To be furious with school bus driver

[WashingLion]

For taking my 5year old off the bus and leaving her, alone by a busy main road, because the childminder was 5 minutes late.

And then to be furious with the bus company for denying all responsibility (this is a school bus).

The childminder is very responsible but was held up in traffic. My daughter was found wandering down the road by a (luckily) kindly stranger who asked her where I work and managed to track me down.

[wonkylegs]

I'd be livid. I would speak to whoever organises the school bus - school or LA, as this is not acceptable.

[Tallgiraffe]

That's horrendous, you are right to be furious

[YesIamYourSisterInLaw]

[shocked]

[YesIamYourSisterInLaw]

[SpottyTeacakes]

That's awful. Here the primary buses have a chaperone for the children. YANBU

[BarbarianMum]

That is truly awful. Really, really bad. If he felt he couldn't wait and had kept her on the bus, that would be one thing but to leave her!

Complain formally, in writing and copy to the school. The bus company must have a policy for this sort of situation - ask for a copy.

[MadameOvary]

Of course YANBU!
I feel sick just reading that.

[LynetteScavo]

I'm presuming the bus company is contracted by the LA, so you must inform the LA this has happened.

[scattergun]

Ditto, sick at the thought. Beyond horrible.

[Bobyan]

Tell your local newspaper...

[WashingLion]

Thanks for your responses. I phoned the bus company almost immediately. The response was 'we're not a babysitting service'.

This is the same bloody bus that is late almost every morning and afternoon!

I am so livid. If I left my five year old by a busy main road on her own, I'm sure that social services and the police would be round (quite rightly) like a shot.

[quoteunquote]

Totally unacceptable, please let us know how you get on.

[cocolepew]

That's shocking. What on earth was going through his mind to think that was a good idea?!?

[Kyrptonite]

That's awful! What the hell was the bus driver thinking?

[cocolepew]

I would phone the police and report them.

[mistressploppy]

It CANNOT be the first time this has happened. They must have policy on what to do. I'd be throwing the book at someone, that's completely unacceptable

[GazpachoSoup]

F* me, that is DISGUSTING. What the hell type of person turfs a 5 year old off a bus to wander down the street?!
I have a 5 year old, and the very thought of that has literally just made my stomach turn over and me feel sick.
I would be raging, and I'm a normally placid person who dislikes any confrontation!
I'd be writing a letter of complaint to the manager of the bus company, the LEA, and the school with dates, times, names etc and outlining exactly what happened.
I'd also be going to the local newspaper about it as well. They'd be interested in stories like that.
Denying all responsibility?! They wouldn't be fobbing me off. ANYTHING could have happened and it's just sheer good luck that she's OK.

[AgentProvocateur]

I think your childminder is at fault too. If I was meeting a child off a bus, I'd allow time for the traffic being bad.

[GazpachoSoup]

Thanks for your responses. I phoned the bus company almost immediately. The response was 'we're not a babysitting service'.

Are you for real?! I'm actually speechless. They SAID that?! It's common bloody sense if there's no one there to pick up a 5 year old you do NOT just let them wander off by themselves!
Seriously, if they said that, stop faffing around with phone calls where you can get fobbed off and get a proper letter of complaint in writing where it will be on file.

[Bobyan]

Its a safeguarding issue and surely the bus has an accompanying adult as well as the driver?

[TerraNotSoFirma]

That's an absolute disgrace.
I feel sick even thinking about it.

How is your DD?

[Sparklingbrook]

Just .