Note To Parents: You Raise Them, I Just Drive Them

A few weeks ago I had a mother come to my bus (oh joy) and begin to, in not such a nice way, tell me that one of her three sons needed to sit in the front of the bus because he was being 'annoyed' by another student. Ok, cool, I understand that, as a mother I wouldn't want my child to be 'annoyed' by anyone either, but as I was trying to explain to her that 1.)her child already sits all the way up front and 2.)he is (from my observation) more of an instigator than a victim and that if she could talk to him about his behavior while I handle the other child that would help everyone out, her other son (his twin) began heading down the stairs. With my trained bus driver eye I notice that this child had a paint can opener in his hand, the same paint can opener I noticed he had in his hand last Friday after he got off the bus, the same paint can opener I explained to him the previous Friday was not allowed on the bus again and the same paint can opener I asked him did he leave at home this Monday morning and he told me he had.

Pause, now some would ask me why didn't I take the paint can opener from him on Friday? 1.)because I didn't see it in his possession until he had already disembarked from the bus and 2.) he would not come back to the bus to give it to me and 3.) as a trained professional I am taught that you NEVER leave even one student unattended on a school bus to get off to deal with another student (there were still about 40 students still on the bus) and 4.) his mom was waiting at the front door for him to walk home and I assumed as his parent since he was running with it in his hand she would deal with it.

Back to the story, so I see lil Petey with the paint can opener again and since mom is standing right there I nicely (yes really) tell her that lil Petey can not have such things on the school bus, they can be considered weapons and our county has a zero tolerance policy for weapons on the school bus. And do you know what this woman said to me? Do you know what this PARENT said to me? I'm gonna tell you...She asked me "well since you knew he had it last Friday why didn't you take it away from him?"(still calm) I explained to mom how I didn't notice it until he'd left the bus and was cheerfully on his way into her loving arms. And do you know what she said to me then? Yes, she had more to say..."well, its your responsibility to check his book bag and make sure he doesn't have stuff like this in there"...

Pause, its so NOT my responsibly. I even went back and referenced my employee handbook and specifically the bus manager responsibility section and nowhere in that whole section did it say that I was supposed to search the children for weapons upon entering the bus each and every day. .I looked twice, I checked three times and nope, nothing. Not even a whisper of it.

Back to the story...I kept my cool. I smiled through gritted teeth and I explained to sassy pants mama that it was not my right to search the children's property without reasonable cause or expressed permission from the child and I had neither. I also reminded her that he had it on Friday, when he walked up to her and she, as the parent, should be aware of what's in her child's book bag each and everyday when he leaves for school. Then she asked me (wait for it) 'where did he get it from?" How in the heck would I know?! I don't hand out candy, let alone paint can openers to the children on the bus, was she implying that I gave it to him? And then she again told me (not informed me, but told me) that I should check his and all the children's book bags when they get on the bus...umm no...just no.

Last time I checked it was the parent's job to raise the children, its my job to transport them to and from school...Its the PARENT'S job to watch their children, know who their friends are, who they talk to and play with and what they are bringing home from school. And if I'm not mistaken she signed a waiver like all us parents did at registration relieving myself and all the bus drivers in our county from any liability related to anything their children encountered while not specifically in my care. Basically she signed a piece of paper stating that she would be a parent to her children and not hold me, the driver responsible for her child's actions.

It's my job to take care of them while they are on my bus, but its the parents job to make sure that all their children do not bring things on my bus that could hurt them or hurt others. I signed the waiver for my child and I know what's in her book bag every single day before she rides my bus and when she gets off because I PARENT her.