Redheaded Jill

If you are a kid who rode the bust to/from school you either had or knew of someone who had a mean bus driver. Even if you weren’t a problem child, even if you flew under the radar, you still quaked in fear when they yelled or raised their voice or threatened you with assigned seats and letters home to mom and dad.

Well, apparently my nephews have a mean bus driver this year, and I’m not happy.

The other day my oldest nephew got off the bus sobbing. He had been dared to “Stick his head in the aisle” by another kid. This is against the rules? As he was getting off the bus the driver told him angrily, “YOU will have to go talk to the principal, this is a write up!”

Well here’s the deal, my nephew is 8, he is NOT a problem child, and he has never been in real “trouble” at school. So he panicked. He walked into the house, barely able to breathe, and thankfully his mom had gotten home early.

She calmed him down and talked with him about it. He said, “I don’t want my sister to ride the bus! I don’t want her to have a mean bus driver!” (She is 2, so at least 2 years before this is a problem.)

I was ready to throw hands, but my brother and sil are much more levelheaded. They handled things, but how heart breaking is that? We are a small country school. Each graduating class has less than 100 people in it. The community is small. It’s not a dangerous school, or a group of extra bad kids… why work with kids if you hate them? Why drive a bus if you can’t handle it? Why torment an 8 year old boy and threaten them with removal from the bus if he has never caused an issue before?

It’s extra disappointing because last year they had two of THE nicest bus drivers ever. People who loved the kids and their job and knew the kids by name and remembered what they liked and who their families are… People who LOVE their work. Also, people who are older and retiring soon. As far as I know this new, mean bus driver is younger. Like, under 40 younger.