Kelissa

Mon, Mar 15, 2010 : 4:16 p.m.

Hello, Im Tevins Mother Kelissa Bass. I want to say thank you to everyone that made a comment concerning Tevin being left on the Bus. I noticed that quite a few people were wondering whether or not I had been informed that Tevin hadnt got off the bus. The answer is yes and just as I was calling when it happened before I couldnt get an answer. Its seems to me that the schools or tranportation stop answering the phones once school is dismissed. Tevin walks 4 houses down to come home and when he didnt come in the house I was informed. The news does not list all the details but of course I was concerned about my baby. Im not saying that I want the transportation dept to be my nanny but what I am saying is that I entrusted the transportation dept with my child and his safety and that trust was broken twice. I have several friends that are bus drivers. Walking the bus before you turn it off or lock the bus and go home is one of the first of a bus drivers responsibilities. I'll transport him myself from now on. And the story of channel 4 did not say that the doors opened when he pushed the buttons. Its the reason why he jumped out of the window, you may want to listen to the story again. Im just thankful he safe.

Grand Marquis de Sade

Sun, Mar 14, 2010 : 9:45 p.m.

Seriously. How difficult is it to walk to the back of the bus at the end of your shift to make sure no kids are left behind? Then I thought about it for a few minutes. The posterior on your average school bus driver would make it nearly impossible to perform that simple maneuver given the width of the aisle in your average school bus. Therefore I see this incident devolving into a size discrimination lawsuit against the Ypsilanti Public Schools.

LenMan

Sun, Mar 14, 2010 : 1:48 p.m.

The kid's fallen asleep on the bus more than once. Then he must not be getting to sleep on time. It would have been nice to see in the article that mom called the transportation department because she was concerned, and they found the kid asleep on the bus. But no. The bus driver made a mistake, and there should be a consequence. But the finger points both ways. Both in this and in the Free Press story, there are no comments that the mom was looking for the kid.

jns131

Sat, Mar 13, 2010 : 7:04 p.m.

About ten years ago the child check mate system was easy to turn off and be done with it. Within the last ten years trying to over ride the system has become harder because you need to know where to flip the switch. The older buses cannot be retro fitted because it would cost way too much to redo. But, the brand new buses do have an alarm with a timer switch give the driver time to get to the back of the bus. You have to remember, some of us can't run 40 feet to the back of the bus to turn off an alarm that you have to reset and take 2 minutes to redo. As Bill put it? There are 30 second switches on the Ann Arbor Buses. I know. I use the kill switch to get to the back of the bus because I can't run that fast to the back of the bus. Otherwise, we would be applying for Olympic status running of the buses. Running of the bulls in Spain and running of the buses at the lot. Fun. Ypsi has its different set of check mate systems. Most do not check until they get back to the lot in Ypsi. Depending on time and safety? Ann Arbor might after the last get off.

tracyann

Sat, Mar 13, 2010 : 1:52 p.m.

Hey, I know! If we got rid of bussing just think of all the money schools would make because parents would have to put their kids in the latch-key program! So that would solve bussing and the school deficits! But we can't do that, because then people wouldn't have anything to complain about.

Fat Bill

Sat, Mar 13, 2010 : 9:12 a.m.

As a former full-time and current substitute bus driver, I can assure you that most school bus drivers out there will agree that this driver clearly did not check the bus. Many new busses come equipped with a system that sets off an alarm (headlights flash, horns honks) if the back door emergency escape handle isn't lifted within 30 seconds of turning off the bus. This forces the driver to walk the length of the bus or everybody will know that they failed to do their job! Perhaps it is time to seek funding to retrofit this technology into older busses...

averagetaxpayer

Sat, Mar 13, 2010 : 12:40 a.m.

@AnnArbor.com Staff- You removed several posts that had suggested the parent bore some responsibility in this mess. You said it violates your posting guidelines to blame the victim. The victim here was the child, not the parent. I understand keeping focus on the bus driver (and school district) better fuels the flames of controversy, the caregiver and parent are huge parts of the story. Why didn't the parent know the child wasn't home at the regular time of 4:30 p.m.? Why did it take a call from the school two hours later for the parent to find out the child wasn't home after school? AnnArbor.com, you've lost a great deal of credibility by your action. You might regain a bit back by reinstating those pulled posts. Otherwise, RIP.

giggles

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 9:57 p.m.

There are a few things I wuld like to know, did the child you out the door or the window? And if the child gets home between 4and 4:15, he is to meet the daycare giver, why didn't the daycare giver contact the mother, when the child never showed up?

Cendra Lynn

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 8:10 p.m.

Whether YOU can get your kids to school on your own, or whether YOU walked 6 miles through snow uphill both ways and crossed busy streets and stayed home alone is irrelevant. What is relevant is whether society is concerned with insuring that all our kids get well educated. Some kids will need help with transportation. We have to deal with that as well as with their need for extra help with reading or math. It's shocking how few respondents here are considering the societal value of a well-educated populace. It's no reason we are known as the world's larged provincial country. How sad.

a2phiggy

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 6:31 p.m.

Has it been explained what happened at the family's or daycare's end for the 120 minutes between when the child was expected home and when he was found? Seems to be negligence in many areas here, not just the bus driver. Profoundly sad story all around.

15crown00

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 5:42 p.m.

this is absolutely unforgivable. FIRE ALL THOSE CONCERNED Y---E---S---T---E----R---D----A----Y--.

YpsiLivin

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 4:18 p.m.

DonBee, The only suggestion I've ever made regarding busing is that it should be operated as a cost-recovery service rather than a handout. I fail to see how instituting a cost-recovery mechanism for school transportation will lead to the injury and/or death of school children.

snarkysays

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 2:51 p.m.

Win15: Amazing isn't it? "Things" are different now. Stray dogs in Ypsi? Try the dogs in Detroit. This is what I am beginning to realize: 1. That children today are much more valuable for some strange reason than the children of a few years ago. 2. Another article in AnnArbor.com laments the eight million dollar deficit that is facing the school district and I wonder why. Is it that the money is not there or is it that the administrators appropriate the funds in an inefficient manner? At some point in time, people will have to make some hard choices. We can't have it all. Never could, can't now and never will. Priorities have to be set, hard decisions have to be made and appropriations have to be determined. I just find it very difficult to understand how people keep faulting the schools at every turn. I don't know about you, but I would have been thrilled to have had the opportunity to have attended the caliber of schools that these present day kids have with all the amenities that are afforded them and still they find fault. Unbelievable! Uff Da!

DonBee

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 2:36 p.m.

@YpsiLivin - I will happily pay for the services, I and my family use. But, some people can not afford to do so, and it is that concern that has me supporting taxes for buses. I don't want to see something preventable happening to a child. I assume you don't either, am I wrong?

djm12652

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 2:03 p.m.

This situation is unfortunate all around, but no one has answered the question of where the "caregiver" was during this ordeal. Anyone have any insight?

YpsiLivin

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 1:53 p.m.

DonBee says: I would rather pay for buses as part of my taxes and deal with the occational child sleeping on the bus... I would rather that you pay out of pocket for the buses your children use. You can make the argument that every taxpayer gets something out of public education, but you'd be hard-pressed to claim that most taxpayers get anything out of busing other than a bill. I'm glad you appreciate the buses but getting your kid to school shouldn't be a community responsibility. School buses should be operated on a cost-recovery basis with those who use them shouldering their cost.

M.

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 1:19 p.m.

Well said DonBee. You would think by some of these comments that some people would rather go to that funeral or hear about that kidnapping than "waste" their taxes on something that has been helping children for decades.

snarkysays

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 1:14 p.m.

Malorie, my dear girl. Let me elaborate for you. I am aware that some of these children are young and I not only walked to school all through elementary, middle and high school; but at the age of six (6) had to cross a major street alone and both of my parents worked (full-time) jobs. Yes! I had to walk home and then let myself into the house and was there ALONE for approximately two (2) to three-and-a half (3 1/2) hours until one of my parents arrived home from work. This started when I was six years old and in the first grade of elementary school. So, what's the problem here? And guess what! I grew up to be a responsible, self-reliant, law abiding, tax-paying citizen. By the way, I wasn't the only one, either.

DonBee

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 1:08 p.m.

@Snarkysays - It is only about 6 miles for my children to walk to school. Unfortunately there are no sidewalks and the shoulders are small on the roads. Even though the speed limit is 55, many people drive 70 or higher on the road. In the dark, with no sidewalk, it is not something I want my children doing in the dark. I appreciate the bus service and for many families, it is an important part of life. I would rather pay for buses as part of my taxes and deal with the occational child sleeping on the bus, than deal with one funeral or kidnapping because we stopped having it available.

Ike155

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 12:41 p.m.

Let me just say that this story comes around full circle to the issue of Edge-Ucation. Schools should have never been built in locations that do not serve the immediate population. There should never be any reason that a child can not either walk or ride a bike to a neighborhood school. Over the years it has been acceptable for local school boards to close neighborhood schools and replace them with large schools on the outskirts of town, that was built on cheap agricultural land. Now not only do people have to pay to maintain and operate buses, children loose the health beneifits of walking to school. The school is no longer the center of the neighborhood and no longer provides the playground and greenspace that it once did. No more voting precinct and community meeting area. You have to drive to go to everything. What people need to do is start taking an active role in the process that allows these edge schools to be built. And, take an active role in other important local community decisions that either directly or indirectly impact their quality of life.

M.

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 11:45 a.m.

YpsiLivin - I would agree to pay a fee to the school because I'm sure it would be much more reasonable than a private chauffer and split between all who ride the bus, but what happens to children of parents who are in such financial crisis that they can't pay the bill? I would hope some help to low income families would be available. No, schools don't pay for food and coats and gloves, etc. but there is a program for low income families to get reduced cost and free lunches for their students, and there are many much needed volunteers and programs that donate coats, gloves, BACKPACKS, BOOKS, PENCILS, etc. to students with low income parents. Snarky - This is a 6 year old kid!! You're going to expect a 6 year old to walk miles to school and back each day? I don't even let my kid cross the street without holding my hand! Yikes.

wln15

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 10:48 a.m.

I wouldn't be opposed to a fee for bus usage. In this case, I do not think a law suit is warranted. There are a lot of "what if's", but the child is safe. People make mistakes. This doesn't mean you have to sue.

YpsiLivin

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 10:41 a.m.

Malorie, My answer is that if you want your child to ride the bus, the school district should be charging you and you should be paying for that as an "ancillary service." If the school district is somehow "responsible" for getting your child to school, are they also responsible for providing food on school days? Are they responsible for providing school supplies? School clothing? Coats, boots, shoes and hats because those things are used at school? Where exactly does the school's "responsibility" stop and the parents' responsibility begin? It isn't the job of the school system to equalize the economic inequalities of society. Before you assume otherwise, I have school-aged children. I manage to get my children to school every day. I provide all of their clothing, food and supervision. I also work full-time. Schools don't create children; parents do. Schools should stick to the business of educating children rather than trying to provide for them.

Bridget Bly

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 10:21 a.m.

Sadly, AnnArbor.com is getting the reputation of a place where angry people vent their frustration. It's a pity, because a public forum can be a great thing -- but not if reasonable people avoid it because it feels abusive. There are so many interesting perspectives in a community, and ways to express a point of view without getting snarky. Come on, people, we are all neighbors. Don't say anything you wouldn't say face to face to your neighbor.

mjwinkie

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 10:16 a.m.

Snapshot, After reading the story a second time I did not see where it said the driver was union or non unoin. School bus driving is not for everyone, there both union and non union departments in the county. There are good drivers and bad drivers in every district. This driver clearly did not do the job and should face the conciquences. After the review they may very well loose the job union or not. The difficult part about this job is that no mater how long you have done it, or how good your record is, you are only as good as the last bus run you've made. Due to the fact that you deal with peoples children you have to be 100% mistake free every day, and you do this job in front of everyone. As a union driver I feel like I am under attack because I earn a living wage and have medical and retirment benifets. I am being told that because of the states money problems I am a luxury that they can no longer afford. I can deal with this I am a big boy. If you come to my union and tell us we need to take a 10% cut in pay and reduce my bennys. I am sure we would consider it. You could cut the department all to gether and it would save the distrect half a million dollars a year. The projected deficet next year is about 4 times that amount. When all the states drivers who are able to retire do, that number will grow. These funding cuts to schools were a political compromise to pass a buget. When the people see the efects of these cuts first hand they will demand the state law makers fix this school funding issue. Abrahan Lincoln said "If you want a bad law repieled inforce it strictly". The people who worry about the traffic problems that a school bus causes, should think what will happen when they take the 50 busses of the road, and replace them with 500 to 1,000 cars it would take to get the kids to school!

dading dont delete me bro

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 9:21 a.m.

this driver OBVIOUSLY didn't walk the interior single aisleway to the back and look. FAIL on the spot. union or not in this case. this is inexcusible.

M.

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 9:14 a.m.

YpsiLivin, others - I am a single mother who does not have a car, and I don't have a large network of friends and family in the area to "pitch in". How would you suggest I get my daughter to school and home? I work 7:30 to 4:30. I cannot think of any paid services that would transport my daughter by herself without a guardian. Also, how in the world would I be able to afford it and still pay the rent? Private transportation is extremely expensive. I suppose your answer would be something like "Not our problem." You're essentially saying public education should be limited to the priveleged few who can afford a chauffeur for their children or are financially able to stay home from work. I'm really shocked and appalled at the childless people who think education isn't the most important thing for our children. It hurts me that there are people in our community who would rather see my daughter not be able to go to school than continue to support public school busses. If you don't think your taxes should go to ensuring every child an education, then I'm not sure what you'd rather spend it on (and I'm not asking).

wln15

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 8:58 a.m.

I do take responsibility for my children. In fact, they don't use bus transportation. However, I don't mind my tax dollars supporting children getting to and from school. Parental responsibility in this country is a much bigger issue. I don't think it's fair to children, who did not choose to be born in the first place, to be denied the opportunity to go to school if their parents don't get them there. Sadly, what concerns me most is not that all parents CAN'T get their children to/from school, but that they WON'T. What would benefit my family the most would be to cut bus service and utilize that money for music, art, and gym - all programs that I personally value....But, it's not all about me.

Indicat

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 8:53 a.m.

The bus driver clearly did not do his/her job by not checking to see if all children were off the bus. But what about the child care provider? Had he/she called immediately when the child was not dropped off at the 4:15 time, calls could have been made and the child would have been located. It sounds as if the bus driver wasn't the only person not doing his/her job.

jcj

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 8:40 a.m.

There are many things that go on in this country not because it is law. But because it is right and the voters don't say no. The voters have always had the option of changing this practice. Is there a law that says schools have to provide music classes? Lets drop music! Is there a law that says schools have to provide sports? Lets drop sports! Is there a law that says schools have to provide art classes? Lets drop art! There are lots of services people get in this country that I help pay for even though I do not get any direct benefit from them. There are services I get that I could not afford if everyone did not help pay for them. There are services you get that you could not afford if everyone did not help pay for them. Is there a law that says the government has to provide quality roads to drive on? But if that were left for everyone to do as they could afford it might be worse than it is now. My point is we all have pet peeves that take into consideration only our individual preferences. Something needs to be done to make the transportation of students to school more efficient. If the answer was easy there would not be a problem. And bus drivers to have to be accountable while our children are in their care.

scooter dog

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 8:38 a.m.

Its curb service on my street and if the kids big/small are not waiting for the bus,the bus sits blocking traffic with its lights flashing as long as it takes for them to come out,or the parents come out with the kids and b/s with the bus driver till the cows come home

Top Cat

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 8:37 a.m.

I don't want to make light of this, but no one got hurt. Tevin Smith showed himself to be a smart and resourceful young man. He didn't panic and figured it out.

glimmertwin

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 8:29 a.m.

>> 45 mins to an hour bus ride home, IN YPSI?? With the state of school finances in this state and others, it's only going to get worse - before bus service is eliminated altogether. As far as this child - this is a serious error in procedure. Sorry, I know mistakes happen, but this bus driver should be fired immediately.

krc

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 8:23 a.m.

A correction: Ch 4 news interviewed the little boy who said he "pushed alot of buttons and the door opened" so he got out. He did not break a window.

emu2009

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 7:26 a.m.

The bottom line is that these drivers are entrusted with very precious cargo and as long as services are provided by the districts they need to ensure they are following guidelines every single time they get on and on those buses. I am fairly certain they have a procedure they are supposed to follow every time and this driver apparently dropped the ball. Thank goodness this little boy was spotted before he wandered too far off from the bus yard.

YpsiLivin

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 5:52 a.m.

School transportation at taxpayer expense has been around since the latter part of the 19th century, (yes, as in horse-drawn carriages) so it's definitely not new. By the close of World War I, all states allowed school-related transportation and somewhere along the line, being allowed to use public funds somehow got translated into a "pseudo-requirement" on the part of the school district to provide transportation. After all, educating your children is required by law, but school busing is not. What would you do if there were no school buses? Win15, Taking responsibility for getting your kids to school doesn't translate into quitting your job, or working only when your kids are in school. It simply requires you to devise a way to get your kids to school and back home on your own dime, much like the way you (presumably) provide supervision for your children after they arrive home from school and before you get home.

Alan Benard

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 1:40 a.m.

And this story brings not concern for a lost child or anguished parents, but selfish demands that society be dismantled so complainers can save ten cents rather than struggle against Michigan's astounding culture of ignorance.

Jesse

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 12:06 a.m.

WOW! David I think you said it best! The fact is that we expect ANYONE dealing with a child to be qualified and to act in a responsible and competent manner. DO YOUR JOB! I'm sure this guys will be fired..Eventually?.. Some of these comments are so ridiculous though

jcj

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 11:48 p.m.

YpsiLivin I suspect that started about the time households had to have both parents working to pay their taxes. Seriously does anyone know what year the Ann Arbor district 1st started providing transportation?

hypsi

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 11:45 p.m.

YIkes! You think bussing is bad now, wait until YPS closes two elementary schools. Forget 45 minutes to and hour bus ride home, it will be more like 2 hours after bussing all those kids all over the city. Wonder how many more stories like this we will hear about after that happens.

YpsiLivin

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 11:25 p.m.

jcj I never said busing was new. I said that somewhere along the line, parents simply removed "Get the kids to school" from their list of things to do because school districts decided to take on that responsibility. People no longer even realize that schools aren't required to cart kids around for free. They simply expect door-to-door transportation from the public schools as a hand-out.

wln15

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 11 p.m.

Wow! I am shocked at some of the comments here about eliminating bus service. The ability for every parent to get their children to and from school would be extremely difficult for most. I know my job won't allow me to work from 9:30 to 3. Would you prefer that all of us parents quit our jobs and collect unemployment from the state just so we can transport our children to and from school? Or how about we just let our children remain uneducated and your tax dollars can support them when they are on welfare or in prison later?

David Jesse

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 10:58 p.m.

Here's a link to a story, with video, on CLickonDetroit's Web site: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/22812738/detail.html

YpsiLivin

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 9:09 p.m.

Mikey2u, I agree 100%. There's no reason for each school district to operate what amounts to a publicly funded private bus service. Parents should be responsible for getting their children to school, and transportation, if provided, should be offered only on a cost-recovery basis. Busing has quietly transformed itself into yet another entitlement program. It's no wonder people think our nanny State requires it.

breadman

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 8:58 p.m.

Why didn't the Child care provider call Mom and tell her son was never home and the bus never came by? Was sitter waiting?

Rosie

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 8:47 p.m.

The reason the bus rides take so long is that most kids get door to door service. There are not bus stops that students walk to and from like there were when we were younger. Each student is dropped of as close to home as possible, which sounds great for safety reasons, but ends up taking a great deal of time to accomplish.

Charley Sullivan

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 8:33 p.m.

45 mins to an hour bus ride home, IN YPSI?? That's a ridiculous commute. What could possibly take more than 20 mins? What a waste of time. No wonder a 6 year old would fall asleep.

Steven Harper Piziks

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 7:52 p.m.

State law requires schools to provide transportation to and from school, dude. Not everyone can drive, or even owns a car. Some people have to be at work by 7 a.m. and can't drop their kids off at school. Without buses, a lot of kids wouldn't be able to go to school. Try thinking beyond yourself a sec and you'll understand the reasons.

Mikey2u

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 7:35 p.m.

This is just one more reason why our schools need to get out of the transportation business. If YOU have kids, YOU figure out how to get them to and from school and stop wasting my tax dollars.

ffej440

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 5:22 p.m.

How many of us would be fired on the spot for such a mistake on our jobs? Must be nice to get PAID admin leave while your srew-ups are investigated.

ypsigirl

Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 5:17 p.m.

My son goes to Adams and on the first day of school they put him on the wrong bus home. I went to the school when he did not come home and they did start TRYING to call the Transportation office. TRY being the key word. NOBODY EVER answered the phone-just a recording. While the school worker tried to get through, I went in search of the bus. I finally got a call from a neighbor that the bus had just dropped my son off at home-almost 2 hours late. I blocked the bus with my car and asked the driver where he had been. I asked her if she had a phone or a radio and she said she did. WHY did she not call in and tell someone that he was on the wrong bus? I ranted and raved at her like a mad person. My child is one of the most important people in my life and for the first time-I did not know where he was. I have never and will never put him on another Ypsilanti school bus. They didn't take care of him the first time.