Editorial: Bus driver safety award means more than trophy
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Certain bragging rights are associated with the latest trophy collected by a team of Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. bus drivers, one that will be on display in the corporation’s transportation building over the next year.
The award was presented at the annual Indiana State School Bus Safety Rodeo competition earlier this month to local drivers A.J. McKeand, Bruce Dailey and Sheila Lyle.
The team of local drivers demonstrated extraordinary skills in performing a series of prescribed exercises.
At the end they were judged the best among 40 other competitors representing 14 schools around the state. They were competing in the General Ed team competition.
The entrants had to demonstrate certain skill sets in addition to completing written bus safety tests.
Those skill sets included navigating a school bus driving course, parallel parking, weaving in and around traffic safety cones and stopping on top of a $20 bill.
The victory for the local bus drivers represents a deja vu moment for one of them. Last year Lyle, who also has been a driver for the Columbus transit system for 17 years, took first place in a national competition for transit van drivers at Indianapolis.
While the skill sets demonstrated in a rodeo competition are not necessarily those that are employed on the day-to-day bus routes these drivers follow, the fact that the local team did so well is a reflection of their dedication and attention to detail in protecting their passengers.
It’s that consideration that elevates this award beyond being the best in the state.
Their passengers are the real beneficiaries of the dedication to their jobs that these drivers have clearly demonstrated.
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