- New Platform, who dis? 3rd Day of 2nd Week

I am moving to Blogger because the page I created on FB is treated as a business.  I am not a business.  Well, I am, but not as a bus driver.  Gig driving yes.  Bus driving, no.  FB was bugging me to promote, pay, advertise, etc., and that's not what I wanted.  ANYWAY.

DEEEEEEP BREATH!!!

Holy smokes.

The first week (which started last Wed) was fraught with tension, tempers, and terseness, agitation, anxiety, and anxiousness, pressure, panic, and, surprisingly, promise.

The nation-wide driver shortage definitely applies to us. This is the first job I've ever had where when things get tough, management doesn't just sit in their ergonomic chairs and tell you to make it work. They roll up their sleeves, put on their safety vests, grab a route and drive it.  Today, the supervisor over the drivers drove 4 different routes.  As I was finishing up my route and going back to finish my paperwork, the director of ops pulled in on a transit (the largest) bus, finishing HIS route.  I passed by the payroll lady on one of my runs, as well as the woman who did most of my classroom training.  I heard a couple of the ladies from dispatch talking about the runs they were on over the CB.  Meanwhile, there was ONE PERSON left in the building covering dispatch for ALL of us.  Buy that woman a beer.  Or a case of beer. And a massage. And a hot, half dressed, oiled up guy to peel grapes and feed them to her.

I am surprised to find that my biggest problem children are my elementary kids.  The high school kids were a bit noisy at first, but they've calmed down a lot.  One kid is trying to be a rapper.  He lays down a beat, and a really annoying "melody," and then raps some nasty-ass shit over it. He got pretty loud on like, the 2nd day, so I secured my bus, walked back there, and said that while I appreciated and enjoyed his filth, I needed him to keep it down. And now he does. 

My middle schoolers are mostly well behaved, engage with ME, and are receptive to input. One little boy enjoys talking to me and I enjoy talking to him. He's just neat.  He plays hockey, and went to a tournament in Oregon last weekend.  He filled me in on all the deets, and while his team didn't win it all, he was very positive about the experience.  It was pretty cool. Today we developed our own fist/elbow bump combo. 

Enter the elementary kids.  Who won't stay in their seats.  Who SCREAM bloody murder.  Who eat on the bus and make messes. Who apparently flip each other off according to a mom who pulled me aside yesterday.  One kid is apparently dealing fidget poppers in the back of the bus, lol.  HE is the worst, and COMPLETELY full of himself.  He has older brother energy, know-it-all energy, AND "My dad says I don't have to" energy.  So far, in dealing with him, I've involved his mom, a neighbor, the lady who meets the kids to take them into the school, and his teacher.  Whew. What a deal.

Anyway, as things settle, I'll start to write more regularly.  I'm having so much fun in this job, I can't even with myself. 

Smooches, Booches!