by Helen W.| Queen’s University
Much like the President of BusPatrol, I have some very fond memories of my time on the school bus. When my family and I moved in Gr.1 and started fresh at a new elementary school; when I was still fumbling over my English; when I was still trying to make friends, the school bus became a critical social environment for me.
There, I met my first and oldest friend, who later became my first crush. I still remember the school assemblies that were held every year to educate all students about the significance of bus safety. I didn’t realize as a child myself that there were so many issues with stop-arm violations — whether it’s simply negligence or blunt disregard for the law and the protection of children.
In Gr.5, I was selected as a Bus Monitor, and I was essentially just responsible for guiding young students on and off the school bus. Suddenly, I understood how important that was.
BusPatrol values the trust that is created between students and teachers, bus drivers, and us — the older role models they looked up to. They didn’t have to think or worry when getting on and off the school bus. Instead, they greeted me and left me every day with a smiling face. I was grateful for this experience of offering them the same happiness I got from the school bus.
Having the technology to catch the offending drivers is a great deterrent and first step in raising awareness about this problem. In the future, being able to integrate this into the legal/judicial system and improve the enforcement on a higher level would progress this cause to new heights.
This essay is part of a series that aims to engage teachers and educational professionals to share their thoughts on school bus safety. This submission is being considered as a winner for the BusPatrol Scholarship Program. https://www.buspatrolscholarship.com/ Please share this article to show your support.
