Student Sees School Bus Driver With Gun

[Paladin]

http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=4608050&nav=0s3d

"Student Sees School Bus Driver With Gun
March 9, 2006, 08:29 AM CST

A school bus driver is on leave after a student saw him carrying a gun. It happened in the Lake Travis School District.

District officials got a phone call Tuesday from a parent whose child saw the driver with the gun during his bus route.

School officials say that the driver was dressed in full uniform to leave his bus route to go to his second job as deputy constable.

"The bus driver technically did not break any laws. It was just a matter of a student seeing the gun and being a little confused and concerned and reporting that to his parent as he should have," Melissa Loe with the Lake Travis School District said.

The bus driver is on administrative leave until the district completes its investigation."

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Too weird.

[stevie_d_64]

http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=4608050&nav=0s3d

"Student Sees School Bus Driver With Gun
March 9, 2006, 08:29 AM CST

A school bus driver is on leave after a student saw him carrying a gun. It happened in the Lake Travis School District.

District officials got a phone call Tuesday from a parent whose child saw the driver with the gun during his bus route.

School officials say that the driver was dressed in full uniform to leave his bus route to go to his second job as deputy constable.

"The bus driver technically did not break any laws. It was just a matter of a student seeing the gun and being a little confused and concerned and reporting that to his parent as he should have," Melissa Loe with the Lake Travis School District said.

The bus driver is on administrative leave until the district completes its investigation."

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Too weird.

Which means the guy will probably never drive a school bus again...

Never mind that that bus would probably be the safest and securest mode of transport in the district for those kids...

The ninnie-factor is starting off high today...

[HighVelocity]

He's a peace officer, in uniform. This is the most rediculous complaint I've heard yet today.

[Kalrog]

It would be the most rediculous thing I had heard today, except that I first heard it last week.

Still pretty moronic though.

[KBCraig]

They're doing a wonderful job of teaching children that guns --and people who carry guns-- are something to fear.

[sparx]

And yet school bus seatbelts aren't even an option so just about every school bus accident, though perhaps not many in number, are high in injuries/casualties.

I guess what we're saying is that jumping around between seats, running up and down the isle while the school bus is moving and not wearing seatbelts is OK, but if you see a uniformed Deputy Constable that's armed you've got to report it right away.

Yes, we're teaching them well (NOT)!

[90north]

The school admitted he didn't break any laws, why is he on leave?

[txinvestigator]

And yet school bus seatbelts aren't even an option so just about every school bus accident, though perhaps not many in number, are high in injuries/casualties.

I am not sure about that. From http://www.nsba.org/site/view.asp?TRACK ... &DID=11411

Each year, approximately 800 school-aged children are killed in motor vehicle crashes during normal school travel hours. This figure represents about 14 percent of the 5,600 child deaths that occur annually on U.S. roadways and 2 percent of the nation’s yearly total of 40,000 motor vehicle deaths. Of these 800 deaths, about 20 (2 percent) are school bus–related—5 school bus passengers and 15 pedestrians. The other 98 percent of school-aged deaths occur in passenger vehicles or to pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists. A disproportionate share of these passenger vehicle–related deaths occur when a teenager is driving—approximately 450 of the 800 deaths, or 55 percent.

At the same time, approximately 152,000 school-age children sustain nonfatal injuries during normal school travel hours each year. More than 80 percent (about 130,000) of these nonfatal injuries occur in passenger vehicles; only 4 percent (about 6,000) are school bus–related (about 5,500 school bus passengers and 500 school bus pedestrians), 11 percent (about 16,500) occur to pedestrians and bicyclists, and fewer than 1 percent (500) are to passengers in other buses.

....school buses represent 25 percent of the miles traveled by students but account for less than 4 percent of the injuries and 2 percent of the fatalities.

[dws1117]

This is perhaps one of the most rediculous things I've seen.

Let me get this straight. This guy is a cop. He has a second job as a school bus driver. He can't be trusted with the gun because he is wearing different clothes? If he drives the bus again after the "admin. leave" maybe he can drive in full uniform. I bet the parents would then fell that thier kiddies are safe.

These people seriously need to get a grip.

[dws1117]

When my kids start school and ride the bus. I'll be upset if the driver isn't packing.

[Kalrog]

... after the "admin. leave" maybe he can drive in full uniform.

He WAS in full uniform. Including gun. In preperation for his other job following the bus driving. Didn't help.

[sparx]

And yet school bus seatbelts aren't even an option so just about every school bus accident, though perhaps not many in number, are high in injuries/casualties.

I am not sure about that. From http://www.nsba.org/site/view.asp?TRACK ... &DID=11411

Thanks for the facts, txinvestigator! I guess that's proof enough that opinion without checking facts only leads to foot-in-mouth disease (a TERRIBLE ailment, but fortunately curable with a correction to one's posture. ). I wonder if the number of injuries/casualties would be even fewer if seatbelts were used, though. I've always considered it somewhat of a "double-standard" that we push wearing seatbelts so strongly seemingly everywhere except when it comes to the impressionable young riding on a school bus. It just never has made much sense to me.

[stevie_d_64]

I actually feel sorry for some of the bus drivers out there...So much is expected of them, yet they are the type of folks who probably don't care what you think of them personally, but do for the most part the best they can with what they are dealt with everyday...

Now don't get too mad at me...

From what I can recall, a school bus driver to actually work as one must obtain a Class "B" Texas DL...I have a Class "B" myself, and I can drive a school bus if I want to and someone would hire me to do so...I actually only have it so I can drive and operate fire apparatus...

So as far as the state is concerned, if you pass the DPS test, you're good to go...

Most people who do drive school busses are good folks out to make a very tiny little bit more money, are retired, or work several jobs to make it...There are occasionally a bad apple or two that give the rest a bad rap...Haven't we seen that in other cases???

As far as I would be concerned, I think we should have 5 point harnesses, roll cages and deployable airbags/curtains on the windows, roof and seat back to protect the kids regardless of the competency of the driver...

And I think the kids need to have the fear of God put in them that for the short period of time they are on that bus...Keep the butt in the seat! Keep the conversation to a low roar!

Otherwise their commute to school could be altered to allow for a long walk to school, in the snow, uphill, both ways...

And of course a "zero tolerance" policy might make the libs happy...

I think everyone would agree those bus drivers have to put up with a lot of bovine elimination everyday...But some would assume that may be a good thing...I don't...They have enough to worry about...

As far as this poor guys problem...It really isn't...Its the people who complained, not realizing how badly they shot themselves in the foot on this one...

If I we're him, I would resign, and find another part time job...Forget this administrative leave crap...

I bet if he works traffic in that area, the boon in revenue goes up!

[Paladin]

I wonder if the number of injuries/casualties would be even fewer if seatbelts were used, though. I've always considered it somewhat of a "double-standard" that we push wearing seatbelts so strongly seemingly everywhere except when it comes to the impressionable young riding on a school bus. It just never has made much sense to me.

There's some study out there that says for school buses, having seatbelts aren't any safer. I think it was something about unbuckled belts causing more injuries. Of course these days there are retractable belts, but probably nobody has rethought it or wanted to bother with the expense.