The School Bus Masters
NEIRAD enilno edition
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They bring you to and from school everyday, making the same route 360 times during the school year; these people are your bus drivers. A total of 201 students take the bus in the morning and 277 after school. Though some students take the bus twice daily, how well do they really know the person behind the steering wheel?
We attempted to jar open the shut doors of the yellow school buses and find out the identities of those that some merely disregard as our chauffeurs. Darien High School students, too, were asked about their bus drivers and what they love about them or what makes them different.
The Bus 3 Driver, Tara Theodore, has been a bus driver for five years and says her favorite part about driving the bus is, “basically the whole task of getting kids safely to and from school.” Tara says her bus is interesting because “I always have babies on board. My son is always with me.” Tara said referring to her soon-to-be born son (she is six months pregnant).
Rupert Hansford, a sophomore and a bus 3 rider, says of Tara, “She’s extremely friendly.” Rupert is a fan of taking the bus as he “doesn’t have to do anything.” Without our bus drivers, students might not have a pleasant drive to school where they can catch up on homework, sleep, or talk to their friends.
Bringing their children on the bus seems to be a common theme among the DHS bus drivers. Sophomore and Bus 5 rider Rachel McGlade commented on the Bus 5 driver, Manuel Rivas, saying, “He always brings his adorably cute kids on the bus.” Freshman Tucker White says, “He’s really friendly and talkative. He never leaves anyone behind.” The kids on bus 5 always enjoy the ride and their bus driver makes that possible. Sophomore Emma Tuzinkiewicz summed it up quite nicely as she said, “It’s an oasis of fun.”
We then went to ask one of our school campus monitors, Pat D’Agostino, if he had gotten to know any of the bus drivers in the past or if any of them had interesting stories. One specific bus driver came to mind- Richard Maignan, driver of bus 4. “I think he’s a piece of work,” says Pat in a laughing manner. Sophomore Clare Tuck, who takes Bus 4 was asked what she thought of Richard and said, “Usually riding the bus isn’t that fun but Richard makes it a great time.” Richard has been a bus driver for eight years and says, “I really enjoy it. I love the kids.” Richard says the hardest part about driving high school kids is “you get some knuckleheads…kids like to pick fights.” But it’s not only the kids on Bus 4 have fun; Richard says he is having a good time too and his bus is unique because “there is good communication between me and the kids.”
It seems like the DHS bus drivers all do their best to make the bus rides safe and fun. Without our reliable bus drivers, many of us wouldn’t make it to school on time or maybe not even make it to school at all. So next time you get off the bus, make sure to say “thank you” to your bus driver, to show your appreciation. The plastic seats may not be very comfortable and the buses never smell very delightful; yet, somehow, students are still able to have fun on that school icon, which is the yellow school bus thanks to our drivers!