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.

The reality is they mean young drivers trying to impress their mates.

You keep going on about the " huge " vehicles but it is no harder to drive a large vehicle than it is a small vehicle, indeed there can be advantages if you know what you are doing.

The one year with a car licence is a relatively new thing, when I passed my PSV you could learn with a provisional licence,there was someone on my course who the first vehicle he had ever driven was a bus, he passed first time.

Congratulations!!!! Hope he really enjoys it 😃

I’ve been driving 20 years and I couldn’t drive a bus!! You have to learn the skills, which he’s done. Experience driving has nothing to do with it.

Such a shame people have to come on a lovely thread and piss on others chips!! 😔 😔 😔 😔 😔 😔

My son is 6, and has Autism and ADHD, and this has given me alot or hope for the future.

Well done to your son! You must be super proud!

Honestly driving a car full of teens is totally different. I still worry about that, I won’t lie. Buses don’t tend to go the same speed as cars, bus drivers don’t have their mates egging them on, they don’t have music blaring etc.

Having looked it up, it’s the bus company that employed him that have the one year rule, had he have done the test privately, he could have done it as soon as he turned 18.

Oh congratulations!! Well done to your son, that’s amazing!

Thank you to everyone who has offered supportive words, his first day is done. His mentor said he has a great drive and he did really well with the passenger/ ticket machines etc. He’s got tomorrow off and back to it Tuesday.

He sounds like a lovely boy and you’ve done a great job too. Well done to both of you x

That’s wonderful well done to your ds I would feel very proud too 😊

What a fucking legend!

Oh wow. You are so right to be proud of him. He sounds amazing and well done you for being his mum.
Top job both of you.

It's amazing when they find something that works for them, hope the first day went well.

My son is 19, diagnosed with ASD and Dyspraxia aged 5. Left SEN school without sitting GCSEs, went to main stream college and achieved distinction for music BTECH level 2 and is about to finish level 3. He's already got a conditional offer for University, very worried for the move away from home as he's like my shadow but really hoping he thrives at Uni. I've advocated for him every step of the way but currently facing possible redundancy and it's hard. Off to view accommodation on Friday.

Amazing!!

Sending good vibes to you both for Uni and navigating redundancy.

Little update for anyone who is interested. He was signed off by his mentor yesterday, so from Sunday (his next shift) he’s out by himself. So far he’s really enjoying it.

Well done to your DS; you must be so proud of him! As the parent of a DC with SEN and a grandchild of a busdriver I love this story! After my grandad retired from the buses he bought a minibus and basically did free community transport for the elderly in our town until he died; he was so loved and appreciated, it was a life well lived!

Wishing your DC a wonderful career!

I love this! And definitely something I could see my son doing when he’s older.

May in ask how is he getting on?

The first couple of weeks on your own can be tough then everything clicks and it becomes much easier.

Oh wow, my DGS has ADHD and this post is so positive and reassuring. Well done to your DS, you must be so proud of him and he of himself

I actually cried a bit when I read this. What a legend of a man. I bet his funeral was well attended

I cried a little bit just reading this. You are right to be very proud. Please keep us in touch with how he is doing.

Thanks for asking!

He seems to be doing really well, he’s been without his mentor for a couple of weeks now. Done a few different routes. Come across a couple of challenging people but seems to have coped well.