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JK
Top Member
USA
7307 Posts |
 Posted - 01/22/2006 : 1:49:24 PM
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Jan 22 2006
Baltimore Sun
Maryland News, Howard County - Hollifield Station Elementary School parents and school system officials say quick thinking and rapid response thwarted a potentially dangerous situation when about 25 pupils were ordered off of a bus in the pouring rain shortly after a frustrated substitute driver got lost this month.
The incident resulted in the driver losing his job and his employer - King Transportation of Baltimore - losing its contract with the county school system.
"Whenever there are humans involved, humans make mistakes," said David C. Drown, director of pupil transportation for the school system. "We didn't feel comfortable with the mistakes he made as a bus driver."
Drown said no one from the school system has spoken to the driver about his decision to order the children off the bus. But he said that an inquiry after the Jan. 11 incident determined that the children were asked to get off the 11-row bus after the driver made a wrong turn and became frustrated with the pupils when they began to tell him the bus was off course.
"He said, 'That's it, everybody off the bus,' " Drown said. "They [children] were frightened and confused."
A parent, who happened to see the mass exodus of children, questioned them while they waited in the rain and called the school, Drown said. An administrator at the school gathered the remaining children and brought them home.
"It's a serious incident," said Drown. "We had students of elementary school age who got off the bus and were meant to fend for themselves."
Members of the Hollifield Station administration did not return several phone calls about the incident. But Drown said he was "very pleased with how it was handled at the school level."
Rosemary King, owner of King transportation in Baltimore, said the driver was fired on the spot.
"I had no idea that he would drop the kids off in the rain," she said.
King said the driver told her that the children were misbehaving on the bus.
"He explained that the kids were playing on the bus. ... He said that they were trying to get off the bus at the wrong stops," King said. "[I told him] whether or not [they were misbehaving] you were still supposed to take them back to the school and let them [school administrators] know they were playing [around]."
Although every parent interviewed agreed that the situation was potentially dangerous, they also said that the school handled the situation in an appropriate manner.
An administrator went to the each child's home to make sure the child was safe. The next day, letters went home to parents telling them of the incident. Assistant Principal Edward Cosentino rode the bus with pupils the next day and told them that the incident was not their fault.
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BusFan79
Active Member
USA
36 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2006 : 1:46:07 PM
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Isn't it sad when someone who is hired as a sub driver doesn't know how to handle these types of things! Just like you have stated before, lack of training on the contractor's part. It seems to be the case anymore. I am just glad that none of the children were hurt! I hope other districts who contract with this company read this and are aware of the contractor's actions.
BusFan79 |
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Salaskie
Advanced Member
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - 01/24/2006 : 3:29:46 PM
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| Terminal managers tend to see subs as replaceable. My subs drive every route, know the problems areas of each route, and rotate as monitors on routes. They are irreplaceable! |
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william
Top Member
USA
1912 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2006 : 11:36:26 PM
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| Correct me if I'm wrong. But is it not a fact that subs are certified drivers and therefore have received the same training as have the regular drivers? And why didn't this driver have route sheets? All of our subs are required to be experienced drivers skilled not only in driving the class of bus, but in route sheet construction, pupil management, emergency procedures, etc. |
William |
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dem84skeeprollinup
Top Member
USA
888 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2006 : 6:28:06 PM
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| I've seen sub drivers stesseed out from the children, but never enough to throw all of the children of the bus. I wonder if there is a test that shows how well a driver can handle stress from pupils. |
Do the world a favor and bring back GMC and Ford conventional chassis......
 
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Kids ordered off bus - Operator loses contract
