And sadly very common. Bus driver "forgets" a 22 year old special needs man, and leaves him alone, strapped to a bus seat overnight on New Years Eve, in below freezing temperatures. the guy is ok, but good grief. Article can be found here, thanks to my dear friend Colorisn'teverything emailing it to me.
This bus service was a special needs service, how on earth does something like this happen? Thank god the poor man didn't freeze to death, but imagine his suffering until he was found. Someone better pay for such a sick "mistake." I hope the family sues the hell out of that company.
We've experienced this as well, though thankfully not quite so seriously. The first time, Jaymes' bus driver forgot to make his stop, because the other kids who get off with him were absent. He sat for an additional 20 mins until she remembered she needed to drop him off. The second time, Jaymes was almost locked alone in a bus at a high school.
His bus, 777, had broken down. Bus 223 was behind them, and stopped to help. They moved all the kids to the empty 223 and waited for the replacement bus. Replacement came, they moved all the kids to it and left. All the kids but one. 223 headed to the high school. The bus driver got ready to lock the bus up because the high school would not let out for a couple hours, and thank god Jaymes peeped over the seat (he was BEHIND THE DRIVERS SEAT THE WHOLE TIME) and said something. Otherwise he'd have been left ALONE in a bus at a high school.
It's shameful that special needs kids and adults go through situations like this. There is no reason. A simple tour of the bus to be sure it was empty would have spared that man in the article a night of misery. A simple 5 second head count would have spared Jaymes the stress of being alone on a bus, and he would not have come so close to real danger.
Every one of these companies and school transportation offices should have safety measures in place. They probably do, but what the hell good does it do if no one bothers to obey them?
Shameful. That poor man. It just really sickens me.
Edited to add: Even worse... A reader linked me to this article. They KNEW, and left him because the matron was late for church? Good lord. Sick sick sick.
Not all churchgoers are good people, apparently.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
It's even worse than being forgotten. The bus matron knew he was there but left him because she was late for church.
That is even more disturbing, Unruly Duckling! It's so sad that people rely on others to "do the right thing". If you see someone in need, HELP them. Yeah, it may take some time. However, it may also save someone's life. And if it is your job, you should DEFINITELY do it. Don't just assume someone else will do something!
Where did the want to help in our society go? This story really still upsets me. Humans need to take care of one another and they should especially look out for those who may need a little extra help.
Post a Comment