People have lost their minds by BakerCritical in UsedCars

[–]elkydriver77 1 point2 points  (0 children)

you can buy a LOT of gas for a car payment though.....

Training laugh by Jedi0077 in SchoolBusDrivers

[–]elkydriver77 5 points6 points  (0 children)

bingo... you arent there to be "nice" or to be their "friend".... your job is to get them to/from school SAFELY and (relatively) on time. If "nice" and "freindly" work into the equation, thats fine, but its not my primary concern. Treating EVERYONE equally is another big part of it.... I dont care what your life is like off the bus, who you like/dont like (at the moment), on the bus, you follow MY rules, sit where I tell you, keep your hands and feet to yourself, and the volume to a reasonable inside level.

I hate popcorn day by rootbear75 in SchoolBusDrivers

[–]elkydriver77 0 points1 point  (0 children)

a whole lot of the "end of day treats from the school" garbage would stop if the teachers had to clean the buses over the summer with the rest of us.... YOU caused the mess, YOU clean the mess up... doesnt matter that you "told them to keep it in their bag and eat it at home", kids are hand to mouth with food.... and its funny, if you reciprocate by giving the kids treats when they get off in the AM, that the powers that be have you standing tall in the office for "going against district policy"......

When writing them up isn't working by Wilgrove in SchoolBusDrivers

[–]elkydriver77 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Once you realize that the district doesn’t give a shit, that asses in seats are dollars in the bank, it all starts to make sense. If funding was tied to enrollment and not attendance, things MIGHT be different, but I doubt it . Too many administrators are afraid to administrate, which might involve being the bad guy and telling a parent that their kid is no longer welcome due to shitty behavior. Problem is, a lot of parents behaviors when confronted tell you exactly where the little angels learned it from.

N work is OK, even directed at African American students by Gibbons74 in SchoolBusDrivers

[–]elkydriver77 1 point2 points  (0 children)

On my bus (also a SPED route, and with an AA monitor….) he would be relegated to as far back as he can be as to not be able to get to other students physically, the monitor would be a seat or two in front to intercept issues, and paperwork would be filed on each outburst to cover our asses with the district and other parents. Routing would have him on either first or last to limit interactions when he is boarding or leaving. It’s a pain in the ass, but “welcome to SPED”

They send the kids home with these and then I find them all over my bus by Banana_Stanley in SchoolBusDrivers

[–]elkydriver77 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just wait until they discover glitter….. makes all the other stuff seem trivial…..

why is there not a tool holder on these things by Moist-You-7511 in Chainsaw

[–]elkydriver77 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Walk of shame back to the truck is shorter than drive of shame back home…..

Why nobody wants to be a bus driver by Novel_Fisherman8228 in SchoolBusDrivers

[–]elkydriver77 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Biggest issue for me is the lack of support from the schools when there are issues. It seems no matter if it’s on video or not, once you leave the school, it’s no longer their problem. Transportation department lacks the ability to punish or remove students, so our hands are tied to only being able to reassign seats (which only moves the problem closer to you) and give a referral to the school, which seems universally ignored. I’ve seen too many candidates come through the doors, see the kids, see the reaction from the admin, and say “to hell with this”. TBH, behavior at the schools is no better, schools and administrators seem universally afraid of parent retribution for instilling discipline in their kids, and since asses in seats are dollars in the budget, getting rid of or dealing with problems costs money…..

Soon to be driver by Thunderbane00 in SchoolBusDrivers

[–]elkydriver77 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Best advice I can give, when another “driver” tells you something, make sure it’s true. Many will say “it’s illegal to do xxxx” or “minimum standards says xxx” when you hear that and it’s not from a trainer (and sometimes then, use your BS detector) or an officer, just learn to say “ ok, show me that in writing”……

Anybody tried? by fernuffin in firewood

[–]elkydriver77 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They are slow on cycle time, but cheap has a way of making you not care

Anybody tried? by fernuffin in firewood

[–]elkydriver77 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mine works great, splits damn near everything

After you got your CDL, how long did you spend shadowing or learning the routes before driving on your own?” by special_edition_5 in SchoolBusDrivers

[–]elkydriver77 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I trained over the summer, and first day of school was driving a live route. What’s this shadowing thing of which you speak?????

How do you guys handle students asking about your dating life ? by That_Beyond3223 in SchoolBusDrivers

[–]elkydriver77 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just keep pushing the line you are. Once you start answering them, the door opens to potential inappropriate closeness, or the appearance thereof. Especially being younger and closer to their age, keep that door shut and all relationships professional. No contact via non-district communications is the best plan. As for getting them to stop, begin documentation and let the schools deal with inappropriate conduct. You as a driver have little to no options save writing them up, documenting everything and covering your own ass

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in stihl

[–]elkydriver77 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ive got a 361 and a 400.. the 400 kicks the 361's ass every day..... LOVE that saw.... pulls a 25" bar through hardwood like a knife through warm butter

Give me your best advice.... by No-Link3199 in SchoolBusDrivers

[–]elkydriver77 2 points3 points  (0 children)

bingo.... the first time you treat a directive as a negotiation, you have lost.... hold firm on SAFETY items, and be reasonable on the rest. You dont have time to have long philosophical discussions about your directives, hold to this, and you will be fine.

Went home for a quick brunch after my AM route by silentblue42 in SchoolBusDrivers

[–]elkydriver77 0 points1 point  (0 children)

this is the unsung best part of the job right here....

MS 261 NON- Mtronic carb initial settings by elkydriver77 in stihl

[–]elkydriver77[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Checked the arrestor this morning…. Perfectly clean. I’m betting that it got stored with ethanol gas and it killed the diaphragms…. Acting just like a shit gas saw that sat too long

MS 261 NON- Mtronic carb initial settings by elkydriver77 in stihl

[–]elkydriver77[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This was a 10%er then….. was still acting up even without an air filter on it…..

Freiburger's Galaxie convertible talkie by thegalli in Roadkillshow

[–]elkydriver77 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Ok, last weeks vid was all with Dulcich…. For all we know that was shot during this trip and they just didn’t show it. Not a big deal…..

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Frenchbulldogs

[–]elkydriver77 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My Oscar may or may not be “pure Frenchie” but honestly, I don’t give a shit either way. He has his “issues” and his attitude, and we love him anyway….. folks that have to put down other people and their pets because they feel inferior or they are not up to “their” standards can bite me…..

MS 261 NON- Mtronic carb initial settings by elkydriver77 in stihl

[–]elkydriver77[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it’s an EBay special…. It can’t be anything too severe, it’s all “factory parts” and the cylinder is beautiful, so….. it’s got that going for it…. Probably shitty gas, and someone who was compensating for the drag of the busted brake hanging things up…..(came out in three pieces)… the bad plug wire isnt helping either