Proud mum moment

[BusDriver18]

Please can I have a minute to have a proud mum moment.

My DS (ADHD & ASD) found school very difficult, he’s very much a hands on learner and GSCEs were a huge struggle for him. He passed his BTEC but only got 3’s in his GCSEs.

Despite his struggles, he’s worked every day since finishing his GCSEs in various jobs but always had a love for vehicles and driving. He passed his car test a couple of months after his 18th birthday (saved for his own car & insurance).

Anyway a couple of months ago he decided he wanted to be a bus driver, I assumed you needed to be at least 21 but turns out that’s not true (he did have to have his car licence 12 months). He applied with two companies and was offered roles with them both.

He has now passed all his theory, his practical test and the rest of the training. Tomorrow he has his first day with passengers.

Im so proud of him, he’s faced so many challenges and so many times we wondered where he would end up and could have taken the wrong path so many times.

Lovely! I have great respect for bus drivers, seems a hard job. You should be so proud!

A colleague, now much more senior to me, always says "be yourself and the right job will find you". How brilliant that your son has done that so young! Best of luck to him!

I commented that the driver on our bus looked very young, and later on our local news programme it featured him as Britain’s youngest bus driver! He was very competent and I felt safe!
OP- Congratulations to your son!

Op that is just lovely. My dd has similar struggles but is only 13 so your story gives me hope.

Congratulations young lad!

Absolutely fantastic story. He will never be stuck for work in the transport/ bus industry.
Before I retired I was a manager in the industry for 20years or so and we were always requiring good drivers.
The very best of luck to your son.

Love it, well done to your DS. I know people who haven’t made it through the training.
I hope he has a great career, and he continues to love driving!

This is brilliant to read, well done to him. It’s amazing when people find the right thing for them

Well done to him!!

I think they do give them some training before letting them loose on the roads.

Well done to your DS! ❤️

He will have had to pass his PCV test in a bus, the test is much more rigorous than the car test.

Nothing wrong with young drivers on buses, we had loads who were clearly on the spectrum and were great at the job.

Most didn't last as the hard bit is dealing with the public, not the driving.

Yes this was the part we were worried about but he’s quite chilled out and as he’s so young I think he will built a good banter with the teenagers that tend to cause trouble.

They have a rigorous and intensive training!

Well done and so good he can start to be independent

Congratulations op 👏

Well done to your son, OP. I think that’s an amazing achievement, ASD/ADHD or not!

I’ve just welled up at this post. My nephew is ten, has ADHD and learning delays. We’re not sure if he’ll ever live independently. He really struggles at school and he absolutely hates it. He wants to be a bus driver when he grows up, he’s been obsessed with buses since he was a toddler. Thank you for sharing your story because it gives me so much hope.

There are restrictions at 18 and they have to be undertaking ongoing training to those worrying about how young - eg they are restricted to short routes with roads no faster than 30mph

Fantastic news! Well done to him!!

From the mother of a son who I was told would never walk, talk or live independently I send huge hugs to you and huge congratulations to your son.
My Wilf now lives independently and is doing well... 💕 💕 💕

As a parent to ASD teens, this is a brilliant story and gives me hope!
Huge congratulations to your son and what a credit to you for supporting him through those tougher times.

No. Because they have the same training as any other adult.

So chuffed for him

Wish I was on the first journey tomorrow - good luck to him