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IC-CEiswhereiwannabe
Advanced Member

USA
214 Posts

Posted - 06/06/2007 :  3:05:09 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
It seems to me school bus radioes are ofetn filled with useless chatter. This could be a safety issue, and if your radioes are like ours, unpleasent when it feeds back because two drivers' try to talk at the same time. See if any of these reasons are okay to broadcast.

1.) My bus is on fire!!

2.) Somebody just ran my reds!!

3.) Bus XX, do you know your hazard lights are on?

4.) Bus XX, do you know your running with your ambers on?

5.) Bus XX, Anytown Elementray school needs you to come back, you forgot a student.

6.) Bus XX to dispatch. Little Johnny's parents are not at that bus stop. Can you call and make sure they are not home so I don't have to take him back to school?

7.) Bus XX, Your bottom left brake light is out.

8.) Bus XX, there are kids standing in the back of your bus. Are you going to tell them to sit down?

9) Bus XX, Why are you running so late?

10.) (this one happens mostly to 2005 and newer IC drivers Bus XX, do you know you are blowing white smoke all over the place?

11.) Bus XX, Would you like to get breakfast after the morning run?

12.) Bus XX to dispatch, Someone is in my parking spot at Anytown School.

13.) Bus XX to dispatch, Bus XY is parked in my spot at the garage.

Please respond to each query.

Kodie
Top Member

United States
2028 Posts

Posted - 06/06/2007 :  4:51:14 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
1.yes 2. yes 3.yes 4.yes 5.yes 6.yes 7.yes 8.yes 9.yes 10.yes
11.absolutly not 12.if it's a bus no, car yes 13.yes
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bluebirdvision
Top Member

USA
1081 Posts

Posted - 06/06/2007 :  4:51:35 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
· Acceptable on the radios in my district:

1.) My bus is on fire!!

2.) Somebody just ran my reds!!

3.) Bus XX, do you know your hazard lights are on?

4.) Bus XX, do you know your running with your ambers on?

5.) Bus XX, Anytown Elementray school needs you to come back, you forgot a student.

7.) Bus XX, Your bottom left brake light is out.

· Unacceptable on our 2-ways

11.) Bus XX, Would you like to get breakfast after the morning run?

12.) Bus XX to dispatch, Someone is in my parking spot at Anytown School.

13.) Bus XX to dispatch, Bus XY is parked in my spot at the garage. I'm not going to even explain why this isn't acceptable.

6.) Bus XX to dispatch. Little Johnny's parents are not at that bus stop. Can you call and make sure they are not home so I don't have to take him back to school? This is acceptable of the driver is at the house and the child cannot get enter.

8.) Bus XX, there are kids standing in the back of your bus. Are you going to tell them to sit down? This might be okay for the TD, but the driver would not be happy if this way broadcasted so that the T/D can hear.

9) Bus XX, Why are you running so late?
My TD thinks there is no reason for this kind of talk.

10.) (this one happens mostly to 2005 and newer IC drivers Bus XX, do you know you are blowing white smoke all over the place? This would be broadcasted if it was not a known problem, but everyone knows at the Ics and the smoke.

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drivin4safety
Advanced Member

United States
259 Posts

Posted - 06/06/2007 :  6:41:24 PM  Show Profile  Send drivin4safety a Yahoo! Message  Reply with Quote
All have been broadcast in my district, even #12 & #13 with one exception, we almost never ask if a driver is going to ask his/her students to be seated. We kind of expect that informing them over the radio will trigger that. Also, we don't do these things to be mean, we try to be "eyes" for each other and we are pretty much a "big family" here. If our TD thinks any conversation is getting out of hand, either in length or in subject matter, he'll call out a request to "return to transportation business only."
Mike
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Jim
Top Member

USA
581 Posts

Posted - 06/06/2007 :  7:23:00 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by IC-CEiswhereiwannabe


5.) Bus XX, Anytown Elementray school needs you to come back, you forgot a student.


Happens all the time here, although I don't like anyone telling me that I "forgot" a student. I don't forget anybody.......not my fault they didn't get to the bus on time.
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drivin4safety
Advanced Member

United States
259 Posts

Posted - 06/07/2007 :  10:23:57 AM  Show Profile  Send drivin4safety a Yahoo! Message  Reply with Quote
We get that too, and you're right, we didn't forget them, they didn't make it to the bus on time! We also get this; "Bus XX, this is Anytown Elementary school, we need to get x student off the bus, the parent is here to pick them up. Please turn around and bring them back to the school." It seems to happen about every other day, I for one hate it as it makes the rest of my students late, and my subsequent routes late if I'm far enough away. I do it, because the student comes first, right after safety. I and the other drivers affected have discussed this with our TD and have tried with little success to at least stem the tide at our elementary schools.
Mike
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ICfan
Top Member

USA
1251 Posts

Posted - 06/07/2007 :  1:34:33 PM  Show Profile  Visit ICfan's Homepage  Reply with Quote
1, 2, & 6 are yes
3-5, 7-13 are no's
No parking order at Base, # 11 is plain stupid, if anything is wrong with the bus, or students are not paying attention and a driver is behind this bus, the driver says: Check students, lights, ambers, whatever. If u say a bus # and the boss and dispatcher hears it, that driver is in big trouble. (not the one radioing)

Tyler Roys Weatherman and International Fan,

http://www.freewebs.com/thectschoolbusyard
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bus724
Top Member

USA
1609 Posts

Posted - 06/07/2007 :  2:39:59 PM  Show Profile  Visit bus724's Homepage  Send bus724 an AOL message  Reply with Quote
All of those (except 1) have been broadcast on the radio at the location I drive for. To add to the list:

"On the way to the safety meeting, can you stop at Dunkin Donuts for me and get a medium - light, one sugar?"

"Bus X to bus X, are we leaving early today to walk on the track at the HS?"

"Bus X to base, can you call my house and ask my son to run my purse out to the end of the driveway, I'll be there in about 5 minutes?"

"Bus X to all drivers, there's a dead animal at the intersection of Main St. and School St. Does anyone know what kind of animal it is?" "I just saw that, I think it was a deer." "No, the tail was too long." "I know, but the head was too small to be anything else." etc.

"Guys, did you see the deer in the field off to the left?"

"Bus X to bus X, let the school know I'm running late because SOMEONE forgot to fuel my bus." (knowing the person who brought the bus back from maintenance is listening)

"How long have we been sitting here? Nice of the school to actually send someone out to get the kids. I guess we're running a babysitting service here."

"Base to bus X"...."Base to bus X"...."Bus X, base is calling you!" "I know, I'm ignoring her."

"Bus X to base, there's cows walking around the road, I can't get around." "What part of the street and what color are they?" (to figure out which farm to call)

"Bus X to base, I just had a HS student get on my bus, I didn't recognize him, I asked him where he lived, he called me a bi***, gave me the finger, and then got off my bus and is walking down the highway to his house." (actually quoted the student, of all days during parent-teacher conferences at the ES which has a radio in the office)

"Base to bus X"...."Base to bus X"...."Guys, if anyone passes bus X, can you wave your mic out the window?"

My personal favorite is, after hearing lots of noise and kids talking (obviously an open mic), someone calls the driver, thinking they can actually hear with the mic open.

If I think of any more I'll add them. Yeah, we definitely need a stricter radio policy (and maybe some enforcement).

Edited by - bus724 on 06/07/2007 2:49:21 PM
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ICfan
Top Member

USA
1251 Posts

Posted - 06/07/2007 :  2:47:09 PM  Show Profile  Visit ICfan's Homepage  Reply with Quote
too funny Phil

Tyler Roys Weatherman and International Fan,

http://www.freewebs.com/thectschoolbusyard
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IC-CEiswhereiwannabe
Advanced Member

USA
214 Posts

Posted - 06/07/2007 :  4:26:10 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
HAHAHAHA!!!

OMG! I have heard that one a MILLION times!!
quote:
"Base to bus X"...."Base to bus X"...."Bus X, base is calling you!" "I know, I'm ignoring her."




quote:
7.) Bus XX, Your bottom left brake light is out.



Shouldn't the driver know this one already if they do their pre-trip correctly? I mean in a district like mine made up of mostly newer IC's and C2's with light check systems this is ridiculous!!

Why can't U C what I C in IC?

Edited by - IC-CEiswhereiwannabe on 06/07/2007 4:28:42 PM
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bus724
Top Member

USA
1609 Posts

Posted - 06/07/2007 :  5:12:42 PM  Show Profile  Visit bus724's Homepage  Send bus724 an AOL message  Reply with Quote
That's another common one, usually just in the yard. "Can you check my brakes and back-ups for me?" while pre-tripping. We don't have new enough equipment for lamp-check yet, and according to our training brake and back-up lights are supposed to be checked using "reflection or the buddy system."

Of course, I usually say that after freaking out the driver behind me by throwing my range-inhibited Allison into R while doing 45 on the way to the school (Don't try this one at home kids! Only works with certain transmission models, others you'll do some serious damage). That trick also works pretty well for tailgators.
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bus724
Top Member

USA
1609 Posts

Posted - 06/07/2007 :  8:14:48 PM  Show Profile  Visit bus724's Homepage  Send bus724 an AOL message  Reply with Quote
Some of the original ones posted remind me of a few more...

After a car runs our reds at the school or when we know another bus is a few cars back, "Anyone get that plate?" "Got the plate, what's the make and model?"

Instead of "Bus X, your hazard lights are on" I usually just say the driver's name and "Are you a hazard?" The usual response is "Is that a trick question?"

"Check your ambers" is pretty common around here, we have 04 Thomases with aftermarket strobes. 'Nuff said.

Our K-8 school has a 2way in the office. They call direct for students who miss the bus and we call direct for parents not home, forgotten notes, etc.

As for blowing smoke, I'll ask the driver if they're running on diesel or coal. Either that or cough into the 2way.

We also have some inside jokes we say over the radio that sound innocent enough, but I'd probably get banned from SBF if I went into any detail on the REAL meaning.
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80-RE4
Top Member

USA
5700 Posts

Posted - 06/25/2007 :  3:37:07 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Those are pretty funny bus724.

Just imagine not having a radio on the bus, I think I would go crazy. @Laidlaw, our radio was on a frequency with about 7 other towns and we heard some very interesting things.

I remember hearing one driver yelling because she went back to the school and the kids didn't need a ride anymore and she came on the radio yelling because they never said thank you! She radioed to "base" like she was in an accident (more like screamed)!

The worse thing in the world is the childish CLICKER (TG we don't have one) but we did have a few at Laidlaw. Even when an emergency arose, that person would click the MIC.
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Lifestar Fe
Top Member

United States
521 Posts

Posted - 06/25/2007 :  5:05:24 PM  Show Profile  Click to see Lifestar Fe's MSN Messenger address  Reply with Quote
1 no, absolutly not. The driver has to evacuate the bus and get a safe distance away, and call the school
2 yes
3 yes
4yes
5 no, the student missed the bus
6 yes, but reworded
7yes
8 no. This happend once, and the driver of the other bus said "I will tell them to when I start the bus" (the bus was loading when this happened). The first bus driver opened her window, and shouted across the parking lot "SIT DOWN NOW, OR YOU WILL GET A BUS CITATION". Both drivers got a severe warning from base
9 yes, but only from base, and only in the morning, or if the bus is VERY late
10 yes, used to happen all the time to our Crowns
11 no
12 no, the cars cant get to bus parking, but what happens if a car is in the way is the bus blows the horn until the car moves, or (this happened several times this year) "Bus XX to base! A car just cut me off! Plate is XXXXXXX (meanwhile the driver lays on the air horn)"
13 no, we have no specific parking spots

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wgloff
Senior Member

USA
54 Posts

Posted - 06/27/2007 :  03:23:23 AM  Show Profile  Visit wgloff's Homepage  Reply with Quote
To put it simply, don't say anything you would not want the public to hear. We have many scanner ears here.
Keep it to school bus business.

How would you feel if "Let's get coffee" interfered with "I need an Ambulance"?
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