No mask so school bus left my DD

[onanislandfaraway]

Both me and my DP was at work today so my 13yo DD has to be home alone for a couple of hours until DP gets home at 6pm. I texted her asking did she get home OK and she told me she'd lost her mask during a sports session at school and that the school bus wouldn't let her on so left her at school.

She didn't want to hassle me or DP at work so rang her nan to pick her up and thank god she was able to and only lives a 15 minute drive away so wasn't waiting around too long. Her school is in the next town over to where we live so way too far for her to walk home. AIBU to think that the school bus is responsible for getting children home and should not have just left her at the school? Shouldn't they have spare masks just incase of instances like this? I will of course be making sure she has plenty of spare masks in her bag, to be honest she did use to carry a few spares but didn't happen to have any today. I am quite angry that they've done this.

I’m saying bus drivers shouldn’t be making the call as to whether young women will get home ok without the bus or not, getting it wrong once (when it was very very obviously the wrong call) is once too many.

Hello all, long time lurker, mainly for the humour, first time poster, and an ex school bus driver.

I packed it in a while ago as I was sick of the abuse and lack of support.

We did many schools, mainly faith based ( Catholic) and schools where the local authority had chosen to build a school miles from any where. Invariably there would be a marshal in the afternoon who would see to any disputes, some schools would have a regular teacher who could control the kids, some seemed to rotate and they would keep out of the way of the kids for the most part.
Covid has rampaged through public transport workers, the place I used to work 50% of the drivers have had it, only a small depot yet they had 2 deaths in one week. No one cares, zero mask enforcement, company officials invisible, no fines issued for none compliance, the government guidance for school buses actually says that distancing is not required for drivers as pupils with symptoms will not travel. This completely contradicts what they say about asymptomatic carriers. The idea little Jimmy feels a bit ill in the afternoon so doesn't get bus home is laughable.

Most school buses are effectively normal service buses during normal times, this has a tax advantage on fuel to the company. Mind, I always advised adults not to get on as, invariably, they would get off ashen faced and shaking.
Whatever the driver does they are in the wrong, follow the rules and there is a pile on, don't follow the rules and there will be another pile on.

This is why many drivers just seem to suit themselves, there is always an expert who has never driven a bus who knows better.

Thank you to the teachers in this thread who have supported the drivers, they know the reality.

FWIW I probably wouldn't have bothered enforcing the mask rule, you are stuck in a big medium size metal box with 80 other people, you are all breathing the same air.

Mind you could travel on my bus with a library ticket, it wasn't my money.

I have a good mate who is still driving and she is sick of her life ( on normal service now, not schools) buts feels she has been there so long it's too late to change. I am glad I got out when I did.

No one should have to work with the public.

I think it's your responsibility as a parent to.ensure she always has a few spares tbh. I tend to have 3 on me at any time.

I'm a bit confused by what a school bus is in these circumstances.
Our school bus (scholars bus) picked up almost anyone in a school uniform for free from outside about 3-4 different schools. Only went about 15 mins down the road and looped back around for about an hour (so hit the schools about 4 times). I used to jump on the scholars bus for half my journey then walk to the next bus stop and jump on a normal bus.

Is this not that sort of thing?

In rural areas the LA provides transport to pupils living a certain distance from the school. Those buses will be only for pupils, and generally pick up pupils on the school premises then drop them at specified points on their route (obviously the other way round to bring them to school in the mornings).

We used to have to cycle about a mile to get to our specified point, and then the bus took us the rest of the way (4 or 5 miles). If we missed the bus we would have to get the school office to notify our parents - regular public transport was non-existent. Then you'd have to wait until your parents made arrangements - but you wouldn't be abandoned to your fate, a member of school staff would be there until someone authorised collected you.

As the OP has said it is a rural area, I assume this is the type of bus she is referring to.

Here in London my daughter gets public transport. At one point some buses were designated as 'school' buses, and social distancing requirements were waived. However, they were regular public buses, with the same routes, bus stops and same fares as usual. Adults could choose to use them, just as school children could use buses not labelled as 'school' buses.

On the other hand, if you missed your bus and then chose to leave the school premises, no-one would know about it. It was assumed that you had the sense to go to the school office rather than wander about on your own.

@NCwhatsmynameagain

I’m saying bus drivers shouldn’t be making the call as to whether young women will get home ok without the bus or not, getting it wrong once (when it was very very obviously the wrong call) is once too many.

So you think the school should have one set of rules for girls and one set for boys? Or are you saying no one at all should follow the rules that the parents all signed up for when they applied for the transport ?

@Boomisshiss it’s very very obvious I’m saying neither.

@NCwhatsmynameagain

If he didn’t want to break rules he could and should very simply have told her to use an alternative face covering (cardi, scarf, tissue whatever) and let her on, advising her it was a one rule exception.

So why didn't you suggest that to the OPs daughter? Since you were obviously there?

@DumplingsAndStew because I have an opinion on how it could have been handled? Are you new to mumsnet?

Ah fair enough. And would a school bus driver only drive that school bus am and pm or would he drive public buses outside the school drop off?
What I'm wondering is do they have strict timings to work towards?

@Biancadelrioisback

Ah fair enough. And would a school bus driver only drive that school bus am and pm or would he drive public buses outside the school drop off? What I'm wondering is do they have strict timings to work towards?

It depends on the company.

The bus that does the high school here is a privately hired bus so they do other hires outwith school run times.

[quote NCwhatsmynameagain]@DumplingsAndStew because I have an opinion on how it could have been handled? Are you new to mumsnet?[/quote]
Why would you think she's new to Mumsnet?

[quote NCwhatsmynameagain]@DumplingsAndStew because I have an opinion on how it could have been handled? Are you new to mumsnet?[/quote]
No. Are you?

Your child should have spares, she's 13 not 3, she knows she needs a mask so she should make sure she has one. You as a parent should make sure she has one & spares, I'm pretty sure the school would have made it vey clear they were needed.

The bus driver & the school are not responsible for this - you are. Take some responsibility & stop blaming other people.

@OneStepOut

As a wife of a bus driver working for a national company, who just pulled his training books to double check: No bus company will provide masks for passengers so any spares would have to come out of the drivers pocket. You can't expect a driver to provide this. Leaving a child behind is, however, not normally allowed. You do not leave anyone potentially vulnerable behind. Covid or no covid. Safeguarding comes first. It's that easy, really.

Thanks for this! Hopefully this can settle this debate!

@Peppermintpatty24 Show me a research paper that says masks only work for 3 - 4 minutes.