There have recently been two runaway school bus stories in the news. In both stories children used quick thinking and stopped the bus before major consequences took place.
However in the first story that I will share with you, the student is suffering some consequences of her own.
It seems that the high school student, Amanda Rouse, began feeling sick. Instead of visiting the nurse or calling home for someone to come and pick her up, she took actions into her own hands. Against the rules, she got on a bus with elementary school students and decided to ask the bus driver for a ride.
It seems that on the trip home, the bus went around a curve and the bus driver fell to the floor. While the bus driver was suffering from a concussion, the bus was out of control. The bus hit two cars. Rouse jumped to the seat and hit the brakes to bring the bus to a stop before anymore damage could be done.
While I think that most were grateful that the girl was on the bus, the school did not appreciate the fact that she did not follow the proper procedures for calling in or leaving sick. For breaking their rules and “skipping” school, the girl received Saturday detention.
There are many very disturbing questions that I have about this story. So far I have not been able to find the answers that I am looking for. First, it seems that if Amanda did in fact ask the bus driver for a ride and the driver agreed, then the driver should be in trouble as an accomplice of breaking the rules.
Also how does a driver fall out of the seat when going around the curve? Did the driver get sick? Why did the driver not have on a seat belt?
Should School Buses have Seat Belts?
Once Upon a Time on the School Bus
Promoting Good School Bus Behavior