11 yr old hurt boarding school bus : Bus driver just drove off

[Penn]

Wait a minute here.

Aren't we talking about an 11 year old with some sort of leg or hip ailment?

An ailment severe enough where - when she placed her foot on the step of the schoolbus to board- she felt something pop, like her hip going out of joint?

That's not like an everyday shin scrape, or trip and bump your knee, now is it?

Somebody should have been there to assist her, I think. :shrug:

 

[PsyOps]

Yes, dear - welcome to America and please enjoy your stay.

Because parents have to work and actually support their families, their children have to do such life-threatening things as getting themselves on the bus in the morning.

People ##### about welfare, then they ##### about parents who can't supervise their children 24/7 because they are gainfully employed. So what...? Do you think that nobody should ever have children unless they are independently wealthy and will never have to leave their children unattended for even a second?

I do not think it's unreasonable for an 11 year old to get themselves on the bus without Mommy holding their hand. The very thought of that is ridiculous and a reminder of just how much of a bubble-society we've become.

You can’t complain about America being such an ugly place then say to me “welcome to America” because parents can’t manage their own children, all in the same breath. America is slowly becoming a crumbling failure by raising errant kids and refusing to take responsibility for that problem.

Not one person has answered the question about what the bus driver should have done, then answered to the Pandora’s box this opens in terms of making someone else liable for their well-being. At what point does this responsibility begin and end? I asked if a 220 pound child got hurt and was trying to get on the bus do you expect the bus driver to get out of the bus and push that child on the bus? You didn't answer. Instead, you told me "welcome to America".

Maybe you don’t think it’s unreasonable for an 11 year old to get to the bus on her own. Under normal circumstances either do I. We don’t live in normal circumstance anymore. The child was hurt. We have predators out there watching and waiting. I find nothing “bubbly” about making sure my child gets to school and back safely under these circumstances. I find it acting responsibly. If you want to take that chance, that's your choice. But, when that child’s safety is compromised, how important will that job be then?

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

You can’t complain about America being such an ugly place then say to me “welcome to America” because parents can’t manage their own children, all in the same breath. America is slowly becoming a crumbling failure by raising errant kids and refusing to take responsibility for that problem.

Not one person has answered the question about what the bus driver should have done, then answered to the Pandora’s box this opens in terms of making someone else liable for their well-being. At what point does this responsibility begin and end? I asked if a 220 pound child got hurt and was trying to get on the bus do you expect the bus driver to get out of the bus and push that child on the bus? You didn't answer. Instead, you told me "welcome to America".

Maybe you don’t think it’s unreasonable for an 11 year old to get to the bus on her own. Under normal circumstances either do I. We don’t live in normal circumstance anymore. The child was hurt. We have predators out there watching and waiting. I find nothing “bubbly” about making sure my child gets to school and back safely under these circumstances. I find it acting responsibly. If you want to take that chance, that's your choice. But, when that child’s safety is compromised, how important will that job be then?

The predator argument, aah... There's normally a bunch of other kids at a bus stop. 8 outnumbers 1 mate. She was left there by the bus driver. So, should every parent go to the bus stop every morning to make sure the bus don't leave their kid behind???

So are you willing to admit that the kid was indeed hurt while boarding the bus?

If a 220 pound kid got hurt boarding the bus, the bus could have reported it to the school. And if he buses don't have radios, shame on the school district.

 

[Pete]

The predator argument, aah... There's normally a bunch of other kids at a bus stop. 8 outnumbers 1 mate. She was left there by the bus driver. So, should every parent go to the bus stop every morning to make sure the bus don't leave their kid behind???

So are you willing to admit that the kid was indeed hurt while boarding the bus?

If a 220 pound kid got hurt boarding the bus, the bus could have reported it to the school. And if he buses don't have radios, shame on the school district.

That whole "mate" thing you do is ghey. Keith Olbermann would not approve.

 

[vraiblonde]

America is slowly becoming a crumbling failure by raising errant kids and refusing to take responsibility for that problem.

America is FAR from being a crumbling failure.

Your thought process on this issue illustrates one of the biggest social problems facing the US today, and that is the lawyerization of America. You yourself admit a fear that, had you been in the situation and helped an injured child, the parents would then sue you for some reason. This is one of the reasons why nobody gives a crap about anyone else anymore - they're afraid some maggot lawyer will find "negligence" and destroy them.

But that doesn't make it right. It's still wrong to drive off and leave an injured kid, any way you slice it. If we can't have compassion for our neighbors and fellow Americans, we are indeed doomed.

the Pandora’s box this opens in terms of making someone else liable for their well-being

That's absurd. How does it open a "Pandora's Box" by simply assisting a hurt kid and helping them get back home? It would have been a simple thing to either call the parent or enlist the help of a neighbor to call. What do bus drivers normally do in the event of an emergency? Just toss the kid off the bus and keep on driving?

 

[MMDad]

That's absurd. How does it open a "Pandora's Box" by simply assisting a hurt kid and helping them get back home?

Maryland, like most states, has a good samaritan law. You do not "open pandoras box" by helping an injured child, as long as you do not act negligently.

 

[PsyOps]

America is FAR from being a crumbling failure.

Pay attention vrai... I didn't say it already is, I said it is "slowly becoming a crumbling failure". If you are denying we are on a moral decline then you've been asleep.

 

[smoothmarine187]

Didn't they say that someone stepped up and took the girl home so she could call for help? It sounds like someone made the effort......just not the bus driver. I'm sure the bus driver didn't just slam the door on her and then take off. The lady that took the girl home probably told the bus driver that she would take care of it, so the driver left. I'm sure lots of info has been left out of the story, because it's being told by the mother of the girl.

My wife always goes to the bus stop in the morning with my kids, and when she can't........guess what.......there are other moms there that will make sure my kids are ok

Not to change the subject, but I never knew that Maryland law will let you leave your kids at home alone, if they are 8 years old. That seems crazy to me!

 

[PsyOps]

Your thought process on this issue illustrates one of the biggest social problems facing the US today, and that is the lawyerization of America. You yourself admit a fear that, had you been in the situation and helped an injured child, the parents would then sue you for some reason. This is one of the reasons why nobody gives a crap about anyone else anymore - they're afraid some maggot lawyer will find "negligence" and destroy them.

But that doesn't make it right. It's still wrong to drive off and leave an injured kid, any way you slice it. If we can't have compassion for our neighbors and fellow Americans, we are indeed doomed.



That's absurd. How does it open a "Pandora's Box" by simply assisting a hurt kid and helping them get back home? It would have been a simple thing to either call the parent or enlist the help of a neighbor to call. What do bus drivers normally do in the event of an emergency? Just toss the kid off the bus and keep on driving?

You and I are in complete agreement on the lawyerization bit. I tried to make that point a while ago I think. I do have a fear of being sued when I try to help and actually cause injury while trying to help and then being sued for it. I think this speaks, in part, to my point of that decline. But it wont stop me from helping. So it’s not that I don’t give a crap, I have to weigh the factor of “is it worth it”. There was a story in FL a few years back when a guy had a heart attack. An EMT tried to give him CPR. While doing so he broke one of the guy’s ribs and punctured his one of his lungs and he died anyway. The family sued, AND WON! This speaks to my point.

You want to know how this opens a Pandora’s box? Once the bus driver is expected to leave the bus to help this kid get on, they will be expected to carry book bags that are too heavy; if there are kids running around and carrying on not getting on the bus, the bus driver will be expected to get off the bus and restore order and get all the unruly kids on the bus; every kid that is having a hard time the bus driver will be expected to get off the bus and do it for them. Multiply this times every stop they have to make along their route.

If you are talking about the state or county, they are going to institute policy in order to avoid liability because of our sue-happy society. This revolves back to the parents. When they neglect to take responsibility for their kids, then they expect someone else to. When that someone else injures a child, while trying to help, the parent sues. I could blame this on the lawyers and our frivolous courts (which to some degree I do), but I ultimately blame it on the parent (or in the broader sense, the people) for taking advantage of a declining and corrupt legal system. They use it for their financial gain as well as an excuse to pawn responsibility on someone else. As an example (a bit off topic) the lady that died from water toxicity during that radio competition to win a WII. How many want to blame the radio station? The radio station was stupid for having this competition but ultimately it was the lady’s fault for thinking she could drink that amount of water in such a short period of time. She is responsible for her own actions. But our legal system is now designed around blaming someone else for our own actions. No one forced her to do this. But the radio station will pay dearly for it.

I have always agreed with you from the beginning about the bus driver. The way it was described in the article, it was unconscionable for him to drive away. If it was me I would have helped her get on the bus or had some of the kids help. I would have taken the risk of injuring her further, even though I had no idea the extent of her injury. Then I would have taken her to the school nurse when I got her to school. I am only trying to drive the point that it wasn’t his responsibility to do this. If the parents knew that child was injured (and we don’t know if this was the case) the parent should have either gotten the kid on the bus or taken the kid to school. As a parent THAT’S what I would have done and given up a day or two (or even a couple of hours) of my precious work to make sure my kid was okay.

 

[PsyOps]

The predator argument, aah... There's normally a bunch of other kids at a bus stop. 8 outnumbers 1 mate. She was left there by the bus driver. So, should every parent go to the bus stop every morning to make sure the bus don't leave their kid behind???

So are you willing to admit that the kid was indeed hurt while boarding the bus?

If a 220 pound kid got hurt boarding the bus, the bus could have reported it to the school. And if he buses don't have radios, shame on the school district.

Then how do you explain incidents like Ben Ownby? Get it straight Andy predators are exactly that. They know how to study and take capitalize on an opportunity.

I'm not saying all or any parent should be at the bus stop. My point is not to try and dictate what I think parents should do. My point is, if you don't take your kid to the bus stop (especially someone as young as 11) don't go blaming someone else when something goes wrong.

 

[PsyOps]

Not to change the subject, but I never knew that Maryland law will let you leave your kids at home alone, if they are 8 years old. That seems crazy to me!

Ahhh, the law. Do we even have any laws? When I lived in PG County elementary school kids were getting themselves to the bus stop alone. You could tell by the way they were dressed (or lack-thereof) that no parent did that. Many of them were running wild, into the street, throwing things and starting fights. The same law that says you can't leave your child alone at home should apply to leaving them alone out in public as well. Actually, even more so under these circumstances.

There were situations where I took my boy to the bus stop and the bus didn't show up. I was in a dilemma. Do I take some of the other kids (whose parents weren't there) to school, taking the risk of getting in an accident and injuring them or let them fend for themselves since their parents aren't around. It really is a bad situation; and it happened often.

 

[vraiblonde]

There were situations where I took my boy to the bus stop and the bus didn't show up. I was in a dilemma. Do I take some of the other kids (whose parents weren't there) to school, taking the risk of getting in an accident and injuring them or let them fend for themselves since their parents aren't around. It really is a bad situation; and it happened often.

That's ridiculous - there's no dilemma there at all. Since you're at a bus stop, obviously each kid is within a block or so of their home, right? So, duh, you have them run back home and say the bus didn't come but Mr. PsyOps is driving and is it okay if they ride with? If the parents aren't at home, then the kid makes a phone call.

This is not brain surgery, people.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Then how do you explain incidents like Ben Ownby? Get it straight Andy predators are exactly that. They know how to study and take capitalize on an opportunity.

I'm not saying all or any parent should be at the bus stop. My point is not to try and dictate what I think parents should do. My point is, if you don't take your kid to the bus stop (especially someone as young as 11) don't go blaming someone else when something goes wrong.

11

I was walking a mile and a half to school when I was eleven.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

That's ridiculous - there's no dilemma there at all. Since you're at a bus stop, obviously each kid is within a block or so of their home, right? So, duh, you have them run back home and say the bus didn't come but Mr. PsyOps is driving and is it okay if they ride with? If the parents aren't at home, then the kid makes a phone call.

This is not brain surgery, people.

On one thing I agree with PsyOps when it comes to Charles County on is this sort of thing. My first year of high school, the bus stop was a half-mile away and I think that's a bit too far. This was when the stuff with the Sniper Attacks was going on so while most kids walked a block home, I walked a half mile. By the third day of the sniper attacks, I just went over a friends house and either their dad or my mom would take me home.

There's plenty that each side can do. I think kids in middle and lower high school should have a buddy system of sorts. I don't approve of cell phones in school but this brings up a good dilemna on that as well.

 

[PsyOps]

That's ridiculous - there's no dilemma there at all. Since you're at a bus stop, obviously each kid is within a block or so of their home, right? So, duh, you have them run back home and say the bus didn't come but Mr. PsyOps is driving and is it okay if they ride with? If the parents aren't at home, then the kid makes a phone call.

This is not brain surgery, people.

Uh... yeah. The dilemma isn't getting the parent's permission to drive them. I can get permission all day long until I get in an accident and injure or even kill one of them. You know what happens next. Not to mention I now have to sit around for each kid to go home, make the phone call and come back to my car. Then, one of the kids doesn't come back that said he was going to. Now I'm running through my mind, where is he? Did he make it home? Does anyone know where he lives? No! All the kids know is the last place they knew when the police come asking is he was Mr. PsyOps. you know as well I do how kids' memories work.

And that isn't even my point. It's not my responsibility. The kid shouldn't have to rely on other parents to do what their parents should be doing. Again, I'm not proposing to dictate how parents do things. All I am saying, ONCE AGAIN, is if this is how parents are going to do it don't blame someone else when something goes wrong.

 

[PsyOps]

11

I was walking a mile and a half to school when I was eleven.

You folks are driving me mad. Please read back on my other posts. I also had to walk to school from grade 1 all the way up to 9th. Then I had to take the bus which I walked to.

I want kids to be able to walk on their own. I'm not proposing that they don't. All I am saying is we live a more dangerous world today that when I grew up. If you decide to let your kids, at 11 (or whatever age) walk alone to the bus stop and something goes wrong DON'T BLAME SOMEONE ELSE. You only have yourself to blame for not taking the time. I'm not saying it's easy; I'm not saying parents should stop working; I'm not saying I have the best answer. All I'm saying is (and especially in this case with the 11 year old girl) to blame the bus driver because this girl couldn't get on the bus is (to use vrai's words) REDICULOUS! Ultmimately it is not the bus driver's responsibility. It's the parent's. I'm baffled that you're not getting this.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

You folks are driving me mad. Please read back on my other posts. I also had to walk to school from grade 1 all the way up to 9th. Then I had to take the bus which I walked to.

I want kids to be able to walk on their own. I'm not proposing that they don't. All I am saying is we live a more dangerous world today that when I grew up. If you decide to let your kids, at 11 (or whatever age) walk alone to the bus stop and something goes wrong DON'T BLAME SOMEONE ELSE. You only have yourself to blame for not taking the time. I'm not saying it's easy; I'm not saying parents should stop working; I'm not saying I have the best answer. All I'm saying is (and especially in this case with the 11 year old girl) to blame the bus driver because this girl couldn't get on the bus is (to use vrai's words) REDICULOUS! Ultmimately it is not the bus driver's responsibility. It's the parent's. I'm baffled that you're not getting this.

I think the responsibility is on both. She was hurt boarding the bus. From what the article said,

The child, Miranda Richardson, said she dislocated her hip trying to board the bus, and when she couldn't make it up the steps, the bus driver left.
​

Read. Open your eyes and use them. I see it as his obligation.

 

[vraiblonde]

This was when the stuff with the Sniper Attacks was going on so while most kids walked a block home, I walked a half mile.

Well, get ready to turn me into CPS because during the sniper attacks, my kids not only walked to their bus stop, but they were even allowed to walk home from school (about a mile).

AND the snipers were caught literally 5 miles from my house.

It's a miracle we're all still alive

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Well, get ready to turn me into CPS because during the sniper attacks, my kids not only walked to their bus stop, but they were even allowed to walk home from school (about a mile).

AND the snipers were caught literally 5 miles from my house.

It's a miracle we're all still alive

I blame the school, not you Vrai.

I think, espically during a crisis such as that, the school should make an effort to go the extra half-mile. A half-mile on a bus or in a car is nothing, but walking during a time of emergency, it's something. My mom even went to the school to get this setup and they refused. There is a potentially deadly situation and the schools not gonna do their part to circumvent this.

They start the bus routes so late so that limits what they can do. Alot of this is because CCPS makes decisions so damn late on school closings and delays.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

I blame the school, not you Vrai.

I think, espically during a crisis such as that, the school should make an effort to go the extra half-mile. A half-mile on a bus or in a car is nothing, but walking during a time of emergency, it's something. My mom even went to the school to get this setup and they refused. There is a potentially deadly situation and the schools not gonna do their part to circumvent this.

They start the bus routes so late so that limits what they can do. Alot of this is because CCPS makes decisions so damn late on school closings and delays.

Wait, I'm also talking about a school district that had kids waiting for buses and running on a normal schedule in the middle of a tornado warning...

...And counts a death in the family as an unexcused absense because they don't have a doctors note. What the #### did they want, the autopsy report, death certificate and obituary?