Yesterday at work I got an hysterical call from The Madster. It turns out that to celebrate Valentines Day a few of the snot-nosed little brats on the girls' bus decided to throw candy, some of it parially chewed. Madster had a sucker stuck in her hair. This along with the swearing, throwing stuff out the window and disrespect for the bus driver put her over the top, again. This isn't the first time kids on the bus have upset her. I called the proper authorites at the district and the school, but I'm not anticipating any real changes. After the first incident, the kids from the bus were sat down and scolded, which worked for a few days. All the crap happening in the bus is taking place in the very back so the driver either isn't paying attention or doesn't care. I doubt that they'll either put another adult on the bus to ride herd on these miscreants, or kick the offenders off the bus.
It's hard to know how bad it really is on the bus. Madster tends to take things a bit too personally and when her sense of what is right or fair has been violated, she has an extreme visceral reaction. I asked her and 'Nika if the half chewed missiles were specifically directed at Madster, and they said no. She was just collateral damage. Because she was so upset, I don't want to tell her to just toughen up. That won't work. But part of life is having annoying things happen and not letting them get you all bent out of shape. On the other hand, bad behavior is bad behavior and these little turds on the bus need to be taught how civilized, socially well adjusted humans should act. But how bad was the stuff going on? I don't know. Back in the day, I remember Mr. "Stingles" warning kids to knock off the monkey-shines. Henry Hanson used to scare the crap out of me with his sullen attitude, long hair, huge presence, army jacket and foul mouth. Waay back in the day, John Larson (was he Hippo or Rhino?) used to torture Bobby Nelson. One day John was pounding the top of Bobby's head with a couple of books, Bobby pulled his jacket over his head to protect himself, John continued pounding, and ended up making Bobby's head bleed by smacking the zipper into his scalp. Was John suspended for that? I don't remember. Thoughts anyone?
18 comments:
My suggestion is punch the person!
Yes, punching somebody will improve the situation tremendously.
Physical assaults are the answer to EVERYTHING!!
Make use of her karate skills!
Get her bike out of storage!
What's the deal with the new blog name?
Tell Maddie to wear a hat. Then nothing will get stuck in her hair.
My own bus coping strategies:
1. Sit near the front and stare out the window, oblivious to everything going on inside.
2. Stop riding the bus when your oldest sibling gets a driver's license. Kysa can come to her rescue!
Did I hear bike, and from who?
John was Hippo, Mike was Rhino. I seem to remember Bobby asking for most of what he got from Hippo and Rhino.
I remember Bobby's muddy footprints across the roof of the bus (on the inside)for the better part of one school year. I don't remember what Bobby did, but I do remember Hippo holding him upside down and walking his feet across the ceiling. I also remember one of Bobby's shoes getting thrown out the window somewhere along old Hwy 65.
On to happier memories. I remember Jerry Nelson buying 10 cent cones for everyone on the bus on the last day of school. Also, one year on the last day of school before Christmas break, Hippo was in trouble with Jerry. Jerry made Hippo sit in the front seat and say "Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas" to everyone as he handed out bags of Christmas candy. If Hippo didn't say it with enough enthusiasm and good cheer, Jerry wouldn't open the door to let us off and Hippo would have to keep repeating it until Jerry thought it was good enough.
A few other random bus memories:
I remember crying on the bus after ELMER yelled at me for tracking snow on the bus one morning after a big snowfall. I think I was in first grade. Elmer also kicked Cathy Macki and me off the swim team bus one night after a meet for smuggling pop on his bus. Thankfully, JoAnn Macki was pulling out of the McDonald's parking lot at the same time and we were able to catch a ride home with her. Also, when I was in fifth grade, we had a party for Miss Davey to celebrate her engagement to Mr Marshall. We had cake and red kool aid. "How do you remember this?" you may wonder. Bob Wander and Bobby Nelson had a contest to see who could drink the most kool aid. Wanderwoman was sitting in the back of the bus when he threw up and the puke ran from the back of the bus all the way to the front and I had to walk through red kool aid puke to get off the bus.
Those are my most vivid bus memories.
I figured you could tell me who was Hippo and who was Rhino, although I think I kinda knew. I also figured you'd bring up Elmer, I think I only had to ride the bus with him for one year, then it was St. Jerry for two years. I remember Bobby's footprints on the ceiling, but not that often, and I have vague recollections of Jerry making Hippo hand out candy.
HEY! I remember the red vomit!! I must have been in first grade. Whaddaya know! I never would have thought of that ever again if you hadn't brought that up. Amazing.
PS: I didn't have the faintest idea who John Larson was until I read Terri's comments. At first I thought he was one of the bus drivers - and it didn't even surprise me to imagine a bus driver hitting some kid over the head with some books back then.
I feel so left out. I don't remember any red vomit.
I just got to watch Bert (Burt?) Heep get into with the Johnstons (remember John Johnston and whatever his sister's name was??...they both scared the crap out of me).
I don't think any of you got to experience Mr. Graham. I could barely understand anything he said because he was such a mumbler. Also, he practically groped me one time. Ugh. I think I'd rather be hit over the head with books.
What happened between Bert and the Johnstons? (BTW the girl's names were Jahn and Julie. Jahn was the bitch). I don't remember anything specific--I just remember the Johnston's getting in trouble with ALL the bus drivers.
I was scared of the Johnston's, too, along with Henry Hanson, Pam Giles and Renae Malinowski (who lived in the little house on the hill, across from the cemetary)
Jennifer--are you sure it wasn't Bert that tried to grope you? I know with certainty that he groped three other girls on the bus--I'm not sure how I managed to dodge that bullet.
Daniel talks about his favorite Young Life program guys he saw at Castaway one summer. One of them called himself "The Kentucky Mumbler" and all his skits were based on that character. I'll have to ask Daniel if the program guy was 80 years old. Problem is, the skits were hilarious. I can't imagine bland Mr Graham being hilarious or even mildly amusing.
Jennifer-- I think I misunderstood what you meant by "get into it".
I thought Molly Whiteneck lived in that little house across from the cemetary.
I definitely remember Bert doing something violent with one of the "big boys" on the bus - I seem to recall it was some tussle and he was actually outside wrestling with whomever.
Anyone remember that time that "Amish Phil" Stengel kept us sitting in the parking lot at Cambridge Elementary for about half an hour while he yelled at us? When he dropped us off, he told Terri not to tell M & D why we were late, or something to that effect.
Where did the Giles live? Didn't Pam have a younger brother? I need a little nudge on that one.
Molly lived in the little house before Malinowskis--or maybe it was right after. I guess I'm not to clear on that either.
Giles lived in the first house west of the church, with the long driveway. I think there were two brothers. One was Scott's age (Bobby?)if I'm remembering right.
I have vague memories of Bert trying to instigate a fight with words--like the "Bring it on, Show me what you got, Think you're pretty tough" kind of thing. But I sure don't remember an actual fight. I'm trying to remember who the other "big boys" were besides Henry. I can't imagine Bert trying to fight Henry.
I do have memories of Jerry Nelson litterally kicking one of the older boys on the Paul's Lake route all the way down the aisle and off the bus. It seems rather funny that back then Elmer didn't have any problem leaving Cathy and me at McDonalds (I think we were in either Little Falls or St Cloud)or Jerry leaving someone on the side of the road.
I had no idea Bert H. was so confrontational with the kids. I don't remember him wrestling or baiting anyone, but that's probably because I was just off in LaLa Land as a lowly elementary schooler.
RE: the Johnstons. About half way through one of the school years he started to drop them off about 20 or so yards from their driveway, which must have ticked off Jahn (I think it was her-- wasn't Julie older & a lot skinnier??). She accused Bert of playing favorites with kids on the bus, as he didn't do this long drop off with anyone else. She even named Charmaigne (how in the world does she spell her name?) Koch as one of his pets. He started yelling at her about safety issues and how he had to do this because he couldn't see over the hill or some such nonsense. Who knows? I just couldn't believe Jahn would challenge authority like that. Granted, he was just the bus driver, but still. He got quite defensive about the accusations, too, which makes me wonder about what might have been going on between him and C. Koch. And if Jahn had picked up on it. BLECH.
At least all Mr. Graham did was "spank" my butt when I got on the bus one time. Disgusting & not right, but at least he wasn't the pastor of a church.
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