Buster Bus Visits
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Americus — With the help of Buster Bus, a miniature robotic bus, Americus Elementary School students learned about school bus safety Wednesday morning.
Sharon Todd, safety consultant for the Kansas State Department of Education, travels all over Kansas teaching kids train and school bus safety. Buster Bus was a hit with Americus students, who participated in the interactive safety demonstration led by Todd.
But before Buster Bus was unveiled, Todd discussed train safety with the eager students. “Sly Fox” and “Birdie” were Todd’s aids on a poster shown to students.
“Look at how much bigger the train is than the car,” Todd told the students who were listening intently. “If you are too close to the train, the engineer might not be able to stop even if he sees you.”
Todd told kids to stay back from the tracks and always walk their bike across the tracks, not ride. She also cautioned them not to throw things on the tracks.
“Never throw anything at a train or throw anything on the tracks,” she said.
Following the train safety presentation, Buster Bus made his debut. He wheeled across the room unable to “see.” The kids pointed out that his cover was still on. They laughed as the cover was taken off the bus.
With the help of Todd, Buster Bus went over the basics with the students, who were eager to listen and participate. Buster Bus told the kids to always cross in front of the bus not behind it and to make sure they could see the bus driver’s eyes before crossing in front of the bus.
“Make sure the driver sees you,” Todd said. “Walk straight across, down and then get on the bus.”
Once inside the bus, kids were told to go straight to their seats, keep the noise level down and sit with their bottoms in the seat.
“If you’re not sitting right, you might fall right into the isle,” Buster Bus said.
Kids also were told never to eat inside the bus.
“You could choke!” students yelled when asked what would happen if they ate on the bus.
And what could happen if you eat a sucker on a bus?
“What if you poked a hole in your throat?” Buster Bus asked. “Then you might have to eat through your nose! Yuck!”
That last comment met grimaces from the kids.
Buster Bus helped the kids sing “Wheels on the Bus” as they were pretending to ride to school. Kids rolled their hands eagerly and sang the song loudly.
Upon their “arrival” at school, kids were informed they were to remain seated until the bus driver tells them it is time to get off and once outside the bus they were to get away. Buster Bus compared the bus to a bumblebee — which is yellow and black just like a school bus.
“Yellow and black, stay back!” the kids chanted with the help of the bus.
Bus drivers reacted to the presentation. Frankie Schumann, who has driven a bus for eight years, said she enjoyed the presentation.
“It was cute,” Schumann said. “I have K-12 on my bus and no matter how old they are, I wave when they cross in front of me.”
Ellen Wanser, who has driven a bus for eight years, said the program helps reinforce bus safety rules.
“Hopefully they can learn from it,” Wanser said. “Sometimes they don’t listen to us. It helps the kids learn.”
Todd agrees that the program educates kids.
“Most of the kids killed are by their own buses, and are boys, 5 to 6 years old,” Todd said. “Hopefully we can catch them early.”