This is only the fourth day that Stephen has ridden the bus to and from school and I'm so frustrated I can't believe it! This bus system here is NOTHING like good old Chippewa Local Schools where you have the same bus driver year after year and the same memorable bus number to worry about (Like Mrs. Keller driving Bus 12 for who knows how many years, and that was only after Mrs. Jarrett retired from Bus 4 and Jessie left number 14!). No. Here we have several bus lines that are hired to take the children to and from school. Their numbers are confusing (PO53 - Red butterfly to school and PS169 - Black Horse on the way home). There are public and Catholic school busses that stop at the same bus stops so you have to know your number and bus line. They are not necessarily the same bus lines. They seem to never be the same bus driver!!! They are NEVER on a consistent schedule!
Let me explain my frustration. At our orientation meeting with the teacher during the first week of school, she told me that she was checking on Stephen's bus situation on the way home. Seems he was on a bus route that was unfamiliar to the rest of the school and was actually the only one scheduled to ride this particular bus on this particular bus line. Clue number one that we will be having issues! They did some research and found out that for some reason, they had him being bussed to a completely different neighborhood not even within this school's boundaries all by himself! I'm not sure where they were going to drop him off since there's only ONE 30 Crest Haven Street in Kitchener! Not to worry. That problem was resolved before his first bus ride home.
Second clue that there would be issues: Stephen's original drop off time was indicated to be 12:25. School lets out at 11:40. We only live about seven miles from school. Where is the bus going during that time?! No one is quite sure. Day 1, I wait for the bus at 12:25 down the street and around the corner at the bus stop. The bus arrives around 12:40. Day 2, I wait at the same location, but arrive a bit earlier because we are told it would be earlier. Bus arrives at 12:30. The unknown driver shouts to us that it will be 12:11 from now on. Ok. That's a big difference, but I accept that. I find a paper in Stephen's backpack telling us parents that the bus schedule has indeed changed and his drop off time will now be at 12:11 starting Tuesday (day 4). Day 3, I wait at the bus stop at 12:20 and Stephen comes at 12:25. Perfect! But then I get a phone call from the transportation department of the school district saying that Stephen's drop off time will now officially be at 12:25, despite the previous day's letter saying that it was to change to 12:11. I call this morning (day 4) to make sure I know what's going on. I am told to disregard the letter and follow the original time schedule. Stephen will be dropped off at 12:25.
Sigh. This is where I am totally frustrated. Because we had plenty of time, I put Christopher in his stroller and got Timothy's shoes on him and we went the opposite direction out of the house down the next street to the mailbox first. We had plenty of time, so I decided to take advantage of it and get the mail first then go around the block to the bus stop. Well ... as we are still waaayyy down the street, I see the bus come barrelling around the corner and stop! It was only 12:06!!!!!! I grabbed Timothy's hand and started running as fast as I could. Timothy is screaming for me to stop running so I grabbed him and carried him as I tried to run and push the stroller. I don't know why I bothered. He was throwing a fit because he didn't want to be carried. Christopher was screaming because some maniac was pushing his stroller out of control. I was screaming just in case the other parents could hear me to ask the driver to wait.... but no. No one heard until it was too late. They didn't see me or hear me and the bus took off with Stephen still on it. If we aren't there to pick up our child, they have to take them back to the school and we have to go pick them up.
Well, I was pretty upset to say the least. I'm wheezing like crazy now trying to push the stroller uphill and drag Timothy at the same time, knowing it's a lost cause. The other parents see me at this point and they all start running after the bus waving their arms, but no luck. Thank the Lord, the bus goes around a crescent and ends up back at the mailbox where we had just been for another drop off so I knew that if I tried really hard, I could run like crazy back down the street and get to the mailbox before the bus did. As I'm running, I'm shouting at Timothy to go sit on our front steps when we pass our house. What a sweetheart! He did just what I asked. Another mom ran ahead of me since she didn't have a stroller to push, just two little kindergarten boys. She ran ahead with one boy and the other one stayed with Timothy while I pushed Christopher even faster and crazier down the hill now to the mailbox. I got to the end of our street (I still had another half a block to go to get to the bus stop) and decided I was just going to flag the driver down. I had run enough!
She did stop when she saw me standing in the middle of the road waving at her. She looked at me very quizzically and I panted heavily that I wanted to pick up Stephen who was supposed to be dropped off three stops previous. She looked very surprised and there was Stephen standing next to her trying not to cry. She said, "Well, I asked if there was anyone else that was supposed to get off there, but no one answered." Of course not! He's a little kid who is just obeying the adults around him! He didn't realize he was allowed to make that decision as to whether or not he should get off! Poor kid! He was so brave, but I could tell he wasn't quite sure what to think about all this. He never would have said a word, but would have dutifully ridden all the way back to school if I hadn't have been able to stop the bus!
So who knows what's going to happen now. When I called the bus garage today to confirm the drop off time of 12:25 (NOT 12:06!!), she told me that for now this is the time, but that it will be changing again. I'm not sure how much longer I can do this. Do you know how hard it is to entertain two little boys for a half an hour time span at a bus stop with nothing to do but wait?! They're not that patient! Thankfully the weather has been beautiful, but had it been raining, or worse yet, snowing, I would have been more than frustrated!
Oh, give me Chippewa's Mrs. Keller who would have sat there and waited for me because she would have known that I would be there! I hope I don't have any more days like today for a long, long time! If ever!
On the positive side: at least I got more than my normal exercise in today! :)
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4 comments:
Keep the excercise going! I thought your story was hillarious! I can picture your "grrrrr" in my mind!
One of the hardest things about the oldest kid in a school system unfamiliar to the parents is a total lack of understanding of how things work! It doesn't end! Taylor has been the guinea pig for the family as we try to navigate all the "understood" stuff in this community--from sports issues, band issues, job applications for teens, pick-up policies in the different schools. In high school there are even more (no pep rallies, but a long, drawn-out assembly introducing the homecoming court?).
The good news is that by the time it's Timothy's turn, you'll know what's going on!
Yes, I got in my unplanned exercise, but I sure don't want to be doing that every day! It was double stress on my heart causing physical and emotional pain.
I am finding out about all those little "understood" things here, too, but now our problem is that next year when Timothy starts, both boys will be going to the new school that is supposed to open next fall. We'll have to start all over again!
That bus system sounds crazy. Are they school busses?
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