My Mom The Rat

This was emailed to me from my mom and posted here with her permission. Perhaps you can weigh in as to whether a) she should have bothered calling at all and b) whether you too are a little appalled at their reaction.


"Here's a little story for you.......

I arrived for work this am about 7:45 am. There were three other cars in our parking lot when I got here. I came up, started my computer, got out the appointment books, opened up the shades...la, la, la,la. Then I headed up the back stair way with my empty cup and my turkey roll-ups( to stash in the refridge). On the landing I glanced out the window that faces the parking lot and LO..and BEHOLD...there was a big yellow school bus parked parallel to the alley......idly in our parking lot.

Then I noticed the man...standing outside the bus, at the back end of the bus...drinking from a cup and smoking a cigarette. I didn't think much of it until I saw a couple of heads with winter hats bobbing around the seats inside the bus. So.......I watched out the window.

The man finished his cigarette..drank more from his cup then went to the bus door where he apparently couldn't get in without someone inside the bus opening the door to let him in. He got in the bus, little head with hats stopped moving around and the bus headed down the alley toward Reka Drive.

So I called your DAD.........since he's the moral compass when I get the guilt thing going ( don't want to cost a man his job.....don't want little bobble head students injured due to lack of involvement on my part....the whole --do I,-- don't I question). Your Dad suggested that it would be interesting to know what ASD policy was on leaving students unattended on a running school bus.

I called the administration office..who forwarded me to the transportation office (however they did tell me if I didn't feel like I had received the proper attention to please call back and they would bump it up a level). I talked to a gentleman for about 30 seconds who promptly transferred me to a very nice lady (name left out to protect the ??) who said she was the administrator of the transportation department.

After some conversation .."yes, I'd be happy to tell you what I observed...however before I do I would like to understand what the school district policy is" the bottom line is:

NEVER, EVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES is a school district employee to smoke around students. Not on school grounds, not in the bus, not by the bus, not at a bus stop (not in a boat, not with a goat...).

However...it is allowed for the bus driver to leave students on the bus (while running) if he/she is just outside the bus door.

The very nice woman who was the administrator asked me to describe the man I saw and she said that yes he was the bus driver and that no he wasn't likely to lose his job but she would be doing some serious counseling with him. School employees are just NOT allowed to smoke anywhere around students at any time.

Okay...questions of the day.......is it just me or does it seem somewhat skewed that the Los Anchorage School District was more concerned about the smoking than with the driver leaving students unattended on the bus?

At any rate.........I gave the nice lady a description of the driver, the number on the bus, and number on the printed sign in the back of the bus (I assume the route number). So I am officially a tattle-tale. But you know what.......I'm glad I called the nice lady...and I really hope she does "counsel" the bus driver. But I'd feel better if it mattered more that bobble heads were left on the bus by themselves.

MOM"