Both of my sons, ages 6 and 8, are back in school. Neither ride the bus. We live outside the neighborhood school zone and thus don't qualify for school bus service. That means, of course, that my wife must drive them to and from school each day, a distance of about 3 miles.

I know this is not the safest way to get them to and from school, but we don't have much choice. I sometimes wonder what it would be like if they did ride the bus. Would I go out and size up the driver? Would I complain if the bus is late (or early) or if the driver doesn't practice the accepted safety precautions during the loading/unloading process? That is, would I behave like a typical parent or one who is involved in the industry?

I would hope that I would take advantage of my accumulated knowledge to ensure that my sons' transportation was safe and efficient. And nothing more. For example, I can't imagine introducing myself to the driver like this: "Hi, I'm Steve Hirano, editor of SCHOOL BUS FLEET Magazine. Did you conscientiously perform your pre-trip inspection this morning and have you had any preventable accidents in the past six months?"

But it's hard to find detachment when you read almost daily about children being left on the bus. Or you hear about bullying incidents. Or you hear about buses catching fire. While I know that school buses are the safest form of surface transportation, I would still worry.

My question is this: For those of you who have children who ride (or rode) the bus, are you able to divorce yourself from your insider's understanding of school transportation? That is, do you let the driver know that you're also involved in school transportation? (Or maybe they already know, if you work for the same district or contractor.) And have you used your experience to get involved in a situation where a less-knowledgeable parent might not have?

I'm curious to hear your answers.

Until next time.

Steve