Who's Driving the School Bus?

by Kristina Chew · 2009-02-04 14:04:00 UTC
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A friend whose son turned 21 and finished school a few years ago told us that the biggest headache in getting services set up was not the actual services themselves----a placement in a center was found---but finding transportation. My son only spends about 20 minute total going each way but "getting on the bus" looms large as an event in all three of our days. While Charlie has gotten used to the school day starting an hour earlier, waking up and getting up happen in very slow motion and there's been mornings when, try as we all might and knowing that other kids are waiting to be picked up, I have to rush out to ask the bus driver if she can just wait a minute or two.

Many drivers have told us not to worry about them waiting and encouraged Charlie on days when he hesitated. The driver for the first part of this school year was rather not so inclined to......ok, let's just say, when the double doors opened, either silence or "hurry up, Charlie" as heard. About two weeks ago there was another driver who told us she'd be the regular driver, and turned to greet Charlie with an easy "hey, Charlie!".

Small thing, a "hello," but what a huge difference. After reading about 7-year-old Gustavo Romano who stopped speaking after being left for two hours on a schoolbus in Brooklyn last fall (from the New York Daily News) and about organized crime possibly retaining "influence in the New York City school bus market" (from yesterday's New York Times)---sometimes you really have to wonder who's driving the bus.

Photo by wheany.

Kristina Chew
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