Driving a school bus...

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by katiesue

If 9 kids have to squish into two seats how many kids are on the bus to start with? Disregarding the race issue isn't that unsafe?

Yeah, it does kinda beg the question of how why there are 7 more butts than seats. But considering everyone's tone, I'm running on the conclusion that that bit seems to be accepted practice (i.e., everyone's well aware of the problem of school-bus overcrowding) 'cause no one's bringing that up. So that brings things back to why, in an assigned seating situation, were these 9 kids the ones assigned to sit on laps.

[Stan4dSteph]

The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round, all over town.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Yeah, it does kinda beg the question of how why there are 7 more butts than seats. But considering everyone's tone, I'm running on the conclusion that that bit seems to be accepted practice (i.e., everyone's well aware of the problem of school-bus overcrowding) 'cause no one's bringing that up. So that brings things back to why, in an assigned seating situation, were these 9 kids the ones assigned to sit on laps.

Because they are all from the same family and know each other? Plus they are a good mix of ages, some older some younger.

Or it could be because they are black and the driver is racist but as far as I can tell no-one is even considering the first option.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

Because they are all from the same family and know each other? Plus they are a good mix of ages, some older some younger.

Or it could be because they are black and the driver is racist but as far as I can tell no-one is even considering the first option.

Yup, the fisrt option is very possible. And, in all honesty, that's what I suspect is the case. But, intended or not, and as lame as it is that this is true, you gotta be an idiot to "send the black kids to the back of the bus". I mean, If it turns out it really was just a case of the bus driver making some accomodations, she isn't disciplined, per se. But it was at best an unwise choice and certainly at this point, transferring her route to avoid the firestorm is the minimally necessary action.

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Yeah, it does kinda beg the question of how why there are 7 more butts than seats. But considering everyone's tone, I'm running on the conclusion that that bit seems to be accepted practice (i.e., everyone's well aware of the problem of school-bus overcrowding) 'cause no one's bringing that up. So that brings things back to why, in an assigned seating situation, were these 9 kids the ones assigned to sit on laps.

I think it isn't 9 kids "two" individual seats but 9 kids two seats that are supposed to seat 2 kids a piece...ie. 9 kids into 4 seats; or 5 more butts than seats.

It is done all the time here in Portland. My kids bus takes close to 60 kids home every afternoon with only 20 seats(desgined to seat 40).

[Ponine]

I'm very interested now.
The smallest bus I ever drove was what we fondly called a "bread box"
and it had... six seats

four facing the normal way that you expect, the the very first two facing inside like what I see as typical public transit.
I was taught that an average school bus seat could hold up to three elementary children.
(In fact, as a parent, have rode the bus with two elementary children sharing the bench with them.)

And as high schooler you could get three on a bench if you wanted to be cozy. Four if you were all thin. But you were very cozy.

Nine in the last two seats... one long seat? Did the children not want to be separated?
Maybe the youngers didnt want to leave the olders?

As I said, I'm very curious now.

[Tramspotter]

Were the kids who sat up front


?