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SEN

Here you'll find advice from parents and teachers on special needs education.

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Original poster

AIBU - taxi driver lady (for special school)

18 replies

asdmumandteacher · 14/11/2008 20:32

...well not actually the driver but the lady who sits in to 'help'...well she drags my son out of the taxi with the most pissed off expression EVER as if my son is a piece of dirt - and does this everyday she drops him off...and today as he was coming off the bus she said "Shut up Tommy (name changed)" to one of the other kiddies who was crying..all the kiddies have severe special needs and are all reception or preschool age. I felt sick to my stomach. The driver and the other taxi people are lovely - its just this one person - she has an APPALING attitude and i feel like confronting her but then i don't know whta she will do to my boy when i am not around...its all a bit of a worry

OP posts:

nickytwotimes · 14/11/2008 20:34

COuld you go over ehr head? Or ask other parents if they have heard her? Perhaps the teachers may listen out too if you alert them? I know dh, a special needs teacher would be disgusted by this.

PeachyAndTheSucklingBas · 14/11/2008 20:34

Complain
then whinge
then kick off
then complain some more

Some poeple shouldnt be allowed near kids

at her

for you

Original poster

asdmumandteacher · 14/11/2008 20:42

thanks guys - it makes me feel sick as he is so innocent and doesn't have a clue and i tell you they could get up to anything with those kids and we wouldn't know it...i am pretty convinced they some in those taxis too whilst the kiddies are inside them...that can't be right

OP posts:

Original poster

asdmumandteacher · 14/11/2008 20:42

sorry i mean smoke in those taxis

OP posts:

nickytwotimes · 14/11/2008 20:45

That is dreadful.
Please take heart though that most people who work with kids who have special needs are not at all like this. Now, dh is no saint (lol), but he would go mental if he thought soemone was being mean to one of 'his' kids! His departmental colleagues are of the same mind.

wrinklytum · 14/11/2008 20:47

I have a sn child and would be upset if she were spoken to like this.A word with headteacher may be in order.

Original poster

asdmumandteacher · 14/11/2008 20:50

I think i will do..and maybe even get onto her boss too (the transport people) but then i worry what repercussions there might be on my little one when i am not around...its this feeling of lack of care for someone so vulnerable - and poor baby Peter has made me think about this with such heart wrenching sadness.

How can someone who has gone into that type of job treat her 'charges' so badly... i don't get it...i am a teacher and wouldn't dream of it

OP posts:

wrinklytum · 14/11/2008 20:55

It is sad isn't it.One of my biggest fears about dd is what happens when dp and I go.I hope she will be treated with dignity and respect as she will always be vulnerable.Hopefully the majority of people are genuine and caring.(Those I have met have been)but it is a worry,isn't it.

Original poster

asdmumandteacher · 14/11/2008 20:56

It certainly is

OP posts:

solidgoldbrass · 14/11/2008 21:15

While anyone can have a bad day and therefore be grumpy and speak a bit sharply (you don't mention witnessing her handling the children roughly) if she is always like this then complain to her supervisor. Anyone who has a job dealing with the public - and SN children are the public, and their parents are paying the wages of the staff either directly or through their taxes - should be courteous and competent, and if not, should be complained about. While I wouldn't report anyone for a one off bit of abrupt speaking (some twunt reported my brother's girlfriend for saying 'shit' at work when she stubbed her toe), regular bad attitude does need reporting and dealing with.

wrinklytum · 14/11/2008 21:20

Yeah,SGB,I agree.I do like your posts.If it WERE a one off then it could be put down to a bad day,after all we are all human,but fromthe OP is sounds as if it has been a recurring theme,in which case I think the first port of call would be a polite meeting with the head to highlight concerns.I think that if you are the carer of a vulnerable person,whatever age it always makes you sick to the stomach to witness stuff like this as they do not have the ability to speak for themselves

PeachyAndTheSucklingBas · 14/11/2008 21:21

sgb she did say dragged- I thought that was meaning rough handling

solidgoldbrass · 14/11/2008 21:39

PEachy: OK, missed that. I wouldn't like it if anyone did that to my NT DS or to me and it's even more unacceptable with a SN child.

countingto10 · 14/11/2008 22:56

I complained to LEA (transport section) about a taxi firm that was taking my DS1 to school. The firm really hacked me off, they arrived late on numerous occasions (DS1 (ASD) getting more and more anxious with every passing minute), the drivers were awful and upset DS and when I 'phoned the firm to complain I got a mouthful.

The lady at the LEA was lovely, she 'phoned me back and told me she was getting a different firm to do the run as she didn't like their attitude either.

Have a word with the LEA (if that's who deal with the transport) - they need to know these things.

Original poster

asdmumandteacher · 14/11/2008 23:01

Thanks counting to 10. the lady at the LEA is lovely and saved my life a couple of years ago when i was having a nightmare with transport and my work. Will do

OP posts:

lottiejenkins · 06/12/2008 15:22

I had an escort once for my son who twice came to pick him up and told him she hoped he was going to be a good boy as she had a hangover!!
I reported her and the next time they picked my son up they screamed abuse at me in the street. I turned round and said i hadnt been brought up like them to scream abuse in the street and that i would be going into my house now!
I rang education transport the next day and said my son would be walking the 200 miles to school before he got into a car with her again!
The taxi was changed to a different company for the next term.

pagwatch · 06/12/2008 15:38

complain and complain and complain.

Make sure they get rid of her.

One of the taxi driver dropping children at my sons nursery slapped one of the children and i didn't let it go until she was stopped from dealing with SN children.

smartiejake · 06/12/2008 17:48

Oh the number of times I have had to deal with complaints from parents about taxi escorts.

Some of them are wholly unsuitable for the job and have had no training in dealng with SN kids whats so ever.

We have had problems with escorts complaining that the children don't listen to them. - No dear that's because they are deaf and can't hear you!

Ask the school to make a complaint but I would also complain to the authority who pay for the transport. Of course one of the problems is that the contracts are often given to the cheapest provider and they are often the ones who will employ any Tom Dick or Harry to supervise your children.

We had a situation where one of the escorts was actually manhandling and on one ocassion smacked one of our pupils. Not only was the woman dismissed immediately but the taxi firm lost their contract with the authority and a new firm found the very next day.

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