Ok I had to share this with everyone because on a day like today in Houston, Texas many need a good laugh. So, here goes:
As many of you know or don't know, I drive a school bus for the benefits. I'm sure some of you are quite surprised at that and yes, I have heard all the comments about how you wouldn't have missed the school bus if I was your driver, etc....
Anyway, for the last 2 days we have had what we in Texas call a "gully washer". It has rained steadily with high winds and water unable to recede. I really thought they were going to call off school today because we were under a Tornado Warning but they didn't. I made it to work this morning 15 minutes late because of having to take alternate routes because of high water. I got all of my kids delivered to school that braved the rain to catch the bus.
This afternoon, I made it in to work on time because I was prepared knowing where the water was going to be at. It had continued to rain all day and the parking lot was flooded as well as the school's parking lots so we had to wait an extended amount of time to pull up to the schools to load our students. What makes it worse is; once the students are loaded on the bus with the windows all up, it raining heavily outside, the temperature raises inside the bus and all the windows fog up making it damn near impossible to see. (Hence, how I got into the accident last month)
I pull out of my first school and I don't know what it is about rain that makes folks go nuts from childhood into adulthood but, it does. They were standing up to draw smiley faces on the fogged windows and looking at all the water. I have to tell them to sit down and be quiet like 5 times. They were horrible today. Thank God it's a one stopper at an apt. complex. One of the kids pops open his umbrella inside the bus and it got caught on the door and he couldn't get out. (that's not the funny part)
On I go to the next school and I have to go down a street called Bunkerhill. It wasn't bad on the north side of the freeway but it was really flooded on the south side and many cars had stalled out. People were driving in the path of on coming cars to get around them and it was crazy. In Houston, the center of the street is usually the highest so people were still trying to go through it even after seeing stalled cars. The bus is higher off the ground so I go in the outside lane slowly to avoid huge wakes, water walls and wet brakes.
When I finally get to my next school, I have to pee. (My aunt was one of those people who potty trained turning the water on to make a toddler pee. Don't ask me how it works but it does and down pouring rain on a metal roof sounds like a faucet..) So, I jump off the bus to find a bathroom. The first 2 were locked so I'm running trying to dodge little people to get to the one by the front office. I get in there and about bust my ass with my wet shoes on the ceramic floor. I do my business and very carefully wash my hands and leave.
In the mean time, they have loaded my bus up with some more excited children. A whole new window fog for them to draw smiley faces appears and I'm trying to wipe down the front windshield to move the bus up about 520 ft to let the next bus load. They won't let us leave until all the students are loaded.
We are released and as I'm driving, I'm noticing that almost every single one of my stops is in at least a foot of water so I tell the kids to take off their shoes and stick them in their backpacks. Almost all of the parents were making the kids that didn't take off their shoes sit on the steps while they pulled them off. Yea, I'm holding up traffic while these kids take off their shoes! The kids get off the bus and the water is up past their knees. I was hoping that none of the kids fell in the water or they would drown! I'm serious. I have bathed my own kids in less water than what was on the roads today. By the time I drop my last student off on that route, I have developed a headache.
I turn down the street that I always take to get to my last school and it was totally flooded. I couldn't back up because I had cars behind me and I couldn't go forward because there was a stalled car in front of me so I had to wait for about 10 SUVs came through and I could go. The SUV behind me stayed close. I guess I was like parting the Red Sea or something. My brakes were mushy by the time I got to the light and I was hoping the guy behind me didn't hit me.
Ok so I know Bunkerhill is flooded so I take an alternate route around the mall. I pull up to the light at Bunkerhill and sit through 2 lights because the traffic was so bad. The next light, the intersection was clear so, I go. Just as I start to move, here comes this lady in this old POS Chevy with a bandana "do rag" running the red light so I honk at her. She turns around with this smug look on her face and flips me off and stays in the center lane. Yet, has to wait for another red light.
I'm in shock, thinking to myself, "You run a red light and flip me off? We'll just see about that! CHARGE!" I rev up that diesel and take the outside lane once I turn. I notice her windows are open. Yeeehaaww! I hear her screaming as she realizes what I'm about to do. Oh yeah! A big ass, 4 ft wall of water fan tail right in her window!!!!!
God, I wish I had a video camera and I hope some other folks that were watching it got a kick out of it too! I looked back and she had managed to get her passenger window up but I know I splashed her good! I'm still laughing at her screaming. I hope she saw the big smiley face my kids drew for her in the back window!
I don't normally do stuff like that because I'm sort of a passive person but this opportunity was just too good to pass up because it served her right! I mean she ran a red light to get in line to wait on another red light. It was just stupid!
I told my boss that she may be receiving a telephone call on it but even she kind of giggled under her breath. We see all kinds of stupid stuff by people around school buses. I turn on my yellows and it's like I waved a flag for a drag race.
The kids get so excited to see the school bus that they don't even see the other traffic. I can't tell you how many times I have just about gone into cardiac arrest as people run my lights and I have a kid almost get hit. We don't want to inconvenience you any more than we have to. We just want to get these kids to and from school safely.
Just another day at the job!
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