Every day is a learning experience

The afternoon run

Last Thursday, in my elementary school load, one little girl didn’t know where to get off, and I went around the (8) blocks twice, hoping that she would recognise her stop, or that I would see a parent, waiting for her kid.

Well, that didn’t happen, so I let her off around the corner from stop number two, which I shouldn’t have done.  I later found out that I should have taken her back to her school and let them deal with the little girl.

**

Well, it happened again this afternoon.

The girl was still on my bus after the second stop.  I was told not to drive around the block, that it made bus driver’s look dumb, to just take her back to the elementary school.  So, that’s what I did today – took her right back to school, even though she asked me if I could drop her at the same place as last week.  Now, I am kind of surprised I didn’t get in trouble, dropping that kid at a non-standard stop.  So, today, I went right back to the school and got a teacher there to deal with it.

**

I was feeling pretty good, after that test, and drove over to the third and last stop for those kids, a daycare center.  If you’ll remember, I had some trouble getting out of that place’s lot, brushing a stop sign because there wasn’t room not to.

Today though, there was lots of room, so I was in and outa there, and feeling fine.  I drove over to the next pick-up point, to get high school kids at a skill center to take back to their school, where I was to pick up other kids to take home from there.

I drove over to the Skill center to pick up the kids to take back to their High School and since I was there a bit early (and parked correctly, this time) I got up and began to walk the bus, looking for trash, damaged seats, left behind items, and etc.

I found a lttle girl, just waking up.

Ohhh shit.

Just then, the radio rang and it was dispatch, asking if I had so and so on the bus – "Yup, I just found her.  What should I do?"

"Can you drive her back to the daycare center?"

"Well, yeaaah, but what about my high school kids?"

A long silence ensued on the radio, so I said hi to the girl and tried to be reassuring and put her at ease (not that she was freaking out, but I was, kind of  ).

The dispatcher got back to me in a few minutes and said that the head trainer was on his way over with a vehicle to pick up the girl.  By that time, my High School kids were beginning to get on, and I was in the way of six other buses.  I started up and moved out of the way (and learned that in that case, I should put on my emergency flashers to let the other drivers know to go aroud me).  I got on the PA system and told my HS kids that we would be a little delayed and waited until the trainer came and got the girl.

(not too much complaining….)

No bad words for this cat, then or later, from the head trainer.  Whew!

Got to the high school and let off one batch of kids and got the other on board and started on the way to their drops.

Ahead of me, in the road, were firetrucks and cop cars, blocking the road, the one I needed to be on.

Ohhh, shiiiit.

It’s pretty hilly right there, and very steep.  I dropped the bus into low gear and turned down the hill, asking the kids if anyone knew whether I would be able to get back to where I needed to be.

I could, and I did, and I made all of my stops correctly.  Everyone got off where they were supposed to and I got back to the barn and parked my bus like I’ve been doing it all my life.  Smoooth.

**

Every day, there’s more to learn on this job.  Every day is new.  I’m close to feeling the routine, but still, there is something new to deal with every day.

***

I like this job.  I’m feeling pretty competant.  But, there is something new every day.

And it’s only Monday.

***

I get my healthcare package tomorrow.

Ya fucking hooo!

Life is getting better and better – and I got paid today, for the newspapers.  Money (some) in the bank, decent jobs to do, and my loving cat-

I don’t think I should ask for more, do you?

*****