u/Wabi_Sabi_Love

I heard back from a manager at my new school van job on Thursday. Having passed my many checks (background, drug, health, moving violations, child abuse), I expected that I’d start some sort of additional training this coming week - such as familiarizing myself with the van, the route, and perhaps other stuff, such as how to deal with kids on the bus. The manager said she’d get back to me this coming week, but my first work day may be the first day of school, 8/24.

If that’s what happens, it would surprise me a bit. I might just need to receive my route, plot it in my GPS, and go!

We shall see.

I am grateful that I’ll soon be transporting kids to and from school, and I’m grateful that I can drive a van to do so, as I don’t have a CDL. 

But I’m not sure why some schools use vans? When I was a kid - a long time ago - there were only school buses. So why vans? And when did that become a thing?

My guesses are:

1. Schools aren’t getting enough CDL qualified drivers. 
2. Maybe I’ll be sent on a route that picks up students from out of way corners of the county or maybe even students that aren’t even in the district?

Any of these theories hold water? Are there other reasons for vans?

Thank You!

I will soon be driving kids to school for the first time. Do you veterans have any advice for me?

Truth be told, I’m less nervous about the actual driving of the school van than in dealing with the children, particularly if a kid isn’t following the rules. I’ve had over thirty years managing projects and adults, and zero years “managing” children.

I’d love to have all of your hard won lessons about driving and the children that you’re willing to share with me - and the other first-timers that will find this post.

Thank you!

I am starting as a school van driver in less than two weeks.

I was talking with my awesome wife and I referred to myself as a “school bus driver”, and she (jokingly) chided me and accused me of “stolen valor” since I don’t have my CDL and therefore cannot drive a bus.

Just amused me; though I’d share here.

It is, I guess, an auditory hallucination. This happens to me a few times a year. It startles me wide awake, but having experienced this for decades, I know immediately that the experience is only in my head. So not a concern, but I am curious what the mechanism may be behind this phenomenon.

Trying to remember the title of a movie I enjoyed in the 1980s. What I recall:

* Genre: Science Fiction/Post Apocalypse

* Plot: Man - scientist? - wakes up to find everyone has just disappeared. He thinks he’s the last man alive. Eventually finds one, maybe two, other people alive. Maybe an experiment gone wrong? Man sacrifices himself to try and reverse the catastrophe. I think it takes place in Australia.

Oh, I think there is a strange sky? A giant ringed planet?

I’m tagging this with the spoiler tag even though I’m not 100% sure about everything I’ve written above. It’s been maybe 40 years since I saw it!