I read yesterday about the school bus crash on Indy’s east side. It’s just horrible — the bus driver and a child dead, others hurt, one child stuck under the front wheel of the school bus for quite some time, but last I heard still alive (not sure how THAT happened).
Of course, I have no clue who was at fault in the accident, but I do know a few things about driving a school bus. I know that driver’s are most often hired on the basis of how cheaply they will take the job — at least that’s the way it is in the Ville. I know that school buses are an annoyance to drivers heading to work, and I know drivers do crazy things to outrun a bus as to not be delayed. I know that kids are turds. ALL kids are turds y’all. Yes, even yours. While I’m sure we’ll hear more insofar as the cause — why exactly that bus hit a big ole’ support beam — it will most likely be determined by someone who has never had the privilege of actually driving one.
Several years ago, I was driving my school bus loaded with about 40 students on Bethany Road heading toward the school. With a child standing standing near the road’s edge on my left to pick-up, I look ahead a good distance and see a large lumber truck (from a Seymour, IN company I will not name) coming to meet me. I start the amber lights flashing (warning the truck I’m going to be stopping waaaay in advance), and slow to a stop — at which time the stop-arm comes out and all the amber lights turn to red. I see the truck isn’t slowing down. Knees turning to jello, I yell for the child NOT to cross, but to instead GET BACK. Luckily, his Mother was standing waiting with him, heard my screams and pulled him farther back in the driveway. Bethany Road is narrow when you’ve got two very large vehicles meeting one another on it.
And get this… the lumber truck was SO CLOSE to the bus, that it tore the stop-arm that extends about 12 inches from the side of the bus right off!!
The truck finally stops (a good bit behind the bus before it could slow down enough to GET stopped) and the driver moseys up toward us. I have the bus turned off, the key in my pocket, ordered the kids to remain seated and am off that bus before he even gets close. The child waiting to be picked up is fine. By the time the driver of the truck gets to me, I admit, I’m LIVID.
Me: WHY DIDN’T YOU STOP???
Him: I didn’t even see you.
School buses haul the world’s most precious cargo. Good bus drivers know this, and pay more attention when driving that y’all can even imagine. I certainly don’t mean to place blame elsewhere, but I know from experience, a million factors could’ve contributed. But again… oftentimes precious cargo is transported by whoever (or whatever) will do it cheapest. Tax dollars are often appropriated for nicer classrooms, flashy signs and great landscaping, but it’s my opinion transportation dollars need to be of greater focus. Case in point? A Hamilton County bus driver arrested Saturday faces eight counts of child molestation after police say a video camera showing some of the acts was discovered in his home.
