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JK
Top Member
USA
7307 Posts |
 Posted - 08/07/2009 : 5:48:04 PM
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Penny throwers cause driver to stop school bus
By Suzanne Jacobson
August 7, 2009
The Payson Roundup
A one-sided penny war erupted Monday on a school bus when at least one student began throwing copper coins at the driver.
The driver, who remains unidentified, stopped the bus on the side of Houston Mesa Road, just off Highway 87 and reportedly refused to move until the offender confessed. It never happened.
“He was mad because nobody would ’fess up,” said mom Christine Rehm, whose 15-year-old son sat trapped on the bus and had a resulting asthma attack.
Students began calling parents on cell phones to pick them up.
“They sat there for almost an hour,” Rehm said. “When I called the bus barn, they made it sound like no big deal. To keep all those kids on the bus in that heat, yeah there was a problem.”
The police even responded. Gila County Sheriff Lt. Tim Scott said an officer arrived at the bus and found pennies lying on the floor, although none of the students would reveal the throwers. Police will not seek charges, Scott said.
Rehm and the school district disagree about how long students sat on the bus. Rehm said her son was still on the bus at 4:30 p.m. although school ends at 3:25 p.m.
Superintendent Casey O’Brien said the bus stayed still for about a half an hour.
“The bus driver acted appropriately and most importantly, in the interest of student safety,” O’Brien wrote in an e-mail. “To stop the bus, call and wait for assistance was prudent. To have continued driving while being subjected to that type of serious distraction would have placed the children’s safety in jeopardy.” ...
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Sam
Advanced Member
United States
390 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 05:52:03 AM
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| I'm really glad Ms. Rehm's child does not ride my bus. Kudos to Superintendent O'Brien for backing up the driver. I wonder what the outcome was - did the driver have to take any students home whose parents couldn't pick them up? I'm glad the driver did what he/she did, and I'm glad teh driver was not identified. What a great start to the school year! |
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Rich
Top Member
United States
5768 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 08:17:30 AM
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| Precisely why every bus needs video systems. Sure wish more operators saw the benefits in spending the money! |
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bus724
Top Member
USA
1609 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 08:42:07 AM
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I'll second the video camera, although I wonder if the B&W VHS Bus-Watch in my route bus would catch an object as small as a penny being thrown. The Board of Ed was supposed to vote on upgrading us to digital systems this year, but I don't know what the result was.
The driver did the right thing, that situation is a serious safety hazard. I'd question the enforcement of bus rules prior to this incident (and why students thought they could get away with that behavior), but I can't think of a more appropriate response than to stop, secure the bus, and request assistance from school administration and/or police. |
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BlueBird44
Top Member
USA
1639 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 08:43:53 AM
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| It's nice to see the school system backed up the driver for making the right safety deceision to stop and pull over. Parents have no clue how things like can cause an accident I bet they wouldn't be happy if they where driving their minivan with their child doing at them but try doing our job with 40-70 some students on it they couldn't handle it but they are mad if their child dosen't get home fast enough. |
IC-The Golden Shield of School Transportation |
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Spencer
Senior Member
United States
188 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 09:25:01 AM
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| The Video System on my bus would have caught who it was and with my driver that would have been imediate suspension off the bus for the rest of the year with no questions asked. Thats one thing I like about are disciplene policy. |
New School Bus Site:
www.schoolbuslover.smfnew.com/index.php |
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Bluebird62
Top Member
USA
530 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2009 : 7:51:56 PM
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| Gotta love parents! It was probably her kid throwing the pennies! |
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Penny throwers cause driver to stop school bus
