It had been at least 15 years since I was a student who rode the school bus. The last experience I could recall with clarity was a trip home from high school. Some kids were acting up and the driver threatened to take us back to the school. That invited chants of, “Hell no, we won’t go!” They eventually settled down and we made it home safely.

Now I’m a school bus driver, and I hope to never encounter such boorish behavior. Since early August, I’ve been learning to drive buses, and I’ve been absorbing all the safety procedures that ensure the students get to and from school safely. It’s a challenge, but I enjoy it. Ultimately, I believe school bus driving will be a rewarding experience.

A perfect fit
When transportation directors hire new drivers, they should consider sole proprietors and people who work from their homes. I’m a freelance writer, and the job is often terribly isolating. I found there is no better socialization than working with 120 bus drivers with various backgrounds and hundreds of kids with their own unique visions of the world. It’s refreshing.

I was also looking for a part-time job that would provide a steady paycheck and schedule flexibility. I called the Fairport (N.Y.) Central School District and inquired about bus driving because it said on its Website that “bus drivers are always needed.” I found out the job was better than I thought. It provided full health benefits for my family, and a good wage for a minimum of 20 hours of service per week.

My trainer made me feel comfortable from the beginning. On the first day, within the first two hours, she let me drive a standard-sized bus, which I really wasn’t expecting. I had never driven such a massive vehicle, but the confidence she showed in my abilities diminished any fear I had. She was conversational and friendly and that made the three-week, two-hour-per-day training a fulfilling and useful learning experience. I felt no apprehension at all.

Life on the road
Once I passed the commercial drivers license road test, I was assigned for the first week to ride with different drivers who had developed their own rapport with the kids they transport. Rapport building with the students should not be overshadowed by the importance of following safety measures that keep dangerous situations from occurring. They’re both important, and a balance needs to be found.

I noticed how the drivers made many kids feel at ease by simply saying “good morning” or “good night.” They knew their names, too. I don’t ever remember bus drivers being so cordial when I was a student.

One bus driver even knew the names of the dogs that accompanied the children and parents at the bus stops. Occasionally, he’d bark at them when the door opened. It was obvious he was enjoying the interaction with children and parents, and they appreciated it.

Of course, there was an instance when the driver greeted five middle school kids who got on. None of them said anything in return, and he grumbled about that. But he kept trying at other stops, and for the most part, the kids responded affably.

When students stood up on the bus during transport, the drivers politely used the in-cabin speaker system to say, “Hey, Johnny, you have to sit down.” The personal approach seemed to work because the kids respected the driver’s wishes.

The Fairport transportation safety director told us in training that a firm, fair and friendly approach is the best way to handle the job. It seems to work.

I’m obviously at the beginning of my bus-driving career. But I already see that injecting some personality each day goes a long way in making the experience a happy one for everybody. Kids seem more likely to listen to someone who can keep an open dialogue with them, instead of someone who operates the vehicle like it’s boot camp.