Tag: pandemic problems

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SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS ARE HEROES

Many school days  have been cancelled throughout the nation this past week.  But it’s not directly due to the Covid-19 outbreak.  It’s because there’s a shortage of school bus drivers.  The truth is, they’ve never had the  respect  they deserve.  No sure why that is.   But it’s time we recognize the fact that it’s a very difficult occupation.  School bus drivers are heroes.

Most of us try to avoid getting stuck in traffic behind a school bus.  It’s  annoying having to stop every time they do, and wait while the kids disembark.  My children walked to school (in the good old days when it wasn’t considered child neglect, so I had never met a school bus driver until recently.  And now, I have a new respect for the brave souls who assume such awesome responsibility.  Hooray for School Bus Drivers.

School bus drivers are heroes. It's an occupation carrying great responsibility.
School bus drivers are heroes. They often drive in bad weather conditions, and they’re responsible for many children.

My school bus driver is someone I met while doing water aerobics.  First, I must describe her appearance because she’s straight out of central casting.  A bit plump, bright blue eyes, rosy cheeks, short blond hair, and a a warm smile.   She loves to chat with everyone, regardless of their color or social status.

That  morning, it was extremely cold outside, and I asked her how she felt about driving on icy roads.  She replied, ‘I just go very very slow.”  She added that a bus is extremely heavy, and  doesn’t perform too well on ice. ” It simply rolls, pretty much out of control, and you just have to hang on and hope it doesn’t end up in a ditch.” That’s when I realized what a tremendous responsibility these people have.  I think that the first time my school bus rolled off the road, I would turn in my badge.

In the locker room, we continued our conversation about her job.  She takes it very seriously.  “I’m the first person they see in the morning on their way to school, and the last person they see before they get home,” she said. “So I always greet them with a smile, and tell them goodbye as they leave.”

She paused a minute, and looked off into the distance.  “I really love my kids,” she said.  “And I’ll bet they love you,” I replied.  She looked pensive for a moment. “Yes,” she said. “they do.”   Knowing this lady, I’m sure she is loved by all the kids, even the unruly ones.  She’s a strong woman, who probably has to intervene in many fights and endures a bit of back talk from time to time.  And yet, she loves her job.

Now, when I see a school bus, I imagine it’s my friend behind the wheel, and I no longer feel annoyed when I see the brake lights and the stop sign goes out.   It won’t be long until we have the first snow in much of the United States, with  treacherous driving conditions.  I’ll be thinking about all these unsung heroes and wishing them Godspeed.

Yes, school bus drivers are heroes.

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WARNING! THEFT AT THE CHECKOUT

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected some supermarket employees. A family member may have lost a job.  It seems the situation has become so desperate that a few cashiers & baggers have started filching our stuff at the checkout.  For me, it began two weeks ago.  Among other things, I bought a bag of noodles for $4.95, with a plan to make chicken and noodles.     But when I arrived home, I didn’t have the noodles.  I chalked it up to a mistake.  They were on my store receipt, so I must have dropped them in the parking lot.     Today, I came home from another supermarket,  lacking a bottle of white wine that was on my  receipt.  What happened to it?  Warning! Theft at the checkout. 

It wasn’t the money that bothered me.  Yes, I had the chicken, but I didn’t have the noodles.  The bottle of cheap white wine was  for a recipe I’d clipped from the newspaper.   No one wants to go to the store more often than usual during this pandemic. But these missing items meant I had to go back outside.

Warning! Theft at the Checkout
Warning! Theft at the Checkout. While your back is turned, someone can stash one of your items under the counter.

After researching it, this is what I’ve learned.  Your back is turned while you’re checking the computer about your purchases, or watching the bagger.   This is when he/she takes something from your jumbled up purchases, and stashes them in a bag or place  underneath the counter.   Theft  is more apt to occur when the checkout  involves two people.  In places like Aldi’s or Walmart, it’s less likely because the cashier does the bagging while you watch the entire operation.

When you get home, you might attribute the missing item to senior confusion.. But you’re still functioning well.  Paying bills. Driving. Shopping. Cooking.   They think you’re senile,  don’t know what you’re doing.  But they know what they’re doing.  They stole your merchandise, thinking you will never know the difference.  But you do. Just another example of senior abuse.   Warning! Theft at the checkout could happen to you.