Please do not feel obligated to read this post. I feel like all I've done is complain this month! But I had to get it off my chest and this is where I chose to do it, since I've already yelled at Durham bus services twice.
Last year Tacoma Public Schools used First Student bus services for their transportation needs. We had an awesome driver named Tom. He was great! The kids on the bus loved him. He dropped Abby off a half block closer than her actual stop just because it was on the way and seemed right to him. He was always within 10 minutes of being on time, usually right on the button. He was rarely absent and the consistency was great.
This year Tacoma decided to contract with Durham transportation instead. The first few days were not so bad - there were the usual glitches as they reworked the route based on who actually showed up. The driver was new but not unfriendly, just very matter of fact and usually on time. Then she started to go missing. Every few days we'd get a new driver, holding the steering wheel in one hand, the route sheet and radio in his/her other, barely watching the road, usually 15 minutes late or more.
This week we've had a new sub every day. Tuesday the bus was 25 minutes late picking them up and 20 minutes late dropping them off. Wednesday I took them to school after we waited 20 minutes. I also learned that they already have 12 tardies for the year from the bus being late. The bus finally showed up at school yesterday morning 40 minutes after classes started. Thank God I took them instead. That was when I started calling the company. Yesterday afternoon they got home 55 minutes late after waiting outside the school for 20 minutes before the bus even showed up. This morning we waited 20 minutes before I drove them and called again. The supervisor called the driver, who said he was running 15 minutes behind. I told him the driver was lying.
These are the snippets I get from the kids:
"When we have a sub and she gets lost, she calls her friend on the radio for directions. Yesterday she had a bad friend and they told her the wrong way."
"The driver got lost and we drove around down by Jumah's school. We could see them practicing football. Finally Eve (another 3rd grader) helped him get back on the right road." (WAY off the route)
"We tried to tell her which way to go but she wouldn't listen to us and so she went the wrong way on the one way street and had to turn around. But then she freaked out because the turn-around wasn't big enough for the bus." ?!?!?!
"Today we made it before the bell rang because the new bus driver asked for our help, so we all shouted out which way to turn."
I don't think I'm a bad parent for not dropping off and picking up my kids every day when there is a bus stop just around the corner. Somehow I missed the day they passed out the superpower of being in multiple places at once. But I do think it's concerning when a giant vehicle filled with young children and only one adult wanders around Tacoma lost for an hour. I'm not so sure I want to trust these people with my children anymore.
3 comments:
Complain away my sister...the kids with disabilities in my program get to ride the bus and it could easily be one of my parents writing the same blog. We apparently ALSO dropped First Student after last year. The driver on the field trip kept nodding off while driving a bus full of preschoolers.Have you ever looked into what training you need to be a bus driver? Practically nothing! I'm not sure I would trust them either!
Sad! That is so frustrating, I'm feeling for you!
I hear you sis! The bus sucks. A couple of weeks ago when we thought our son was missing, it was because of the bus system. He was supposed to be home at 4:30 at Wilson instead after arguing with the kids who were trying to tell her that she was going the wrong way she called the police on the kids saying they were being disrespectful. Then dropped them off at Skyline which is not the right stop at 6:30!!!! There were a lot of pissed off parents that night.
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