Drunk School Bus Driver Takes 37 Kids on Wild, Dangerous Ride
Submitted by DeepDiveAdmin on Jan 5, 2010
NEW YORK --- More than 37 kids, some crying and all fearing for their safety, were put into terrible danger when a drunk school bus driver took them on a wild ride last May. Now 56-year-old Martha Thompson, who had a .15 blood alcohol level while driving a bus for Alfred-Almond school district in Allegany County, will spend 90 days in jail and serve six months under house arrest.
The video, from LiveLeak, shows one student screaming, "Put on the brake!" But Thompson refused, saying "Will you guys stop?" One student replies, "Well, you're not okay and I know it." The bus hit high speeds, ran over a mailbox, and started rolling backwards downhill. Here's the video:
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ALWAYS turn your school bus key on with Love, Understanding, a Clear Head, and prayer : Ask before each route that the Lord guides you in safety and patience [for you and all those around you be it in or outside the bus]...
1.] ALL school buses should be required to have loaded cameras on board!
"Cameras Don't Lie!!" It's called proof!
2.] Grow up People--If the drivers eyes are on the students - then who is watching the road?? Road safe first can mean = you CAN NOT SEE All that goes on in the bus. If the driver see's all that is going on in the bus - then the driver is not watching the road!
simple thought hey........
3.] Most bus drivers actually can get their students under control! But if not, your [leadership should back you at all cost to keep saftey first] - CALL you leadership on the bus radio and make a report right away. They may need to send a squad car or show up themselves on your route. Let them can make the judgement call, [[some youth need to be restrained from harming others]], Ive seen it.
4.] Absolutley NO excuse for drunk driving of any kind of auto!
5.] Over the years I would say there is always 1 maybe 2 youth that are disrespectful to the driver, but as the year goes on those youth and driver can come to an understanding. Its not about controlling the youth's personality and the drivers, it should be about being SAFE First!
6.] As a retired EMT - I do not believe in seatbelts on a school bus, cause if there is an accident it would [slow down the exit process], think about it.
7.] Students can read the additude of a driver so don't blame them, food for thought..
8.] Remember, we are there teachers also lets act like one, set a good example and give them good memories, many of the students have poor examples at home lets help them with Love and understanding.
First of all..
You all came back with responses that simply made the point I was trying to make..
'Drivers are subjected to disrespect'.
I said 'THIS IS SORT OF TYPICAL ANYWAY'...And explained what the students were doing wrong themselves, BEFORE they noticed the driver might be under the influence..
Instantly I am accused of being stupid, not able to control students and worse that I was condoning the driver being under the influence~!.
You need to stop and check yourselves here..
If you had any idea the hours and hours of classes and work a driver must put in every year just to 'keep' their license you would see how absurd you are in responding to me the way you did.
If you had any sense at all you would know there is no way on earth I am condoning a driver being under the influence.
BUT... Thats where the disrespect comes in..
It's such a shame, you don't 'get it'..Or understand at all..
It's people like you that keep the revolving door going..Most people can't take being a driver for even one year, thanks to this kind of attitude..
And every year school children pay for that, by having driver after driver quit..To be replaced by a new inexperienced driver, who might miss a stop, or not notice a child getting hastled, or worse have a wreck trying to control a bus load of unruly kids that think it's fun to torment the "sub"..
Which leads to a shortage of drivers and less people that stay for years who can take charge and keep a bus full of kids in check.
LIke I said I did it for 25 years and I saw many many good people treated like garbage..Parents defending their kids..
" Silly bus driver and the stupid rules"..
Sorry, But none of you quite get it...
Why don't you just go take a look at some of the video from a bus a new driver is on?
You might change your opinion.
You might see that your a huge part of this problem..
Like I said this is your "precious cargo", .If you want quality drivers then treat the ones you have like they are quality people..
There might not be so many rottin apples getting in to drive your kids.Even if they only last a week or two..They have still been on the road with your kids~!..
You must have had a bad expierence in your 25 years driving . If you actually watch the video the boy in the middle notices the drunk has missed the turn, he points this out and then that's when the girl gets up and says something. If you watch eight seconds before the drunk passes the turn all of the kids seem pretty quite. My question to you is: What were those kids doing wrong before they noticed their bus driver was intoxicated?
Just last month I was one of six chaperons chaperoning sixty high school students and quess what there were some unruly kids. However, they were quickly put in check and here's the thing you might not quiet understand, THEY LISTENED.
If you actually read my post I was responding to your "precious cargo" comment and your "most under appreciated stressful jobs in the USA" comment, nor did I notice anyone else responding absurdly. Listen my Aunt is a school bus driver and a very good one at that, she has been driving a bus for over 30 years and at sixty two she's still doing it.
Respect is earned! Yes a school bus driver just like any hard working American deserves respect, but give me a break your driving children not senior citizens.
I think you chose the wrong blog to post such an oppinion and I understand your poor judgment. Maybe you should copy and past it on a web site for school bus drivers who are being disrespected by their occupants.
You're right about one thing, this is a revolving door and we can go back and forth until the drunk gets her license back, BUT the real issue here is this: All jobs for the most part are stressful, if not then your on vacation. For you to make light of the childrens behavior and not the gross negligence of the driver is a travesty in itself. Again you chose the wrong forum to oppinunate your woes about disrespected school bus drivers.
Continue watching this fiasco.
Students screaming and blasting out the back door.. Getting smaller children upset..
And just what about the way the students handled this situation was mature or in any way commendable..?
Other than recognizing the driver was under the influence??
I watched the entire video . So you mean to continue on your tirade about the rules and regulations of how children need to act on a moving school bus? Thank goodness that girl didn't follow the rules or else who know's what would have happened. If you read the article it states she was driving at high speeds, ran over a mailbox and nearly backed up in to a ditch. Now if this were a non-intoxicated person driving this particular bus and it just so happens she accidently missed the turn and that same girl walked up to the front of the bus, the responsible thing that bus driver would have done was pull over and reprimand her. BUT NO she in fact was not sober and was yelling, and did not pull over when she should have!
Did you notice the girl saying "stop the bus I have to pee", do you really think she had to pee? read between the lines mary, these kids were scared and tried everyway they knew how to get her to stop. Thank goodness that girl was smart enough to open the emergency exit, it was either that or possibly being scrapped up off the pavement!
Not once did I say in any of my posts that you condoned the drivers actions and yes I do have a clue what it's like to be under a lot of stress and deal with very large vehicles and machinery.
Once again you chose the wrong forum. Of course it's unsafe to stand up and walk around on a moving bus! But it didn't seem to bother this bus driver because she kept driving until there was enough commotion going on prompting her to stop.
So what the kid got sassy and said "duh." Was she using foul language or causing bodly harm to anyone? Don't you think your being overly sensitive?
The only thing you have "enlightened" me on is your total disregard and lack of focus. If your going to voice an oppinion in favor of or against chose the right fight. You have repeatedly lessened the behavior of this driver and highlighted the "many" infractions made by these kids. So is not to disappoint: who's really missing the point?
I am missing the point?
I commented on the dangerous actions of the students ..
I thought it would go without saying that the 'driver was wrong'~! Because 'That had already been established'~!!
What was not established was the students and the danger they were 'contributing' to the situation.
The video clearly shows chaos and the kids getting commended on their actions, by the people commenting..
Tell me please, what would have happened when these students jumped out the back of the bus if the driver were to keep sliding backwards?
Or if the student had fallen into the driver ?
Of if some one were hit by a car outside of the bus?
You keep chastising me for pointing out the students actions..Well I am sorry, but I think it's wrong to show this video without commenting on the actions of all that contributed to making this a dangerous situation..
So excuse me for thinking in terms of safety for all.
The video is on the internet ..I surely wouldn't want it to be a learning experience for how to act every time a driver misses a turn..
As for showing the driver speeding or going over mailbox's..That is not shown on this video.
Please can we only focus on what we are seeing ?
Because that is where my comments are being directed..
So to that I am on the right forum and making the right comments to what is actually here to comment on..
If you want comments on the speeding and the mailbox's..Post a video of that..
Otherwise please focus on what is being shown.
Also..When did these kids first notice the erratic driving ? How many miles had they traveled until she missed the stop?
Why not protest before?
The girl with the cell phone, ( I need to pee?) why not call 911...And tell the driver she was doing so?
All questions this video leaves unanswered.
Sorry but I see this from the issue of safety "for all"..Sorry if you don't "get it"~
Requires before hand research and knowledge, something which you are not presenting as having in this debate.
Yes you do know rules on bus safety, and yes you do see that they broke many of them. However you do not know what the driver was doing before hand, and you do not care to hear it.
I have been a student that rode the bus until just recently. If the driver had been driving well then their actions would have been unacceptable. However every rule has an exception, there is not a one that is absolute.
See my comment on your first post for some answers - for the others:
Why didn't the kids call 911?
There is little to no call phone service on that road - hard to believe but true - there are areas in the country where there is still no service. We are talking about rural upstate NY here. Some kids who were able to get service were on the phone with their parents. What kids wouldn't call their parents in that situation? 911 was called by my brother-in- law , after my older nephew got off the bus and ran to the house . My sister ran to the location of the bus, spoke to the driver, determined that she had been drinking based on the smell of alcohol on her breath (yes - she asked the driver to breathe on her) and took all the kids back to her house. She called the school to let them know what was going on. The police were on their way. The driver finally got the bus turned around, and proceeded to pull up at the house and expected the kids to get back on. My sister told her that they were not getting back on, and that she shouldn't drive and further. She pulled out anyway, saying she had to get the bus back to the garage. She was pulled over by local police a few miles away.
(What if) someone were hit by a car outside that bus?
As the students were planning on when to bail off the bus, they decided on my nephews' stop because they live on a lightly traveled dirt road. A car goes down that road very rarely. They determined it was the SAFEST place to do it. They considered other stops but decided against it because the roads were busier and it would be unsafe.
How many miles had they traveled until she missed the stop?
They had traveled at least 15 miles at that point - it's a large rural district.
Let me know if you have anymore questions that will help you understand that these kids did the right thing for their safety and the safety of others on the road.
Well.
It's pointless to try to keep responding..
I'm glad no students were hurt.
You're flippant arguments are going to just keep coming.
Lets just say if a student had of been hurt jumping out of the bus, or falling..The bus company would be in the middle of a very large law suit. Because then I am sure it would have been greatly important that students were hurt during this incident on the bus.
I keep bringing up the rules and you keep telling me I am wrong.
And I get the feeling I would hear many more stories of events off camera to nullify the point I have been trying to make.
And once again no one condones a drunk driver of any sort..But there are many ways to put lives in danger..And I saw a few of them on this video .
You seem to think that to not 100% commend these students is wrong. Anything less is unjust.
And thats a shame..
Lets just say, thank goodness all came out of it safe ..Because the outcome could have been bad. And not just because of the bus drivers intoxication..
To simplify so I can be done with this..
Lets just say there were safer more appropriate ways to handle this situation. And by commending the students and refusing to talk about better ways, you are missing an opportunity to teach students some thing that might have brought about a better outcome. Possibly not even leaving the school under the circumstances~!.
And in commending them 100% you are showing any students that have a driver miss a turn or they feel is scaring them , that jumping off the bus, or running up and down the isle is appropriate.
But I am done here..
I can see that none of you are willing to see that.
I'm tired of trying to push this point up hill.
So I have nothing more to try to say..
Feel free to have the last say.