To be furious with school bus driver

[WashingLion]

For taking my 5year old off the bus and leaving her, alone by a busy main road, because the childminder was 5 minutes late.

And then to be furious with the bus company for denying all responsibility (this is a school bus).

The childminder is very responsible but was held up in traffic. My daughter was found wandering down the road by a (luckily) kindly stranger who asked her where I work and managed to track me down.

I would report this to social services as a child protection incident.

I don't even have children but this made my stomach flip. Absolutely unacceptable. Policy etc aside, what sort of person could do that?

He has some serious issues to be able to drop a 5 year old off without any thought about who is picking her up and be able to drive away, He needs sacking.

How awful for you OP, It made me feel sick just reading this.

Oh come on, all you people saying you should never be late, really? I am an absolute stickler for punctuality, and always aim to be early, but have been late a couple of times since my children started school - never by long and always because I got really caught out.

The last time I was late was because I came out of the house and, I kid you not, the council had dug up the pavement in front of my driveway and put down new cement. I had left a lot of time, but it still took them a while to faff about laying boards for me to drive over rather than sink into wet cement. Had they told me (or had I seen in advance), I would have left the car on the road or walked. But they didn't.

The last birthday party I was at, all the usually very punctual parents were over an hour late to pick their kids up. There had been a horrendous accident just before the small one lane bridge which was the only easy way to the party venue. They were stuck in the build up of traffic as the accident was dealt with and cars worked their way round a very long alternative route.

Sometimes untoward stuff happens. A safeguarding policy needs to take account of the times when things go wrong and still keep children safe.

[shocked] Can I ask which busy main road this was? Do you live in a nearby village? My friend's lives in a village just outside central Oxford and goes to school on a bus. They don't let children off the bus unless a parent/carer is waiting at the designated drop off zone. Infact, all the children from the village are dropped at the same point and walk together with parents to their homes. I am shocked the driver let a 5 year off alone.

that is absolutely disgraceful, the attitude stinks, i would not allow my child on that bus again. They have a duty of care towards your dd until she is recieved by a responsible adult and they failed miserably. They would have blood on their hands if anything were to happen to that little girl, and thank god it did not. It frightens me that a 5 year old young child was wandering alone especially near a busy road anything could have happened. I would seriously kick up a stink, contact the LEA, press etc. Do not accept that shoddy answer by an inept bus company.

WOW! YADNBU. Thank God your DD knows where you work!

Yep, it is a problem. No one seems to want to take responsibility for the drop-off part. The onus does seem to be on the parents. As far as the bus company is concerned they would probably argue that they have fulfilled their contract.

Fuckwittery, thanks for your help.

Before we used this bus service, I spoke with one of the bus drivers to ask what would happen in if no-one was there to collect DD at the bus stop. They assured me that she would be kept on the bus and I would be contacted to collect her. I was happy with this and the bus driver had all my contact info, as does the school. So they did seem to have some sort of policy initially, although it seems to have been forgotten today.

sod fucking contractracts, what about common sense. would the bus driver be happy for his young child to be left alone whats wrong with doing whats right. It is shocking that this bus driver was happy to leave a 5 year old on their own

Absolutely (insert many many expletives of your choice) appalling! That driver truly is the biggest fuckwit of all time! S/he should be sacked. I cannot believe that the bus company are denying all responsibility as they are responsible for training said fuckwit and you'd think "do not leave children on the side of a busy road without their designated adult" would be fairly high up on topics covered. Having said that, I still think that the bulk of the responsibilty lies with the driver. Who the hell does something like that?!!!! If the bus company continue to be obstructive then personally I'd go to the police. And the press. I can't imagine how you must be feeling. Big hug to you and your daughter.

I would not want my child to travel with a bus driver or company who plays Russian roulette with my child's safety, it would not happen at school, a bus should be the extention of that

Even if she did know the stop, you do not abandon a 5 year old at the side of the road alone

There should be a protocol

My son (severely autistic) takes the bus to and from school. The protocol for him is to continue on the round (which wouldn't work in his case as he'd lose the plot - but hey ho), try and ring parents and if all else fails drive to the nearest police station and leave the child there. (There are two escorts on his bus plus driver)

I assume not using the bus isn't an option but can you change things so she is picked up from a stop where other children get off? That way at least then one of the other parents will be able to step in and make sure she isn't left alone?