Six year old Brady McGlohron's mother put him on a school bus, and expected him to go off to school.
However, the bus driver decided somewhere along the line that the second grader was on the wrong bus. Understand, the bus was going to Brady's school, however, for some reason, as yet undetermined, the driver decided that the kid was not on his properly assigned bus.
So the driver turned the bus around - and put Brady off on the side of the road.
Alone.
I want to be clear here. Brady was at the right stop. The bus stopped at the right stop. The bus was going to Brady's school. But for some reason the driver didn't think Brady should have been on the bus. So the driver dropped him back off at the bus stop by himself.
Alone, as in all by himself.
Brady, scared, crying, and most certainly not understanding why an adult whom he trusted would put him into such a situation, had the presence of mind to knock on a neighbor's door. The neighbor called Brady's mom.
Now the driver, 61 year old Charlie Taylor who had been driving a school bus for sixteen years, was substituting on Brady's route that morning. He wasn't familiar with the kids or, apparently the route. This I can understand. When he stopped to pick up Brady, Taylor asked Ms McGlohron if the kid was going to North Pines Elementary, to which she replied in the affirmative. However, once the bus was moving the kid said that he thought he was supposed to be on a different bus (remembering here, that the bus is a substitute, right?). So, at this point Charlie turns the bus around, drops the kid off back at his stop, alone, and continues on his merry way - rather than, oh say, you know, tell the confused kid "Hey, it's OK. Your regular bus is out of order today and we're going to your school. I checked with you mom, and we're good to go here."
Seriously now, what in the fuck was this idiot thinking? He's on a substitute route. He's checked with the mother and confirmed that the kid is supposed to be going to the school he's aimed at. He been doing this for sixteen years. And yet somehow in all that time he's never encountered a confused six year old? And somehow he determines that it's proper procedure to just drop a six year old off on a corner by himself?
Charlie resigned.
Good.
But, seriously, if this was my kid, Charlie would be in for a good old fashioned ass-whooping.
Poor Brady.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you - I'd be breaking out a can of whoop-ass right about now.
I remember having some pretty bad and inept bus drivers when I was going to school, but man, that guy takes the cake.
ReplyDeletePoor kid, hopefully he wasn't traumatized too much.
In contrast to that, one day when I was in 5th grade, we were having a "track and field day" and since my mum was there, I was supposed to go home with her and my siblings. However, at the end of the day, habit kicked in and I got on the bus. My mum figured that out and went home, thinking she'd find me there.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, on that very same day, I missed my stop (I got caught up in my reading). We (the bus driver and I) realized it by the next stop, but it was a 1/4 mile down the country road. The bus driver did not let me off at that stop to make my way back to my proper driveway. She said she'd drop me off at the end. I settled in to read for the rest of the trip and then she let me off at my driveway some 45 minutes to an hour later. I traipsed down the driveway to be met on the road by my mum, who had tears running down her cheeks. Essentially, I had been MIA for an hour and she had been calling around trying to figure out where I was. Poor mum.
She wasn't mad at anyone, as it was a comedy of errors, but it impressed upon me that my mum really really loved me.
Poor kid. I just want to give him candy and make him smile...while i am kicking the crap out of the driver.
ReplyDeleteWhen my own Bug-girl started kindergarden, on her very first day of riding the bus..she was 1.5 hours late in coming home. Anne, I can completely feel for your Mother.
Did I mention that here our kids start school at 4. Except for Bug. Who has a birthday at the END of the year. So she was THREE.
AND MISSING.
AND OH you gotta know that I was on the phone with the school, the bus company and the school board. While the reasons were explained to me when the driver finally pulled up to our corner, I just looked at her and said..you DON"T have children do you?
It was the last day she drove our bus.
I would not want to be Brady's bus driver right now. Hope he enjoys being unemployed.
Poor kid.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter will be starting kindergarten next month and will be riding the bus both ways. However, she'll ride the bus from the stop on our street in the mornings, and a different bus to the extended care program she'll be attending in the afternoons. If that doesn't cause confusion, I'll be surprised. I am tempted to tape my cell number to her forehead for the first few days, but I suspect that would only cause me to get even more crank calls.
Natalie
You never EVER leave a small child that is your responsibility alone while you take off for elsewhere. You would think any adult would understand this (Anne's bus driver did - yay her!). Unfortunately too many don't, including parents and caregivers.
ReplyDeleteHe needs to be driven somewhere like a war zone and dropped off somewhere where the combatants are reloading. Then he'll see how it feels to be dropped off alone somewhere he has no ability to cope with.
ReplyDelete