What is Fatigue Impaired:
http://www.fatigueimpairment.ca/sec_fat/en_whatIsFatigueImpairment.asp
I am a school bus driver going on 4 years now during those years I was able to pick up and returned every student alive and unharmed. I had a situation with the school bus company that left me psychologically mentally and emotionally wounded, due to this I asked for time off and an investigation because it unsafe for me to work in my current condition (based on my training authorized and approved by the Ministry of Transportation in accordance to regulation 340 Sec.13 of the highway traffic act. , Articles of the collective agreement and training from this same company and outside the company among other things) the company refused then fired me
Please Allow me to explain
Please Allow me to explain
The company never takes responsibility or any accountability for anything example.
Few months ago at a safety meeting drivers were complaining that sometimes they can’t reach dispatch for one reason or the other I suggested in the cases of emergency there should be an emergency dispatcher ,a member of the safety team started smiling and said that would mean hiring more workers and the company (the name) don’t want to spend more mone…. before the person can finish the person in charge of safety answered with attitude and said if there's an accident and every one stays off the air it shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minute to fill out an accident report. Several thoughts went through my mind like, I thought what if something happen during that time, then what? Accidents are unpredictable and we don’t always know the extent or how long they may take that’s why they are accident. The first Wednesday of school in 2012 there was a major accident all the drivers from one board was forced onto another board dispatcher, so there was one dispatcher for about 250 drivers with 1000’s of kids when drivers want help we are talked down to and told to be understanding.
There are times when drivers asked for quick fixes for the buses and are told there are no more quick fix for the day, company asked for understanding , then the drivers are asked if they can drive the bus until the next day just write it down in the book in case something happens. Thank God nothing bad happened from what I know, drivers are not mechanic, what if it’s more than a quick fix and something bad happens to one or more of the students ,what do you say to the parents? I will be full of guilt.
There ares time buses broke down and they need help and sometimes they say there’re routes that's hot and if they don’t get help the board will take them away and that’s mean no job for you guys. I help a lot when I can, I helped out the Monday and Tuesday of the last week I worked because a lot of the buses couldn’t start but some drivers can’t help for one reason or the other but they do their job and when they try to sign off they are told the dispatcher is not taking sign off until they get drivers to help so the drivers should call the dispatch extensions to sign off. There are about 15o drivers on this dispatcher side everyone knows what happens when 20 people call the same line at the same time. What about a 100 or more and some drivers have to go to another job right after. I always wonder why punish those who do what they were supposed to do maybe if they offer incentive more drivers may be willing to help out, the company asked for understanding .One driver made a comment saying, once we parked the bus and the dispatcher don’t take our sign off ,then the drivers is now on their own personal time ,the reply was the driver still have to call until they get through because if they don’t they can be disciplined the company asked for understanding .I thought what about those who have to go straight to work so much for understanding.
I remember last winter or the one before I had some concerns about the two front tires on the bus, I complained several times to get them change company asked for understanding. Everyone knows the difference between summer and winter driving. I have 2 set of tires for my car, all season and winter tire .The Company did change the tires at the end of winter and close to the end of the school year.
I am going on to 4 years I never take a sick day , I only ever miss 1 full day and about 4 half days in total. I do extra runs with no extra pay ,used my personal vehicle to start the school bus several times. Plug the bus in my home outlet supposed to be paid when pay time comes no pay, I fill out 2 pay inquire forms ,up to this day no reply I can go on and on.
I am not saying I never did or will never do anything wrong I’m saying I always want to do and be better, from since I started I am better plenty times over. I don’t know if it’s because I got better but the company seems to be doing worse and worse eg. This company have been around for a long time and since I been there at the start of every new school year it’s like being in a hurricane. Seriously! When drivers complain the company asked for understanding. It’s not like they don’t know what to except they have been doing this for years and have 2 months to prepare for it. I look at the situation and after 4 years I believe I can do it much better of course it may cost more but better. The company teaches us safety first but when we make suggestion we get push backs.Just be honest with us, tell us you really mean safety first in a budget based on profit but when you say safety first and the drivers take it to heart don’t punish us and put all the blame for your accident rate on the drivers.
I dealt with all these because they involve, could be, if, maybe and I did these thing just to make my work experience easier but if I know the immediate situation involves risking lives that's where I draw the line.
You see I could remember one time I called a parent to let them know I’ll be driving their child to and from school and the parent began asking a lot of intriguing questions regarding my working ability , my driving ability, training and general experience. I was thinking why all of these questions then she said my name and said “I’m giving and trusting you with my two angels please take care of them and return them to me safely please”. At that moment I felt kind of bad I wasn’t rude to her in my answers but I was just normal. It had me thinking about my own family and how much they mean to me. Since then I stop seeing myself as a bus driver who drives strangers children but started to look at it as I am a parent trusting a stranger to transport my kids and how I would like them to treat and deal with my own kids.
SO WHEN I KNOW THAT I KNOW,
LIKE FEW MONTHS AGO. I had an issue where my hearing was being destroy every day for over an hour; it was so bad that when I left the bus my ears were still ringing. Everyone knows we need our hands to drive but it’s human instinct when you hear a piercing sound we tend to use our hands to cover our ears. A lot of times while I was driving I was tempted to take my hands off the wheels and cover my ears.There were times I tried remove myself from the immediate situation and think about something else but I often found myself dreaming then came to the understanding that two bus drivers quit and there were a case of violence on the bus in the past year because of the same situation.So those involved in making decisions must had some idea about the situation. All this time I’ve followed procedures and talking to every and anyone who can do something about the situation. Everyone said that they will do something about it and look into it. After I noticed that this is seriously affecting my ability to drive safely, about this time it’s been nearly two months since I reported this situation. I found out that the company was actually lying to me and was refusing to do anything to resolve the situation. I took it upon myself personally and take a stand to demand something be done about the situation.
Which bring us to my current situation.
WHEN I KNOW THAT I KNOW
My family (my Holy Grail) needs me and my family life and wellbeing hang in the balance and I did what I was told to do but the school bus company want we to a abandon my family in its greatest time of need (like what was done to me many times in my past by others ) because of the company incompetence . They didn’t just cross the line they sent me to a place I never been it’s like I went to the dark side, crushed, broken, wounded, which words can’t express. I felt like I lost control, can’t control what I want to do,don’t know what I’m about to do , how I will react if I see someone from the company or if they say something I don’t like, felt like I wanted cold cold coldddddddd revenge. I felt like I feared myself, I just didn’t trust myself and I didn’t like it. I spent the rest of the day locked in my basement office and only came out when I had to just so I can gather myself.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I KNOW
How much I love my family and how much they mean to me, God knows, I didn’t want to do anything stupid, things I will regret .Anything that will make them ashamed of me nothing that will affect them in a negative way, I take it upon myself and seeked help
I KNOW
Based on how I felt , I was not healthy enough to drive a school bus FULL OF CHILDREN (based on all the safety training , from work and outside of work, all the monthly safety meetings ,things like SEE ,THINK DO ,when in doubt don’t do it wait for the all clear I can go on and on)so I asked for more time off, an investigation and for actions to be taken to make sure everything is safe then I will return to work . I was told nothing can be done I first have to return to work then something can be done.
REALLY! I KNOW
No loving parent will put their kids in a ticking time bomb situation; really, which parent out there will do that with their kids life? Words can’t express what my family means to me so I wouldn’t because I knew I was and is in pretty bad shape. I am getting better but still wounded and I always remember what that one parent asked of me “ bring my angels home to me safely” I would of wanted the same from anyone who is driving my kids, so I take a stand and refused to put myself or the children I drive in a known dangerous situation. Remember this is the second time in less than 6 months I was dealing with a known dangerous situation where lives were at risk and based on my training , how they deal with me before and all that had happened I refused to do UNSAFE WORK.
What the company did, they fired me
Saying I abandon my job, they didn’t deny my request for more time, they didn’t even acknowledge or consider it. Well now I found out I could have legally get up to 17weeks off. No one told me anything about this. They didn’t even consider whether I am healthy or not. All they wanted is for me to return to work they didn’t even ask me for a doctor’s note, even though I told them I was in no good health to drive.
We heard about A "tragic" and "horrific" accident involving a transport truck and a passenger van west of Kitchener, Ont., that claimed the lives of 11 people. We later find out the driver of the passenger van, holds a class G license but the law requires that you hold a minimum of a class F license and the Driver of van ran a stop sign
http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/328414--many-of-the-victims-in-hampstead-crash-were-related
http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/328414--many-of-the-victims-in-hampstead-crash-were-related
If someone did check his license and stop him from driving he would likely be alive today, he may not have made national news but the families would of still have their love ones today .
A school bus driver faces charge for careless driving after his vehicle crashed into a hydro pole with 17 children on board
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/School+driver+charged+over+crash/6147853/story.html
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/School+driver+charged+over+crash/6147853/story.html
School bus driver charged after crash near Dufresne
http://www.brandonsun.com/breaking-news/School-bus-driver-charged-after-crash-near-Dufresne-137095833.html?thx=y
I don’t want that to be me or the children I transport especially when I know I can do something to prevent it
Bus Driver Charged In School Bus Crash In Easley; 11 Injured
School bus driver charged following accident
I don’t want that to be me or the children I transport especially when I know I can do something to prevent it
I didn’t make the national news but I was able to do what that parent and all the other parents want from me I returned all their angels home safely.
Despite all the emotions and feelings that’s going through my body there is one that’s definitely not there and it’s “GUILT” I don’t have to think about how and what to tell a parent that my actions led to their child being injured or never returning home . I have a clear conscience.
I have documents and information to tell my story. Anyone who wants to take a honest look I invite and welcome it , Anyone who is interest in safety and the safety of our kids, investigate the situation and see who really puts safety first .
UP to this point the union has been of no help
