HARLINGEN — She’ll be a research scientist on Mars.
That little boy scrambling for his books will compose a great symphony.
Those two other kids already on the bus don’t like each other, but they’ll be married some day. Their three kids will champion them as their greatest inspiration for success.
The bus driver protects these children as his own. Parents have entrusted him or her with the safety of their children, and the driver takes that responsibility very seriously.
“We do a pre-trip inspection and a post-trip inspection,” said Eloy Ruiz, 55, whose three children once rode Harlingen school buses.
“We make sure the lights are working and the brakes are working to keep the kids safe, everybody safe,” he said.
National School Bus Safety Week is Oct. 17 – 21. The district recognized the observance by addressing the importance of school buses and the crucial job of the drivers.
Wednesday, school officials met at the District Operations Service Center at 1901 N. 77 Sunshine Strip as buses left for their afternoon shift. Fences were decorated with ribbons and one of the drivers stood and sang energetically into a microphone. Balloons were released into the sky.
“It’s to acknowledge and celebrate them,” said Oscar Tapia, assistant superintendent for district operations.
“It’s very important,” Tapia said. “We need to show appreciation for what bus drivers do.”
The day began with a breakfast at the Service Center. The breakfast was attended by the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, paramedics and other organizations and professionals.
Harlingen Police Chief Jeffry Adickes spoke about the importance of appreciating everyone who keeps buses in safe running condition.
“They all make a difference, from the mechanics that do the break jobs and put the tires on, to the bus drivers who take the kids to school and to the football games,” Adickes said. “It’s really important.”
The gravity of a bus driver’s responsibility determines his every move the moment the kids step on the bus.
“I don’t want anything in the road,” said Ronnie Gonzalez, 28, as he headed out to pick up school children.
“If you hit a board with a nail you could lose tire pressure and lose control of the vehicle,” he said with a grave look on his face.
Each day, he and the other drivers check brakes, lights, tire pressure and other features to ensure the buses are safe.
“School bus safety is important to protect our precious cargo,” Gonzalez said. “We make sure the trip will go well.”
By TRAVIS M. WHITEHEAD
Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — Is it really so important you have to risk hitting a child stepping off the school bus?
Believe it or not, that red stop sign that sticks out from the bus is there for a reason, to remind you to stop.
Wednesday as law enforcement gathered for an observance of National School Bus Safety Week, many mentioned the problem of people not stopping for the stop sign on buses.
News flash: The word stop means “Stop.” That means quit moving, not “hurry up and go before a student runs across the street in front of you.”
Wait until the stop sign folds back. That means children have finished getting off the bus and you can continue driving.
Many may recall a song we learned in elementary school that went, “Stop, Look, and Listen, Before You Cross the Street.”
How about, “Stop your car and wait until the stop sign folds back so you don’t hit a child crossing the street.
