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But then the bus didn't pick up Jaclyn, or any of the other would-be passengers standing there, 3 out of the 4 days she tried to catch it. I phoned and emailed city transit customer service each of those 3 days, with no resolution. The advice on day 2 was to wave down the bus like a taxi - maybe the driver doesn't know she wants on.
(What else does the bus driver think she is doing at the stop?)
Day 3 she waved down the bus and the driver motioned back to her,
"Too bad, I'm not stopping."
Day 3 customer service suggested maybe the bus was too full to stop. Well, Jaclyn told me that the bus on the way home is more full than the bus when it drives on by her in the morning, so I wasn't buying it. I took a new tactic and phoned the Calgary Board of Education and got the name and number of the supervisor at City Transit responsible for students riding public buses, and made another phone call.
Then today I really walked her to her stop with a camera around my neck.
Or rather, we walked separately on opposite sides of the street so that no one would know I was her mom, though I fear the synchronization of our arrival still gave me away, and I stood back between the trees on my side of the street to obscure my view from the eventually arriving bus. I was going to get a picture of how full that bus was(n't) to email to transit customer service.
/
Only it stopped and picked her up!
/
When I got home I had an email from customer service telling me that the area supervisor rode Jaclyn's route this morning and ensured everyone got on.
/
And that is the story of how I got a picture of my baby taking the bus to high school.
20 comments:
Nice follow through. I had several bus issues when Seth was in first grade and it's made me hesitant to use the system here for school.
I'm sure your young woman didn't really mind you stalking out her bus route. Everyone wants to be loved like that:)
Good work, mama bear!
I love the way you document events in your life, Barb. You remember details that otherwise would go unremembered and undocumented and then tie them all in to everything. In short, you're good!
Mothering and blogging at its best. After posts like this, I surely can't be the only one with a crush on you.
That's insane, Barb. Good follow through!
A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!
This sounds like something that would happen to our family. Crazy! Good job on making sure you daughter gets to school.
I don't believe a word of your cover story. I know you just walked over and took a picture of Jaclyn climbing on the bus, and then thought of a clever rouse so you wouldn't look like one of THOSE mothers. I'm right. I know it.
What an ordeal! So glad the bus finally stopped! (And hoping it continues to. Why in the world would it not stop??)
Did she get picked up today, i hope.
No! It passed her by again! (Full in the front, empty in the back as usual.)
The next plan is that Ken is going to try to catch the bus tomorrow and talk to the bus driver.
I'm glad you got your bus pictures, but I'm sorry it's because the driver is a clueless dinkwad. How annoying!
So I spoke to the area supervisor on the phone last night, and when Ken was walking with Jaclyn to her stop he saw a supervisor truck. Instead of getting on the bus with Jaclyn Ken spoke to the supervisor in person and the supervisor seems on our side.
As for today, Jaclyn got on the bus (with the supervisor watching from his truck on the corner). Now if we could just get her picked up even when the supervisor isn't watching . . .
what a pain for all of you (although, enjoyable to read, nonetheless.)
it's sort of reminding me of kelly a. stalking the smoking crossing guard a few years ago.
my son goes to school "out of our district" and is dying to ride a bus (ANY kind of bus, he's that desperate.) stories like this make me buckle into the driver seat each morning.
my grandmother recently shared a story with me of how she used to put my 5 YEAR OLD MOTHER on a Philadelphia public bus to get her to kindegarten. i can't even imagine...
So strange as to why the bus isn't stopping. I'm glad that things seem to be going well now -it looks like you posted a couple days ago - how is the bus situation now? Way to go for tracking them down and making them do their job!
That is unbelievable! How could that keep happening?? Hopefully the supervisor will take action.
I love Marie's comment!
Well done Barb! What a headache. I am glad it was ironed out. I know for certain BB (before blogging) I would have never had a camera around my neck, but you bet I would now.
Great story! Well ok I would have been furious, but in the end it makes a great story.
Last week the bus picked Jaclyn up every day!
The bus didn't stop for her on Tuesday, Sept 23.
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