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
 Posted - 01/15/2007 : 12:17:00 PM
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Was I almost the next bozo? (Sort of a long story)
No- not me, never, ever.
It was a few days ago, a non school day, as I did a non-school day charter with three or four adults on the bus. No use of the red-light signals= no activation of the child-check system. It was a small group of kids, 10 to be exact. I counted them on (not on purpose, I never count the amount of kids as they get on the bus, and remembered that the amount of kids who got off the bus were the same amount who got off) and one adult was the last person off.
Because where they went, there was no place to park the bus, I had to go to a local area where school buses park and happened to see another friend of mine in her bus and went over to her bus and sat on her bus. Not even thinking until she had to leave to pick up her group of kids-
I missed an important step -I forgot to check my bus for left behind kids- not on purpose, not out of laziness, not out of being a bozo, I got distracted.
How? It's me- the one who checks the bus ALL the time. The one who promises to myself that I would NEVER EVER EVER not check my bus.
When the other driver left- it struck me. I was the bozo who forgot to check my bus. How did I forget to check it - I always check the bus.
When I got on the bus- I checked it right away- I was right next to the bus (sitting on my friend's bus) NO ONE WAS ON THE BUS. I knew that. 10 kids on, 10 kids off. But- I FAILED TO CHECK THE BUS as I always do. How? Why? What distracted me? Things like this don't happen to people like me- never, ever.
Last night I had a nightmare. (Or maybe a reminder)
For some reason I was working for Laidlaw because I remember the First Aid Kit saying L A I D L A W.
I was driving a route. I picked up the first child, the second child, the third child. I got to the fourth stop and something out of the ordinary happened. The mother was yelling for help, I parked the bus (this is not real-dream/nightmare), secured it, jumped out of the bus, and went to see what the mother was yelling about. From what I remember of the dream, she needed her insulin for her child and herself (it was a weird dream) - like a horror story. It took a while to find it but we did. I left and drove off with my car (somehow my car appeared [a new car?])- As I continued driving I remembered
THE BUS.
I turned right around and went right back on the bus (remember this is not real) I then jumped back in the seat and started the bus. The kids were sleeping- it was a safe area. I started to drive and the kids woke up and said "where were you" and I said we were here all the time and the kids started debating if I was on the bus or if I left them on the bus alone.
My dream was weird- and ended as the three kids were debating if I left them alone. No one from base called me to see why I was so late-
Was this a reminder that this could happen to anyone? Did I have this nightmare/dream for a reason? It was scary, that's all I know.
Am I a bozo? I am a safe school bus driver. Driving for over five years. Safe. Taking pride in my work. Thankfully it was just a dream and thankfully no one was on the bus when I missed an important step. |
Edited by - 80-RE4 on 01/21/2007 08:09:03 AM
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JK
Top Member
USA
7307 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2007 : 09:57:15 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by 80AmtranRE4
... Last night I had a nightmare. (Or maybe a reminder)
It is my opinion that you may be experiencing a trauma of sorts due to a hostile workplace environment.
Since I'm not a shrink I do not know how to repair that sort of injury, which is similar to an unprepared child told that he or she would die if left behind sleeping on an actual school bus. This is the reason I teach the kids that waking up alone on the bus is not a dangerous event and how to help keep it that way.
Have also been told the effect is temporary.
Rather than the oddity of chasing the fears some try to impose on me as well, my response would likely be not to allow obsessive behavior or bullies to force me to check my bus three times after returning to the facility's parking area. Once at the lot will have to do, less insanity finds a home in my head.
However, were I paid to do a dozen checks for a sleeping child upon return to the bus lot, then I would certainly go ahead an do so. I would consider this clearly management’s insanity, not mine.
Excessive worry is worse than smoking or overweight and lack of exercise. These three risks combined with excessive worry is a known body killer for most people as young as their early forties.
If your workplace is hostile to the point that you are having nightmares concerning anything about the job, would recommend looking for better training or a less hostile workplace inside or outside this industry.
My concerns became manageable when my regular routes became my focus - the kids and my safety established through violence prevention training paid for out of my own pocket, and working processes that helped establish calm environments while also helping to also establish a hostile-free workplace for me.
Since my community's facility does not have the gadgets or the additional clearing that the better supported facilities incorporate - such as child check alarms, a neutral employee checking the bus for a sleeping child in addition to the driver/monitor, signs or anything else - I go ahead and make checks while departing kids at their schools. (This also covers a variety of other issues in the moment – litter, vandalism and such.) Then a final check after returning to the bus lot.
Some of our drivers seem barn sour and do not go this far, and some do seem to miss a post check on occasion. Regardless, to my knowledge no child has been left sleeping alone on one of our buses for the past few decades or so.
Early in my career I thought is was odd that the old timers would make such a big deal out of a child falling asleep on the bus. On occasion a sleeping child was found while the driver was sweeping the bus. The practice was that a parent would be given notice that children falling asleep on the bus could face suspension if it continued. My simple mention that it didn't seem that big a deal brought uproar from the old timers.
Now many years later I can understand their reasoning, which included the child's safety and parents making sure the child gets enough sleep. No one back in those days considered they could lose their job over something as safe as a child left sleeping on the bus, unless of course a serious injury resulted.
My concern increases when considering SPEC ED buses. Increased potential for complications are possible if the driver misses certain SPEC-ED children and the school or some process does not quickly cover the potential for a missed post check for a child left behind.
Myself, I stopped driving SPEC ED and even taking trips some years ago. I enjoyed the SPEC ED kids and trips very much but did not enjoy the unacceptable driver risks involved with SPEC ED, the damage to my bus on trips, and when returning to out-of-control kids on my route after a trip. For many years now have not taken a trip or bid for a SPEC ED route.
Some buses may actually be vans and cars. Missing a child can be a most dangerous event during extreme weather and when no working process is in place to catch a potential missed step.
Vans and Cars have simply proven too dangerous – to the point that it ought to be considered a crime when a facility refuses to take less than sixty seconds for someone in addition to the driver/monitor clear these vehicles before parked and secured. (jk)
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Properly train, effective support and pay that retains. |
Edited by - JK on 01/21/2007 12:19:27 PM |
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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2007 : 12:03:13 PM
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I don't work in a hostile workplace. It was one bad dream that I had and I can probably link it to the one time I forgot to check the bus on the non-school day charter.
Maybe it was just my conscience.
I was trying to make a connection: It's not always about being lazy- sometimes we are thrown off from our regular routine. I will have to take extra steps to make sure it never happens again, even though I knew all of the kids were off the bus.
I did pre-trip but I did shut the bus down before I picked the kids up, so that disabled the CC system. When they came out, I didn't use the reds. I think from now on, I will let the reds flash for a second to activate the system.
In my situation- I don't link a hostile workplace to this situation. No one was hostile towards me. There were other adults on the bus who I am sure took a head count. It just bothers me that I didn't do what I always do before I exit my bus- so time to move to Plan B, I'm going to think of another back up system.
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Was I next? [revised topic]
