My son left his basketball shoes on the bus last week and was devastated. When the kids were getting off the bus, everyone was pushing and he couldn’t get to his basketball gear bag which under his seat, so he figured he’d get off the bus and then jump back on and grab his bag from under his seat. Well, he jumped off, the kids got off and the bus driver pulled off with my son hollering at him and trying to catch the bus. He had just left his custom designed basketball hightops on a school bus that had many other stops and pickups before it reached the bus barn. He talked to someone in the school office and they had him call the bus barn, but they said there was nothing they could do because that bus was still in route.
A pair of basketball shoes may not sound like much, but to a 7th grade boy, a pair of customized Nike Basketball hightops are priceless! My son called me from school and told me what had happened. You could tell by his voice that he was so upset. I said I’d call the bus barn and see what I could do, but I felt like I already knew the outcome of this, and it involved buying a new pair of shoes. Luckily the male bus driver felt his pain and brought his shoes back to the school for my son before taking the bus to the bus barn. My son sent me a text and let me know that his shoes had been found. What a relief, I know that my son was so upset and his whole school day had been ruined because all he could think about was another boy taking his shoes off the bus before the bus was returned to the bus barn.
I suggested that we thank the bus driver for recovering his shoes, so we bought an extra large Snickers bar for Travis to give him. My son was embarrassed to take the candy, but I insisted that it was a nice gesture and he should do that because everyone loves getting treats and the bus driver could have it for an afternoon snack. The Snickers bar sat on our counter for a day an then Travis decided to give it to the bus driver to say thank you. He took the bar with him on the bus, handed it to the bus driver and thanked him, only to have the bus driver turn around and pass the candy bar to his son to eat. What a let down, I hate it that I pushed my son to take that candy bar to his bus driver, but now I know not to do that again. If the bus driver was going to give his son the candy bar, I wish he could have waited to do that until Travis was not around. Travis had to sit in the same seat and watch the boy eat the candy bar all the way to school.
Ugh, I would be so upset. Manners seem to be pushed further and further onto the back burner and that is so sad… I am sorry your little one had that experience. I give him a kudos for being the big one to be thankful and take that step!!!