Update: Bus Garage, Gillian, Etc.

As most of you know by now, Gillian was lost yesterday, at the hands of the bus garage. Not lost, like on the wrong bus, or lost in that she didn't get off the bus. She was lost, good and well, because the bus driver dropped her off at the wrong location, and Gillian was on the wrong street, and wasn't able to realize which street she was supposed to be on to get home. The link opens to a self-flagged post, so you may not be able to see it. Suffice to say, it took 30+ people, the police department, the transportation department, and myself to find her after almost 40 minutes of looking.

I can tell you right now, it could have ended badly. She could have been snatched off the streets by some guy, she could have been hit by a car. It could have been bad, every parents worst nightmare, and for the 40 minutes she was gone, it was my worst nightmare come to life.

Yesterday, I talked to the bus driver, the bus garage, and the head of the transportation department, all while it was happening, and I balled them all out for it. I kept calm enough to not cuss at them, but I was nearly hysterical several times.

Today, I waited until I was nice and calm, and the kids were at school, before calling to discuss the issue with the bus garage. Yesterday, I was told that we should never have been assigned to the bus stop we were at, that there are 2 stops within a block's walk of where we live, on a different bus route. Why she was ever assigned to the bus stops she was, is beyond me.

So, I called up the bus garage today, and talked to the director. First so we could get the new bus stop information (though she will be getting driven this week), and second, so I could discuss my concerns with the director about just what all went wrong yesterday.

The bus garage has a policy- anyone in K-2nd grade must have a parent or adult at the stop waiting for them, for the kids to be released. On Tuesday, because I was busy chasing the bus due to the multiple bus stop errors, I wasn't in visible site when Gilly was let off the bus. I was pulling up behind the bus, but the driver certainly didn't know who I was, or that there was an adult there to meet Gilly off the bus. She just let her out, and that was that.

Yesterday, obviously, Gilly was once more let off the bus without a parent there. Gilly got confused- she knew the stop where she was let off at is the stop she was assigned to in the mornings, so she got off without prompting. The driver realized while she was at the stop, that Gilly got off at the wrong stop, and asked a parent standing there to call Gilly back, but Gilly was in her own little world.

By the time one of the other adults was freed up to try and go after her, Gilly had disappeared. She was just gone.

The bus driver, instead of waiting to ensure the safety of one of her students, went on about her route. She didn't call the bus garage to let them know, so they could call me, she just went to the next stop. Whether she did so because she knew I would be at the other stop or not, I don't know. I just know she didn't call anyone, didn't wait for help, she just knowingly let a 7 year old off at the wrong stop, without a parent, and left without ensuring that she was safe.

I told the director today that her behavior on both counts was unacceptable. That she can't rely on the child to know what is right or wrong, and that she should never have left the site without ensuring the safety of the child. I told him that as a parent, I would much rather have my child be 5 minutes late, than have her drive off after such a big screw up.

Of course, he couldn't tell me what happened to the driver, but I really hope she was suspended, at the very least.

I reiterated several times the concerns I have over the safety of the children being let off at group stops like that. If the bus driver isn't matching kids to adults, and just looking to make sure A adult is there, how do they know they aren't dropping 5 year olds off with complete strangers?

I told him very clearly all the reasons why his driver's behavior was unacceptable, and how the next time they drop a child off in that way, it might not have a happy ending, that any one on the streets could see a child alone, and just snatch them up.

Gilly is overly friendly, and always has been. We stress all the time that she can not just go up to strangers, and start talking, or trust them. But that doesn't stop her when she's with us. She could have gone up to some pedophile on the street, and told him who she was, and that she was lost, and that could have been the end of it right there.

He did say that he has talked with all the drivers about the situation, and how it should be handled in the future, along with letting them know that they have to ensure that each child in 2nd grade and under has an adult meeting them at the bus stop, each time. I told him that it should be strictly enforced, and that there is absolutely no excuse for how the problem was handled, on any level.

He was apologetic today, where as yesterday, it was almost like he was trying to brush it off as having been my fault that I wasn't at the wrong stop to get her off the bus, or Gilly's fault for getting off at the wrong stop.

I just can't even begin to say how livid I was when it was all said and done. Gilly did what she thought she was supposed to do. She thought she was on our street, so she started walking straight, which leads right to the railroad tracks, then across them to our house. She kept walking straight until she got to railroad tracks, which is when she was found. That was 6 large city blocks away, and across a major 5 lane road.

I told him that because of the multitude of mistakes that driver made, my baby could have been gone in the blink of an eye, and that it could happen to any child when the driver isn't taking responsibility of those children seriously.

Here is Gilly's bus card, showing a different drop off & pick up location, with some of it blotted out for safety.

The last two pictures I had taken of Gilly, on Wed morning as we waited for the bus. I used these on the camera to show people what she looked like, and what she was wearing. It shocks & angers me that these two photos could have been the last two I took of her.