"HELLO, I'M YOUR BUS DRIVER"

My hubby is not just a bus driver, he's a mediator, an up-lifter, and a counselor as you'll see by the conversations he had with just a few of his students' parents when contacting them about times and dates and logistics for picking up their children.

NOTE:  Things & names have been changed to protect the innocent, ha, ha,ha.

#1.  "My name is John.  I drive school bus #42.

I need to know if your child is riding the bus this year.

Masks are required and the kids will be assigned seats.

It's one child per seat except siblings can share a seat.

Normally I don’t do that to middle school and high school kids but assigned seats are mandatory this year."

"Do your kids get along?  Can I assign your two to the same seat?"

Father:  “Hell, no.  You have to separate them.”

John:  "That's an S beside their names -- “separate.”

#2.  "Hello, my name is John and I drive bus 42 for Heights School.

The big question of the day is will your children be riding the bus this year?

They have to wear a mask and be assigned a seat.  Siblings can share.  

Do they need seperated or will your two get along?"

Father:  "Oh, they WILL get along!  They WILL ride together!"

#3.  "Good afternoon, my name is John, I drive #42 school bus.

Your son rode last year, will he be riding again this year?

I hate to do this to him but I have to put him in an assigned seat.

Since he’s a sophomore I hate to assign him a seat but I have to play by the rules.

I'm trying to alleviate any fears.  No one else will be allowed in that seat.  Before the next run all surfaces will have to be cleaned."

"Yes.  Yes, ma'am.  Yes.  Thank you; enjoy your day, ma'am.  Bye.  Bye, ma'am."

#4.  "Hello, this is John, I drive school bus #42.

The million-dollar question is, will your daughter be riding our bus?

As it stands right now, on Tuesday I’ll be at your front door at 6:55 unless this covid makes another change.  Repeat that again, please, sir?

I hope so, too."

Father had said:  "I'm a professor and I hope to have students, too!"

#5.  "Hello, I'm John, your bus driver.  I drive #42.
According to my list, your second grade daughter will be riding our bus."

Parent:  "In April, she asked will school start soon.  In May, she asked will school start soon.   She asks every week!"

John:  "Bless her heart.  I hope she never looses that desire.
You're worried about the bus?  She might be a car rider?  If you or she is uncomfortable, you're not required to ride the bus."

"I’ll try to put her across from her best friend.  I’ll try to accommodate as best I can.

The seats will be disinfected after each run and in that seat she'll be the only one."

Parent:  "Be careful.  I appreciate what you do."

John:  "Well, thank you. I just want to eliminate some fears."

In an aside to me John says:  “She took it well. Her kid’s a good kid.  So far, so good, this is easy.”

Parent's still on the phone.  John had forgotten to disconnect:  "What?  Did you just call my kid skirqueasy?  What is that?  What're you calling her?  You're not calling her stir crazy, are you?"

#6.  "Hello,  I'm your bus driver, my name is John, and I drive bus number 42.

According to my list you have 2 kids riding my bus?  Is that correct?

No, you have 3!  Oka-a-a-a.

Of the 3 which 2 get along the best?  I can put two in 1 seat together."

"Well, hon, we have a problem if you say "None!"

*******

Me, full of curiosity:  "Are they concerned about their kids, or are they agreeable?  Do they argue with you?   Do they have questions and want to talk about it?"

John:  "LOL, they’re happy to get ‘em going!"

******

And my bus driver, nicknamed by his co-workers The Up-lifter, said at the tail end of his final call:

“Thanks for your time.  I would’ve done this 20 years ago if I’d known how much I enjoy it.

The kids are fun and well behaved.”

"Thank you very much.  Hopefully we’ll have a longer school year this year.  I'm glad to be your bus driver."