Waving Goodbye to the Bus

then have a look at this school bus which is economical and environment friendly

http://www.ceveni.com/2008/10/school-bus-that-shocks-you.html

--Peter

II should not have been surprised. Trust newsweek to take a situation and distort it to fit its agenda. Columbia Missouri's program of children walking to school is a FITNESS program called the "Walking School Bus". It was not started as a response to rising fuel costs but if it can serve parts of town that are impacted by reduced bus routes that is wonderful. The author's intentional failure to mention the origins of the program as a Fitness for kids plan and misrepresent it as an environmental evolution is poor journalism. The most shining example of misreporting is the quote of the poor first grader in the last few sentences who has to take the "long morning hike" on a "really big hill" that the reader is led to believe is being forced to walk due to high costs and budget cuts. The fact is that the child's parents voluntarily signed him up for this walking program and that if he waits another 10 minutes he could take the bus that will pass right by his house. It is a great program that was poorly represented by an author that could probably use a good walk.

We have to pay for our children to ride the bus. We live almost six miles from school, so walking really isn't a practical and safe solution. While I could drive them to school, that would cost us more than a bus pass. That would also add to the congestion around the school as well.

What's frustrating is that they are REQUIRED to attend school and we have to pay for busing costs all the while millions of tax dollars are being spent to help those who "can't" speak the English language, as well as all the give-away programs like free breakfasts and computer classes for the parents and all the goodies for the folks who have little ones under five years of age. Some of those folks have learnt the ropes of the system and milk it for all its worth.

Those who ARE responsible for themselves are the very ones who are penalized for doing so! I have no problem with temporary help for those who need it, BUT making a lifestyle of relying on others is just plain WRONG!

It IS frustrating to have to dole out over $200 for our two children to ride the bus to school every semester!

They ARE required to attend school. They live almost six miles from school, so walking is not an option. I could drive them, but that would take a chunk out of our living expenses.

The frustrating thing is that there are so many freebie programs to "help" out the families that WON'T learn English, have come to expect free programs to feed their children, are given freebies like car seats and free computer classes.

It's like society rewards those who WON'T help themselves and continue to pop out kid after kid. They have learned to milk the system and milk it well they do!!

I understand that "back in the day," everyone walked to school, but with all the asthma and many other diseases kids have, it would be very difficult. Especially where I live, the elementary school is about one to two miles outside of town. There are also giant coal trucks speeding up and down the roads. Personally, I wouldn't want any 1st and 2nd grade kids walking on a narrow shoulder while these coal trucks, construction vehicles, and normal everyday vehicles are speeding by. It would be like sending them to go play in traffic.

Where I live, it would be almost impossible for kids to make it to the elementary school by walking. There are big, eighteen-wheel coal trucks barreling their way though town and 9 out of ten of those coal trucks go by both the high school and the elementary school. At the high school, many of us carpool, and quite a bit of people walk. But unlike the high school, which is actually in town, the elementary school is another mile or more away. And honestly, how many people want tiny 1st & 2nd graders walking on a narrow shoulder, with giant coaltrucks, cement truck, and many, many constuction vehicles speeding by? Not me. I am in my 11th grade of high school and I wouldn't think most of MY grade could make it, let alone, pre-k and kindergarten kids.

ya and what about those who have asthma walking could kill them

When I was in school, just about everyone rode the bus. But it was a VERY rural district - more kids were enrolled in the schools than there were people living in the town the schools were located in. On my bus, my brother, sister, and I were the closest stop to our school - about 10 miles away.

I love the idea of a walking school bus. With so many kids struggling with obesity its just seems like the most logical thing to do. As for the stay at home mom dag1005, you sound a little bitter. It is a blessing to be able to stay at home. Why not share that blessing with the other kids in the neighborhood? I am a working mom and am blessed to have wonderful and supportive neighbors where I live. The next time you are shopping, going to the doctor's office, talking to your children's teachers, remember many are working moms.

I can certainly understand the rising fuel costs but speaking from the point of view as a school bus driver myself it is a shame to cut drivers jobs as most of us dont work an 8 hour day anyways and i retired after 14 yrs of driving and went back to work last fall and enjoy it once more. I enjoy the job and like i say you have to have a knack for the job to stick with it, its rewarding and God has blessed me alot thru all the yrs. It is the safest mode of transporting the kids to school and think about it the buses hold as much as 70+ kids so why cut the buses. Kids learn to ride the buses and parents know they are safe on the buses as we are professionals behind the wheel and I really care about the kids and doing my job as excellant as possible. I am in my 16th yr and prefer to think the parents feel safe knowing i have experience behind the wheel of the buses. I really like my job!~! please support us drivers in all we do!~! Its a rewarding job and people have no idea whats all involved, it seems to be a thankless job but God rewards!~! Thanks to the kids who want us back as their driver and parents who praise us. PLEASE KEEP OUR JOBS AVAILABLE TO THE DRIVERS AND SAFE AVAILABLE TRANSPORTATION TO ALL STUDENTS. THANK YOU.

I just remembered this but in our district they cancled the after school buses. And I stay after almost everyday, and this year so far, I've generally been the only student to stay after, as apposed to the 15 or so who stayed after last year. Because no one can get a ride home at 4:00. I mean, it's an after-school bus so that's better than cutting buses off of the morning and afternoon routes.

Hey most other articles are talking about the obesity of our kids anyway. But 1) Im wondering what parts of town they chose to cancel and which ones they chose to keep....2) What are the schools prepared to put in place as far as the kids safety? YOu cant just cancel trasnportation and hope that all parents have enough sense to go through a safe route and safety befor esending their kid off on a 1/2 mile hike! 3) We live in a very good neighborhood six blocks from our kids' school and we wont let them walk because their elementary is on the same block as the high school and all roads are busy in the morning with teenage drivers with new licenses and some others who should have never received licenses to begin with. 4) As far as carpooling, I know how that would work RIGHT NOW...Myself and one other mom would be doing all of the driving as all the other mothers work! We happen to be two of the same people who dont have work as an excuse when it comes time to volunteer for everything else!

Now...will taxpayers get a break through all of the buses they dropped off the route. That way they can take that savings and put it in their own tank when it is 20 below and the kids need a ride?!! Or how much more burden are governments, who misspend money, going to put on all of us before they go to the source and get big oil to stop gouging us? Hey food prices are going up too, maybe we should do away with lunch programs as well! Mom and Dad can go to work an hour late so they can pack their kids' lunches. OH NO that wont work we will just burn the candle at both ends for an even longer amount of time! LETS HEAP IT ALL ON THE WORKING CLASS we will work more and get supported less and less!

Let's put our ideas together & come up with some solution(s) Here in Delaware, our local ridesharing organization has a program called the School Pool Program. This program is a carpool matching program for parents of Delaware school children. There lies the answer. The schools could potentially send the entire school roster to one of these organizations (where all personal information is kept confidential)and the ridesharing program could match every family together to form carpools. I am employed by one of these organizations, and many families here in Delaware take advantage of it. Check with the local Transportation Management Association in your area.

I always walked to school and never complained. Not even when it was snowy. Neighbors would sit on their porches in the morning to make sure we got there okay- even if they didn't have kids of their own going to the school.