Gotta Hate The First Day Of School! , But Ya Gotta Love It To!

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This discussion may start out like any other day. But read on... Well the summer has calmed down. Family vacations are over. The school clothes shopping is done, and the country fairs have moved on. It's time to kick off the new school year! Well let me tell you the start of the new school year did not start out well in our city. I'm an ex school bus driver. I drove 8 years, and even I had a hard time figuring out the day today. Nobody told us we would have a new bus company!!! The department of transportation could not even tell us what bus number my grandkids would be taking. Also they wanted my grandkids to stand at a major intersection to catch the bus. They are in grade school. My grandkids are 12 & 8 years old. The youngest being 4 years old. Anyway the bus was late picking the kids up. "Ok first day a little late, but at the end of the day my grandkids are missing. I had gotten the numbers for the new bus company from the school in the morning when I took the 4 year old in for orientation for pre-K. I called the bus company when I got home with my 4 year old, and gave them my thoughts on where my grandkids were picked up. I'm sorry but you never pick kids up at a major intersection!! & you never make them cross the street, if at all possible. Because people don't stop for school busses. I have experienced this many times. People just run your red's!!! I almost had a kid hit because of this, and it was on a one-way street. THEY are in to much of a HURRY and to Full of Their Selves, AND Talking On CELL PHONES to care about anything else.. ( But if it was their KIDS and something happened) GOD FORBID. They would be out for blood. Well you get my point. So I'm waiting on the porch since 2:40pm. The bus company said the bus would be at me house at 2:55pm. School gets out at 2:05pm. At 3:10pm (yes I was looking at my cell phone time) as I have to take my grandkids to my job with me)for a half hour, till their mom picks them up. By the way I have a great boss!! Anyway I see the 42 bus, ( my grandkids bus go up the hill) I wait 5 minutes and call the bus garage. I get a recording. How could they dare put a recording on their phone?????? Parents are waiting for their kids to come home and are worried. After all it's the first day of school, and a new bus company to boot. What the heak?? I also called the Transportation Supervisor. Another Recording. I also left my cell phone number more than once. So I'm waiting on the porch with the 4 year old. I decided the next bus I saw " I was going to stop it" and I did. I flagged it and chased it down. I told the driver what was going on etc. I said "You better get your dispatcher on the radio and find out where my grandkids are. Mind you I held up the traffic at our intersection for some time. lol people were turning their cars around and going up the hill. and if not that, beeping their horns. As I walked by their cars I told them. Look I can't find my grandkid, and they are missing. So live with it. They were sorry, I did'nt know. But I didn't care I wanted to find my grandkids. At this point in time it was 3:30pm, Remember they got out at 2:05 pm. Well They could not find either of my grandkids! They called the 42 bus on the radio, she said my grandkids were not on the bus. What the He**? As I said I drove school bus, and I know there are a lot of things that can happen to a child. At this point I was starting to shake. I also felt bad, because my 8 year old granddaughter begged me not to make her take the school bus this year. It was their very first year!!! Well not really. When they were babies they rode with me on my mini bus. Anyway (Sorry If This Is A Long Story). All The sudden a bus pulls up down the corner at the main intersection, and I saw Shelly's bright blue shirt!, and I was like Kayla stay on the porch and don't move! I hit it running. That driver was not getting away from me lol. She was like "don't even yell at me" (With an attitude) I'm like oh Ya I'm gonna yell at you. She knew I was mad. She was like "I'm new" I'm from Kansas.( No offense anyone), But Dotty dear you are not in Kansas anymore. You are In NY. I told her you never pick kids up at an intersection like that, and I told her where the kids are picked up. Which is in front of my house across the street in front of the community gardens, and no I didn't make it up. We are close to the corner. Then she asked me how to get to the next dropoff stop. Which I told her how to get there . I talked to my grandson tonite after I got home from my job. I asked him where all the kids are being picked up. Wow I could not belive all the kids that are being bussed to this school. This school is out of our disrict. My grandkids go to this school for safety issues " due to my daughters "ex boyfriend". But I couldn't belive all the kids on the bus that were still left.I'm not being cold hearted (really), but I was worried about the kids. And I had to get to work, plus on certain days I take them to work till my daughter picks them up. But I did feel sorry for her in a way. If I could have I would of put the kids back on the bus, and I would of showed her where all the streets were. I probobly could have mapped her route out better than the bus company. Cause after I talked to my grandson it's all helter skelter. But I was really scared, and I still have to worry. New bus company, and nobody knew about it,even the secretary at the school said it was a surprise. And a kicker. When I was on the phone with the bus garage earlier in the day, after they found out I used to drive school bus. They offered me a job. They were like you can drive your kids or take them to work with you, if they are little.. I was like No Thank you. I Have Hung up my bus keys 6 years ago. With kids today you never know what is going to happen. If we didn't have to do this bussing thing we wouldn't. But I guess my daughter will go back to midnights. Yo thats a whole nother discussion. Anyway sorry if this was to long or boring. Just wanted to let ya know what was going on in our first day of school. Bottom line. Never wait to long to find out where your kids are !