Students shouting on school buses is not an uncommon occurrence. Students often forget that there are other people on the bus who are just trying to get to and from school, as well as the bus driver. Many students do not respect bus drivers who dedicate their time to getting students to school. Bus drivers are important in our school community and deserve to be treated with respect.

Behavior on school buses has become worse over the years. Students sometimes throw items like pencils and water bottles, in which injuries can occur and have to be reported. Students often do not follow safety rules and put their heads or hands out the window.

Bus drivers often run into problems, like traffic, that cause them to be late. Bus problems are often the result of other circumstances beyond the bus driver’s control. While it is not entirely their fault, students tend to be inconsiderate and unkind to bus drivers. Talking unkindly about bus drivers, either directly to them or behind their backs, is bad behavior. Students should be more considerate of their feelings and remember that they deserve to be appreciated.

While students may think it is fun to yell and scream at their friends on the bus, it can be extremely distracting to the bus drivers and can put everyone in danger. Bus drivers are trying to focus on the road, but disrespectful students make it difficult.

Students should show more appreciation towards their drivers who get them to school and home safely. Appreciation also comes with remembering that being a bus driver is difficult. Unions have to fight for the protection of their bus drivers by demanding school boards provide better security when bus drivers get assaulted for just doing their jobs.

Many school bus drivers have to work overtime and on weekends to support themselves or their families. Even though bus driving is a job that requires much prior knowledge or learning and a lot of responsibilities, bus drivers get paid close to the minimum wage. Salaries are typically dictated by school boards and have negotiations by bus driver unions, but limitations on bus driver salaries can be mandated state or county-wide. Improper pay often causes bus driver shortages, which can put many students at risk of not having transportation to school.

When school districts do not have enough bus drivers, students can see how important bus drivers are to the functionality of our schools. When there are shortages, bus drivers are replaced or are missing entirely, causing students to be late or miss school entirely. Bus drivers are often the ones who go unappreciated until they are not there.

Basic human decency and going beyond that are ways of showing appreciation. Even saying a simple “thank you” before getting off the bus shows appreciation for the job that they are doing for the community. Students need to behave themselves on buses, as it is the bus driver’s responsibility to get them to and from school on time and safely.