All Shook Up

Yesterday was quite an adventure. I was driving kids home from my second and final school of the afternoon and, for once, actually driving the route on time. I had already dropped off at two stops and was heading to the third. As I approached a driveway, I noticed a car backing out. You know how you have the moment when you are pretty sure the driver will see you and stop, but you start to slow down anyway, just in case? Well, the car didn't slow down. As soon as I noticed that, I slammed on my brakes and watched as the car continued scraping along the front of my bus. I turned to scowl at the driver of the car and that's when I noticed that there wasn't one in it! The car continued on its path across the street and over an embankment where it came to rest along a couple thin trees - the only things preventing it from toppling the rest of the way down the forest hill.

Immediately I heard crying. Remember, my bus was still pretty fairly loaded with children. There was a kindergartner on the floor. I helped him up and back to his seat, making sure that he was okay. Next came the embarrassing task of calling the accident into base. The next several minutes were hectic. I was required to write down the names of all the children on the bus, while listening to the two-way radio in case base was calling me, dealing with excited children and trying to figure out if the owner of the car was anywhere around. Also, there was a young man who had been on a bike and he was walking around trying to see if there was anything he could do to help.

Here is what happened (at least I think this is what happened - the woman didn't speak English very well). The owner of the car had backed her car out of the garage, then gotten out to go back into her house and get a cell phone. She didn't put the car in park or engage the parking brake, so it rolled down the driveway and in front of my bus.

Finally the police and my managers arrived. One manager started filling out an accident report, taking down everyone's information. The women who owned the car didn't really want to talk - she kept saying that she had called her husband and he was on the way. I was still trying to deal with all those excited children on my bus!

Eventually, their principal showed up and helped me with student management. Another driver also showed up, ready to offer up her bus so we could get the children home. Finally, they decided to move the kids to the other bus. Three children said that had been injured, but the police and principal looked at them and they weren't seriously injured. My biggest concert was the little kinder who had fallen forward. I used this as an opportunity to explain to the children that I'm not just being mean when I harp on them to sit in their seats the correct way - I'm not just being a mean old bus driver!

About fifteen minutes after the other bus left with the children, parents started showing up. Apparently someone called them and told them to pick up their children at the accident site. We then had to deal with scared parents on top of everything else. I rushed back to my bus and called the other driver on our two-way radio, asking her to stay with the kids at the last stop until their parents could get back there.

The police officer made it clear that I was 100% not at fault in the accident. Still, I couldn't help but run through the "what-ifs" in my head. What if I had stopped sooner? What if I hadn't assumed the car was going to stop? What if I had been going a little bit slower? What if I had called in sick and not been driving at all?! I was worried that they might find me partially at fault. Maybe they would tell me that I should have been better prepared to stop or something.

Eventually the bus and I were released to go back to base. The bus was completely drivable. The only major damage to it was the front crossing arm had been ripped off by the passing car. My manager asked if I felt okay driving and I told him that I'd probably be one of the safeest drivers on the road because I would be overly cautious about everything! I didn't get done with filling out paperwork until around 6pm (an extra 1 1/2 hours of paid work!) at which time I walked to Taco Del Mar and bought a nice taco talad for lunch!

This morning when I went into work I was a bit of a celebrity. Everyone wanted to know what happened. Our manager in routing actually paid me a HUGE compliment. She said that I actually did better at reacting to the situation that I felt I had. It could have been a lot worse. Rather than running along the front of my bus, the car could have hit the service door on the side of the bus and caused a LOT more damage and injury. By stopping when I did, I prevented that from happening. Also, she said that I sounded very calm and collected over the radio. That surprised me because I was a NERVOUS WRECK!

Later, as kids for a morning shuttle got on my bus, I heard a girl talking in great detail about the accident. This surprised me because she hadn't been there. Remember that young biker that had been walking around? Turns out he had a camera and video taped a lot of the police interviews of me and the owner of the car. He had been showing the video to the girl's brother last night.

After driving the shuttle, once safely at the school, I called my manager and told him about the video. Maybe the guy caught the accident on tape! My manager assured me that it wouldn't be needed even if he did. The police officer declared me 100% not at fault. As far as they were concerned I did everything I could to avoid the accident. He had looked at the recently installed GPS on my bus and determined that I had been going 23.7 miles before slamming on my brakes, so I wasn't speeding.

He also noted that at the scene, I had been actually trying to find fault with myself for the accident. I guess I had been voicing some of my what-ifs. He commended me for thinking about my defensive driving and assured me that I have nothing to worry about. I did nothing wrong. If anything, I probably made the situation a little better.

That really made me feel SO much better!

In other news, I received a couple checks in the mail on Monday. Apparently, back in 1999 I had been the victim of credit card fraud. A company and wrongfully charged me for access to a porn site. I SWEAR, the charges were fraudulent! Anyway, ten years later the two checks for $27.63 are my portion from the class action suit against the company.

At first I thought this might be some kind of scam. Once I deposited the checks and signed the back of them, then someone would have my signature and bank account number. I did some research and found a couple websites where other people around the nation had been talking about also receiving the checks.

Between us all, we were able to dig up enough evidence that this was legitimate, so I am going to deposit the checks today after work! WOO HOO, I am $55 richer.

What am I going to do with that money? NOT SAVE IT!! I've saved $1100 in the past three months and I am feeling good about that. No, I'm going to use that money to buy tickets to see the musical Wicked, coming to Seattle in September. I have been dying to see that show and I missed it the last time it was here. I am NOT going to miss it again!