Being a new member to the Crew of Bus Drivers at Russellville, I continue to learn the ropes of being a good bus driver.

I continually get asked, what were you thinking taking that job.

Sometimes I ask myself that very question.

I answer my own question, this is something I just wanted to do. I have always had a good relationship with the student body at Russellville schools as both my daughters graduated from Russellville and I was very active there during their school years.

But I must get back to the reason for this letter. I continue to find every day that being a good bus driver takes a lot of intense concentration to do the job properly. Paying attention to the road and conditions on the exterior of the bus and also maintaining order inside the bus, which includes making sure the students remain seated while riding the bus and keeping the noise level down so as to be able to concentrate on the safety outside the bus. That gets me to the reason I am writing this letter.

Every day I can count at least 15 different times that when I am stopped to either pick up a child or deliver them back home that an oncoming car or truck will not fully stop when approaching the bus. I guess the color of yellow or red doesn't mean anything. Those are the colors of Safety, especially when its a BIG yellow bus with yellow and red flashing lights.

You cannot assume that a child who gets off the bus and doesn't cross the road in front of the bus is the only child getting off the bus. There may be another one who is taking a little longer to get off. When you are dealing with smaller children, you just can't take anything for granted. We as drivers have to watch every move the kids make as they get on and off the bus and at the same time, we also have to watch the adults who are driving automobiles. Its a huge undertaking. I would ask that all who read this letter would take a little more time to pay attention to how you are driving when approaching a school bus in the process of loading and unloading children.