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A home without a wall, |
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| The Alley |
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My Son's Bus is A.W.O.L. |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738
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A small complaint, in the grand scheme of things, yes? (nod with me here) But I wondered why my son's bus did not arrive this morning, and is so often tardy in the afternoon that he catches another bus home (which btw, negates all my legal rights to his safety). "Hmmm..." I thought. So I called the school. Transportation ain't their department. I would have to call the "Transportation Department" to receive an answer to my question. (I'm not even kidding, that's what I was told--and yeah I did--and got the press "1" if yer calling to press "2" routine) So I phoned the High School back. So, "Hmmmm," says I. "If I recall correctly, during a dispute at the bustop, wayyyyyyyyy back in the sixth grade, it was brought to my attention that the safety and well-being of each student, at every school in La., became the school's jurisdiction the moment said child left his/her parent's house/custody while en route to school." (*wince* a teensy dispute) So yeah, I reminded her of that. I asked Ms. Folger (she said I could quote her on this, cause oh yeah, I asked) if that policy had changed. She told me "Oh no, but we would hope that parents would bring a certain amount of responsibility to the table in that regard." I paused. I replied: "I thought my tax dollars were my certain amount of responsibility, and last time I checked, we paid our taxes--thanks to the swing shift which my husband is currently working at LSUMC--FOR WHICH WE ARE EXCEEDINGLY GRATEFUL but that also happens to be the reason my son did not have an alternate ride to school." She found that amusing. I explained that I do not drive, and as far as I knew, I was not legally obligated to drive, own, operate, nor insure a vehicle. (Even if I could afford it at three bucks a gallon and a kjillion duckies a year insurance) And yet? I am legally responsible for my son to be to school on time. I added that I assumed that my tax dollars even in Louisiana and especially in Louisiana right now, would be maintained to a degree that my son could get the six (accelerated! yay!) months of education offered this school year, due to (I won't say the "K" word) THE STORM that turned my son's high school into a National Guard facility for half of his school year. Yanno what she told me? "We shouldn't assume to receive services our tax dollars say they pay for." (That's when I asked if I could quote her. Um, she said yes, sounded pleased, and started to spell Folger until I told her I brew the stuff up for special occasions such as this one.) That's Ms. Folger West Jefferson High School Harvey, La. Izzit it just US? Is it just Lousisiana that has a problem with buses?  "We shouldn't assume to receive services our tax dollars say they pay for." sigh...my money don't talk to me. So I don't assume my dollars say anything. But I sure as hell thought my signature of personal responsibility on school policy booklets meant something. We shouldn't assume? She's right. We shouldn't. I did and here I am typing at you guys about it.And granted, this is a little thing, but it sure ticked me off. Cause yanno what? He is absent today, and counted accordingly. sigh I keep telling myself that a high school diploma is only the paper that gets you the better papers... somebody convince me I'm wrong? We shrugged this morning. I told him "yanno, now, Harvard is prolly out of the question." He really wanted to be a mole in the Skull & Bones organization too.  |
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| © Copyright 2006 serenity blaze - All Rights Reserved | |||
Ringo 
since 2003-02-20
Posts 3684Saluting with misty eyes |
 Karen, it is not just your system that is screwed up. It seems that every year, the local system underestimates the number of kids that it pre-enrolled and ends up with too few busses to transport said kids to school. Any complaints are sent to (you guessed it) the transportation office. Unfortunately, there is never anyone at the transportaion office. The last year she was going to the local school system (she has since moved to another with her maternal parental unit), I walked her to hte bus stop and she was one of the first ones on the bus. By the time In realized they were sitting three to a seat I was informed that once she was on the bus, I was not permitted to take her off the bus until she had arrived at school. A group of parents who were there (and who were a teensy irritated) assaulted the Superintendant's office and were told that it wasn't his responsibility, as the school district privatized the busses. Calls to the bussing company revealed that it was not their problem, because they were sending the amount of busses the school asked for. Visits to the school board did nothing. Letters to the newspaper did nothing. Parents carpooling kids to school did nothing (except show the school district that there was no over crowding on the busses). It took an investigation by one of the non local (but regional) news stations to get more busses. Of course, the two bus accidents that year are another story. "... the rest is silence" |
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Ron
Administrator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-05-19
Posts 8669Michigan, US |
What's a bus? |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Buses! They are generally colored yellow, school buses that is, and have neat black stripes sometimes. They are very helpful for people with kids attending school, most especially since my kids would have to walk uphill (both ways) due to the miles of apartment debris still lining the streets. I PAID FOR THE DAMNED BUSES RON. um, so did you.  We got a bunch of BRAND NEW ONES WHEN THE OLD ONES SAT HERE USELESS IN THE FLOOD. (So thanks, and now, can we USE them please? We'd even gas 'em up with our own gas if we were allowed.  )I will not have my son walking the ten miles to school, past semi solid apartment complexes housing squatters and crackheads, across an expressway and under an overpass with some traffic lights still questionable. It ain't the same thing as walking twenty miles though snow (uphill both ways) and? I can direct you to another thread regarding what happened to my son last time he walked these streets if necessary. You have a chance in the snow. My son is still a broke mofo, and as far as I know, he is unarmed. heh guess who is still ticked? *blush* and NOW--can a guitar player explain to me just WHY you can't practice properly with headphones? Hmmm?and since I'm grumbling in the alley, I think my air conditioning just died. OH IT IS A LOVELY EXPLETIVE DAY. sigh ya'll don't understand I'm living in Escape From New York and feel like I'm writing letters to Leave it to Beaver... ARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
I just cheered myself up. I remembered Crowley. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....I feel better now.  |
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Susan Caldwell Member Rara Avis
since 2002-12-27
Posts 8348Florida |
"I'm living in Escape From New York and feel like I'm writing letters to Leave it to Beaver..."  That sums it up. *sigh* You should expect what they say your tax dollars are paying for. But how to convince them that would pass the buck? I don't know.... It's frustrating. and certainly not right. I have no answers anymore and only thought I did before..."too bad ignorance isn't painful" |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
I'm just having a crummy day. I'm outta zanax too.  We figured out tho, that zanbars will fit in a pez dispenser if you break a quarter of it off. It is possible to laugh and cry at the same time. |
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Ringo
since 2003-02-20
Posts 3684Saluting with misty eyes |
The guitar thing is very simple, K... With the headphones, you have complete lack of movement, and it just doesn't sound as dood as it does when you give the sound a chance to breathe and settle into the room. Well, that sounded good, anyhow. I rehearse with headphones all the time. "... the rest is silence" |
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Local Rebel Member Ascendant
since 1999-12-21
Posts 5767Southern Abstentia |
Because with headphones on we're not afraid to screw up. When everybody can hear the pressure is ON! and the PreSSURE is what you have to keep on the School system -- the two words every principle hates to hear are LAW SUIT! Stay off the Zanax so you can be properly squeaky and annoy the crap out of them until you get greased. My two cents -- |
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Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612Hurricane Alley |
Don't forget to vote on Saturday!!! In this case as with any other, you get what you pay for....so I'd start a little tab and start deducting taxes that aren't being used for what they are supposed to be used for...whew! what a long unending sentence! And the next time Mrs. Folger wants a raise? Tell her no! Or tell her to pick up Zack on her way to school everyday!  |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
tsk to me-- and shame on me. More displaced rage here...I apologize. I learned late last night that a friend of mine had his third massive heart attack in three weeks last night. I don't know what's the matter me. Why can't I just cry when I need to cry instead of ranting on about some dumb thing. Steve was the lead guitarist of the band I was associated with for 15 years and the closest thing to a brother my husband has--and my son's godfather. I'm an idiot. Please forgive me. sigh Prayers and left handed teeth brushing are both much appreciated. And Shar? Miss you lady, and oh I wish I could vote, but I am a resident of another parish. It doesn't seem to matter I can walk to Orleans in five minutes and our entire economic infrastructure is dependant on NOLA--and that just compounds my feelings of helplessness. Just know that God/dess forbid we lose Steve and Nagin gets re-elected too, I will truly consider it the Day The Music Died. My apologies, yet again. I'll take my syrequil like a good girl and go to bed early. |
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iliana Member Patricius
since 2003-12-05
Posts 13434USA |
It's a problem here in Houston, too, Karen -- has been as long as I have had kids in school...let's see....that's over two decades now. Thank God/dess I drive! Don't know how we would have survived. Many of the kids here in Houston take the Metro buses because they are more reliable than the ones HISD uses! Hope you did go to bed early....and get some long needed peaceful rest. And prayers for Steve are sent........jojo |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
Well if you pay for the dang bus it should show up. If Zach misses school because they didn't show up, why does the child get the penalty? You guys sure are complicated down there. Up here we don't have the luxury of buses picking up our children, and have to take care of getting them to and from school ourselves. Hence, the parade of SUV's twice a day with school pooling, and then the HUGE line-ups at Tim Horton's of frazzled stay-at-home moms. Oh, that's Starbuck's in Canadian and tastes much better too I might add, but just my own opinion.Tell George I am really sorry for his loss, and yours of course too K. |
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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
Karen, I really hope your friend recovers. That's a lot for a body to endure in such a short time. Don't apologize for your rant, though - You're allowed, whether or not other stuff is happening in the world... p.s. - Rumor has it that Ron used to walk 5 and seven tenths of a mile both to and from school every single day, rain or shine... That's over 11 miles a day - Now, would he hyperbolize?? |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Your friend is in my prayers, Karen. |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
smile..thanks all. and Nan, did Ron have to go home and pull the plow too? My dad did.  (I slept. Steve has been sent home. We never know if that's a good thing or a bad thing--but praise be to the Musician's Clinic--here in New Orleans, union musicians qualiify for medical assistance--who has come to his aid financially as well.) |
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Mandamus Junior Member
since 2005-06-21
Posts 13 |
Karen: I know a parent whose child was harmed as a result of the public school system's failure to do what it is it is required to do. This parent refused to accept excuses, learned what he needed to learn in order to ensure his child was protected from future harm, and, in doing so, prevented the same harm from being revisited on dozens of other children. Don't despair. Learn. Be doggedly persistent. Love your child. If you do these things I believe that, in the same way my friend prevailed, you will as well. I wish you the best of luck in your efforts. Mandamus |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Thanks for not making fun of me or trivializing my rant. Now if you'll excuse me--I suppose congratulations are in order. Mayor Nagin has been re-elected, and has promised that the people will become New-nified. N-unified? How d'ya suppose that's spelled?  Anything is better than nullified, apparently. sigh |
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Kellie_Cantrell Senior Member
since 2002-05-22
Posts 1667New York |
We have that problem here ALL the time, at least when I was in school. I live at the top of the hill, and keep in mind that the community transit... uh thats metro buses in case its diff. where you live. They run the same as our school bus route... So in the winter, it snows about up to my knees im 5'4 and we got out to the bus stop and wait.. Our bus is supposed to come at 6:45am the JR high bus comes at 7:20 and the Elementary bus comes at 8:00am. So we call the school one day to see if school is cancelled. The person that answers looks out the window, says theres no snow. I look out my window and there is quite a bit of snow. She says to go catch the bus because if I don't i will be skipping and there isnt any snow. The buses are at the top of the hill. on the other side. Its one of those really steep hills that goes down then has cul de sacs at the bottom going out both sides and then goes right back up again to get to the same height as the original hill. So the high school bus stops, I assume to chain up. and then now the jr highers have joined all of us at the bus stop. the jr high bus pulls up behind the HS bus, crashes into it then parks and chains up. the elementary kids show up at the bus stop. We are the first and largest bus stop in the route. We have around 15-20 kids in every age group, with elementary having around 30 kids at it. so we've got a ton of kids, the elementary kids are lined up along the fence away from traffic, and the JR highers and high schoolers are across the street standing in a big blob. So another bus shows up on the other side of the hill and it hits both the jr high and high school buses. pulls off the side and sits there. the COMMUNITY transit bus comes WITHOUT a problem down and up the hill, spins out of control rigth in front of us, corrects and gets himself going again and continues on his way. Long story short, we got the day off. And the school district made a policy that if it snows, the entire bus route has to walk up the hills to the elementary school to catch the bus, thats almost a mile. The parents just let us all have a snow day. Call us all in sick. Geez I don't miss those days at all. |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
So...with today being the start of school, did you find the bus? What's new down there - anything positive to report K? |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Actually? NO. |
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*Alli4000*
since 2004-03-21
Posts 3188The World of Poetry |
The buses here in Miami are just as bad! Last year I had a great bus driver who was always on time everyday but she ended up moving out of state during the year. We got a new bus driver who never showed up in the mornings or the afternoons! And this would happen every single day. No exaggeration. Most days in the mornings we would get to school after it had already begun -- almost an hour late on time. And don't get me started on the afternoons. The bus driver was NEVER waiting for us after school and some days never even showed up, in which case I was stranded at school two hours waiting until my parents could come pick me up. Isn't it just so aggravating? |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Nod. It is. But I'm very proud of my kids. Smile. They haven't complained as much as I have. I got real lucky with those two... |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Yes, you did.  |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
Call Nagin. He has some experience with busses......er, come to think of it, I guess he doesn't  My sympathy is with you, serenity gal. They are little things in which you just expect people to do what they are supposed to do and it's infuriating when they don't. It's not alwyas the big things that count.....it's the multitude of little ones. |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
Those kids have a good teacher! |
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