TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS

Tips and Suggestions

...(07/30/08)

When a child needs to vomit on a bus, an easy way to catch it is to use an embroidery hoop and a trash bag.
Get a embroidery hoop (10 to 12 inches in diameter works good) and kitchen food scrap bags. Place a bag into the hoop by pulling the opening of the bag through and over the hoop, and using the outside hoop lock the bag to the hoop.
When a child needs it, they can easily hold it, vomit into it. Once the child has vomited, spin the bag beneath the hoop, hold at twist and remove hoop and then tie the bag and place into trash.
I keep several made up in advance.

Todd / Hamlin, WV

...(07/09/08)
I'm a fairly new bus driver, but I do have a tip. While sub-ing on an elementary route, the kids were so loud I couldn't even shout over them so they could hear me. Pulling over was a waste of time, most of them didn't notice, and even if they did quiet down, they would be up to full volume with-in a couple of minutes. So the next time I was on that route, I brought the whistle I use on the playground (I'm also a monitor). Boy, did that get their attention! Not only did they quiet down, they stayed that way! Any time they started to get loud again, I just held up the whistle, word went back to the other kids, and everything settled down REAL quick! My supervisor wasn't sure about it at first, but I've never had a parent complain, though a few have called to say that their kids appreciated having a nice, quiet ride home.

...(8/09/06)

Behavior Problems

We have monitors on our buses and it really seems to help with behavorial problems.
I started out as a bus monitor and within seven months I had got my CDL's so I could drive a bus.
I love my job. But I believe with me starting out as a bus monitor, and the 4 years I put in as a volunteer at the school helped me to have a better relationship with my kids on the bus.
I don't know if you have bus monitors or not, but they have been a blessing for Spartanburg, School District Two.
I hope this helps some or just gives you an idea to try something new !

Sharon Burnett
Chesnee, SC.

...(12/05/03)

Foggy Windows

Great way to not have the fogged windows anytime of the year.
Open the drivers window just a couple inches and the last window in the back of the bus. This keep the air circulating though the bus from front to rear without a lot of cold air also alleviates some odors coming to the front as well.

Thanks for sharing your site Have a safe year!

Albemarle County, Va

KINDY TIPS

...(8/20/03)

When I got to my elementary school early at noon to drop my kindergarteners, they didn't want to sit quietly and wait for the teachers to come out to get them. HEADACHE!
I brought a different story or picture book on the bus every day to read to them so they would stay calm and quiet.
Or we learned a new song every week.
They also love to have you ask them questions and they'll raise their hands if that question pertains to them.

Tammy Layton
Clarkston MI #25

RESPECT YOUR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS

...(9/15/02)

Remember each child's name. A cheerful goodmorning Sarah or Bradley may be the first he/she starts the day with.
Earn the respect of all your new riders.
Set the rules from day one and stick to them. Children learn by repetition.
Practice makes perfect and patients is of the utmost importance when transporting kindergartners.
Establish communications with the child's parent or caregiver (I feel that 99% of kindergarten misconduct slips can be avoided with bus driver caregiver communication)
Children are creatures of habit. It is very important to instill the proper ways of riding the school bus in the kindergarten student.(remember that some of these babies are still riding in booster seats when not riding on your bus)
Teaching the kindergarten student school bus safety is your #1 priority. The next time you drive elementary students that are jumping from seat to seat and sticking their hands out the windows you will know that something went terribly wrong in their first year riding the big yellow school bus!!!

Jessica Buckingham
Driver in Mass
Laidlaw Educational Transit

...(8/22/02)

Here is a helpful tip that my husband thought of.

I had been using ziploc bags in case any of the kids get sick. One day my husband brought me a stack of 8 or so "air sickness" bags that he removed from the airline seat pockets on a recent trip. I have been looking to find a place to buy them but no such luck.
In addition to the air sickness bags, I also give the kids one of those "wet-naps" to wipe their face.( I find that you can get in individual packets in the stores), and a mint.
This way they can ride the rest of the route home, a bit more comfortable, and their mouth (as the kids said) "aint so icky".

Diane Bus#47
Tijeras, NewMexico

subject: How to get bus fleet owners/operators and/or dispatchers to comply with capacity, legal requirements, bad wiper blades, etc. complaints from "us", the "drivers".

I've been driving in Milwaukee, and now far north suburban Chicago for six years, and if I have a safety or maintenance request that:
(1.), dispatchers/fleet operators, or
(2.), mechanics in the bus garage, can't solve or have "time" for, I have found that I can "anonymously" "go-over-their-head" and report the problem, anonymously, to the appropriate government office, (D.O.T.), Ministry, etc. Eventually, there will be an inspection, and if you arrange things just right, (like when you're on vacation with maybe the mechanic as the "stand-by" driver doing your route), then the problem will be corrected without any consequences to you, the driver.
Don't feel guilty, because if the owners or dispatcher are always putting the "impossible" onto your (the driver's) shoulder, then let the government come down on them. What are regulations from the "government" (us!) for anyway? Land sakes.

"Anonymous" ,Bus #XXX
Northern Illinois

subject:...talking softly...(8/9/00)

I would like to know how to get my elem.kids to keep their voices down.
I tried pulling over till they get quite enough.The mintute I pull away they get loud again.
I love my job and kids, but the noise is way to loud! I even play the radio for them, that helps for awhile.
I like to find out things for them to do thats fun and keeps them quite too. Please help if you have any answers.

thank you
Stephanie, bus #10
Northern Lebanon, Pa.

Subject: Tip...(12/18/99)

Here's something that happened to a driver I know.
It was a cold morning so he started the bus early to let it warm up. then went inside the shop to have a cup of coffee(it was very cold in the bus). The next thing you know the bus has taken off and left the yard by its self!! Luckily it didn't hit anything. Now for anyone wondering how this could happen this is how you do it.
1-start bus and set idle to 900 rpm(7.3L Int will runaway if set over 800rpm)
2-move bus
3-set parking brake (for this to work you have to have bus without air brakes and have brakes set so they just hold)
4-forget transmission in drive (automatic)
5-get out and watch it drive away (it may take a few minutes)
As you can see it only takes a few mistakes for this to happen.
Morgan
Bus 617 Ontario

Subject: Program for assigning seats....(10/3/99)
The attached is an easy program to use for assigning school bus seating, a requirement for our elementary kids.
Just a name can be entered for each seat, up to three in a seat, or more elaborate data can be entered.
Rather than having a separate sheet for a roster of all names, I'm putting enough information on the seating chart to do for both.
The first character I enter is a one letter code for the school they attend followed by one character to state what grade they are in, followed by the stop number getting on the bus, followed by the stop number where they get off the bus.
Then their first and last name.
An example would look like this:
AK19 James White
A=Adams School
K=Kindergarten
1=1st stop getting onto the bus
9=9th stop getting off of the bus
If you have more than 9 stops up it to 2 characters such as:
W50614 Mike Jones
W=Whitney
5=5th Grade
06=6th stop getting onto the bus
14=14th stop getting off of the bus
I am up to version 1.3 now, but am always eager to get input for what might be needed to make it fit a more generic format.
I've tried to vary it enough for the immediate possibilities that I can think of.
I've only worked for the one district, maybe other's have totally different concepts of how to achieve this.
Hope that this makes this task a little easier for others.
Dave
Yakima School District (#007)
Yakima, Washington. If you would like to use this program at your facility contact Dave at the following address for a copy.
Daves's e-mail address

Subject: another tip, might help...(9/11/99)
Frank,
I also do a kinder run, I take home so I have so many problems with parents who aren't at the stops when I get there, or are walking way down from a 80 trailer park, I have to hold up traffic or close my doors and return the child to school.
I'm tired of this year getting verbally abused 5 times in one week!! of parents calling and complaining that I just left and took their child back to the school, of parents who send uncles, aunts, friends or whomever to a stop with no note and no I.D to show they can get there child.
Which is a rule, if I don't know them, and don't have the proper items to release a child I DO NOT RELEASE ...AND RETURN TO THE SCHOOL.
I finally got tired of it and made a form up on my computer. this is the form below:

To all Parents who have a child in either, Pre-K or Kindergarden:
I’m your childs Bus Driver, Mrs. BusWings, bus #44,
I arrive at your child’s stop at: ______.
I need you at this stop to get your child.
If, for some reason, you can’t be at the stop, your child will be RETURNED to the school, unlesss arrangements have been made before hand with me.
By this I mean, I need a note before a certain person is going to get your child at the stop and this person MUST HAVE some type of I.D with a picture, your note you’ve given me before hand MUST have the person’s name and address on it, with a phone # if possible.
I DO THIS TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD FROM HARM. I DO NOT KNOW AUNT MARY OR UNCLE BOB.
I KNOW IF I RELEASED YOUR CHILD TO JUST ANYONE, AND SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN I WOULD NOT ONLY LOSE MY JOB, BUT WOULD ALSO FEEL VERY BAD IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOUR CHILD.
I appreciate your cooperation in this matter. If you have ANY QUESTIONS, feel free to call my Supervisor’s at work: phone # here ____________
Thank you for taking the time to read this and SIGNING IT.........
PLEASE RETURN WITH YOUR CHILD THE FOLLOWING DAY:_____________

I know this is long, but maybe it might help another driver with the same problems. I get it signed and returned this way I know they read it and when they call and complain that they didnt know, I show my bosses the signuature, as some parents in some area's do try and fight with the system.
thanks Bus wings

... (8/1/99) I took a piece of one half inch by one half inch wood, drilled some holes in it at a slight angle to insert lollipops or blowpops, and called it my lollipop tree.
On days that the children were extremely good,or even just on a Friday or on a birthday I would insert the lollipops by its stick into the holes. it looked really cute and the kids loved it.the tree was decorated when the kids got on the bus in the afternoon and knew they were in for a treat when they exited the bus.
Stickers and tatoos (washable ones) were a big hit too!
RAIN-x on the window of the bus really helps out in the rain,and 2 or 3 windows barely cracked along with the defroster fan and the factory defroster help a lot with keeping the windows cleared.
Thanks, a tired bus driver in austin, tx. call me porky
Gary Glass
bus driver 7013 in Austin, Tx.

Subject: great tip!...(7/22/99) Frank,
I think that the parents of students who misbehave should be able to ride our bus, in the most hottest day and loudest day...so they can see just how bad it can get sometimes.
I think if a parent were allowed to ride, they would see how hard it can be at times to control these kids and what we are talking about when we say: little john doe is not staying in his seat or is being loud jumping from seat to seat and blocking our windows.
I think if a parent were allowed to do this it would help us a great deal as far as transportating students.
I also think that if a student goes into SAC, as its called here, which is detention, that A PARENT "MUST" transport this student and not the bus driver going out of its way to take this child to the other building....our SAC is not at the school...it's at another building all together and about 10 mins away from the high school.
buswings
bus #630

buswings - I have another suggestion. In your first sentence change the words "...who misbehave should be allowed to..." to read "who misbehave should be sentenced to". Perhaps this would encourage parents to pay more attention to what their children are doing.
Frank, Bus #150

Subject: would you believe...(7/6/99)
Just a thing I ran across this year. After many write-ups for chewing gum on the bus.( no eating, drinking, or gum on the bus). Rule number 14. I had a meeting with the man in charge of bus discipline at our local middle school along with the director of bus safety. This man ,and this was 3/4 of the way into the school year, had no idea what the student requirments of behavior was on the bus. He was only calling them to his office for a do not do it chat. Needless to say I had the same students day in and day out misbehaving all year long.
I guess my complaint is don't give the drivers rules for the kids to follow if you're not going to do something with the kids that don't.
Thanks for a place to let me blow off steam.
William Shorter - Bus #127
Lynchburg,Virginia - Campbell County

Subject:BUS TIPS...(6/1/99)

HI, loved ur site!
Well my suggestion is this:

At the start of the sch. year...I tell my kids (elementary) that I need 2 bus monitors, but to apply they need to write me a report and and tell me how they can help me by being monitor and why they want to be monitor...sometimes I have several good reports...so I pick them from a bag.
These monitors sit one in front, and one in back...they get all the kids to quite down, and sit before I leave the school yard. When I stop they walk up to a student who might need help or have a question.
Its an honor being a monitor on my bus, so on special days...Valentine's, Christmas all my kids get either stickers or candies, pencils...but my monitors get special gifts I make for them. Example: at easter all my kids got popcorn balls...my monitors got: pencial bag filled with a bag of chips (small one's they sell), gum, a small drink 4oz. and pencils....when my lights go on, my monitors take action. I never have to yell at my kids.
They r not allowed to yell at the students if they have a problem, they bring the problem to me...its worked for 3 yrs now.

thanks.
Bus 30, Pearland Tx.

Subject: Bus Rider of the Month...(4/16/99)
Frank,
All of us that look at this web page have computers.
I make a "Bus Rider of the Month" certificate with one of the kids names on it, and it stays on the bus in a prominent place for a month. At the end of the month, I give it to the student. The kids look for it the first day of each month. It is always for the previous month, so they know they have to earn it.
I also make a calendar each month with each kids birthday on it.
At the end of the month they get to keep the calendar.
I have done this with Kindergarten to High School kids and they all love the idea.
Dee
Rt. 343
Houston Texas

Subject: Sticker Day...(4/16/99)
Frank - Luv ya page.
I have driven in the Boston area for 6 years now.
Training Kindergarden kids to ride safely is a real challenge.
On my bus everyone who obeys "our safety rules" all week gets a sticker from the driver on Fridays.
It's amazing how much these little ones look forward to "sticker day".
Debby - Bus 185

Subject: Several Tips
Frank, I've really enjoyed visiting your web site and learning, through others, how to improve things for myself and my bus riders. Here are a few tips I have found helpful on my routes.
1) I keep one trash can up front, and one in the rear of my bus. Not only does it discourage littering, but also doubles in cases of "nausea" problems. I also make a point of praising my students for using the trash cans instead of littering up the floor.
2) We have very hot temperatures just before and right after Summer Break, and I'm very hot natured. What works wonderful for me is to fill a small spray bottle with just tap water, and when I can no longer stand the heat I give myself a little misting. Just a fine mist spay on my legs gives a tremendous amount of relief.
Keep up the good work everybody. Look forward to visiting again in the near future.
JuJu in South Carolina

Subject: Student Control aid.....(12/13/98)
I have been a Pennsylvania school bus driver for the past thirteen years.
I have noticed that with an am/fm stereo cassette player installed I can control both the noise level and the behavior of the students onboard.
Most of the new buses are equiped with stereo's from the factory. But if not, a cheap radio { even a used one from an old car} can be great.
I know. I drive over 25,000 miles a year, and I would have gone nutz without it.
Now I have a 10 disk cd-changer installed.
I play MOST anything when on sports trips. But when on regular runs I limit music to classic rock, country, or melodies. { no vulgarities }. And if the weather turns bad then we dont listen to it at all.
By the way, LOVE YOUR SITE.
Bonze27, [ BUS # 27, Dallas, Pa. ]

Subject: Winter Weather Approaching!!
Great job on your web site.!!
In my particular district in Washington State we have sanders on our buses and also heated mirrors that can be turned on from inside the bus to clear our mirrors of ice.
I am a Certified State Trainer and all our drivers, at our October monthly safety meeting, must be able to show, by example, that they are able to chain up their bus while on route if needed.
We also have a special board that we carry in each bus, in the undercarriage area, so if you are on route and need to chain up, this board is placed under the inside dual on each side and then the bus can be pulled up on it and it leaves the outside tire free and much easier to put the chain on it.
Normally the bus would be chained up before you depart the lot, but in case it isn't and you have to, it is nice to know you have these capabilities to do this!!
If I can add anything additional please e-mail me at...Melony J.May...Selah school district

Subject: FOGGED WINDOWS
FRANK LOVE YOUR PAGE!!!!
MY WHOLE FAMILY DRIVES...MOM, DAD, SISTER AND ME, SOME OF US IN DIFFERENT BUS LOTS...GREAT MOTHERS JOB, I BRING MY THREE YEAR OLD, HE LOVES IT.
MY TIP FOR FOGGED WINDOWS IN THE WINTER. I LEAVE TWO OR THREE WINDOWS ON EACH SIDE, DOWN THE VERY FIRST NOTCH. THEY ARE ONLY OPEN ABOUT 1 OR 2 INCHES. THIS ALLOWS FOR ENOUGH FRESH AIR BUT NOT THE COLD WIND.
KEEP UP THE GREAT JOB. HOPE TO SEE MORE JOKES.
(Hey!! Another good idea, remember to send in a good joke ((clean)) along with your other contributions......Frank..Bus #150) SARAH FROM EDGECOMB ME.

Subject: School bus tips.
Here in Florida the bus can get really HOT. It was up around 103' on my bus yesterday.
While I feel bad for the kids, we bus drivers are sitting behind a huge glass greenhouse (the front windows)
and the heat can start to make us tired. I take a 1 quart or so water jug and fill it half full and freeze it.
When I go to work I fill it up the rest of the way with cool water. I use this to drink and once in a while I pour
some cold water in my hands and rub it onto my fact etc.
I drive a handicap bus with an attendant and she likes to bring a small cooler full of ice and chew on it.
The kids get tired but they can sleep, or get a little crazy (I put that down ASAP) but I HAVE to be wide alert and "cool headed"
Chris
3 year driver (all SAFE) Fort Myers, Florida

Subject: Foggy Mirrors and Windows
When you have a condensation problem on the inside of your student window, mirror or windshield
I use dish soap on a wet rag. A small amount (about the size of a quarter) on a wet/damp rag makes a great treatment. I rub the windows down and the windows don't fog up.
Note: when good weather comes back, your window will require a good squeegee cleaning. It works well on your outside mirrors too.
Rose
Rim of the World Unified
Lake Arrowhead, California
"Above all Others"

Subject: Winter Mirrors
I took old seat covers from our buses and made simple covers for all of our buses in the fleet. It works well and didn't cost anything.
GramsLuvs3 from Michigan

Subject: ICY MIRRORS IN WINTER
IN THE WINTER I COVER MY MIRRORS WITH THE BIGGEST SHOWER CAPS I CAN FIND. WORKS VERY WELL, NO SCRAPING HERE.
MICHIGAN DRIVER

Subject: Tips and Suggestions
If you have a new Blue-bird(other different buses too) you will notice it has an
outward-opening entrance door, if you like to close your door while away from the bus,be careful not to close it too far!
The handle in the inside will lock you out!!!!!!
My tip for this situation is to wrap a lot of tape around the handles lock system.....it helps!!!
From Jonathan Jones - Bus #98-2

Subject: Taking your own children on the bus with you.
I am a private bus operator, we operate approximately 150 special education buses in the Chicago land area.
For the past 20 years we have allowed, in cooperation with our local school districts,
for our drivers to bring their children on the vehicles during their routes.
Younger children must be in car seats and other children must use our seat belt system.
For the most part allowing parents to bring their children on the vehicles has worked out just great.
You get quality people working for you. Some of our best and most reliable drivers are parents
(both male and female) who bring their children on the bus with them.
Like any other good program you must have established rules and they must be followed.
What we have found out over the years is that the drivers appreciate this benefit
and it works out well for the local school districts also.
More importantly, these drivers become great long term employees who have a tremendous understanding for the children they transport. Also, the parents who's children you pick up truly appreciate knowing that the bus driver is a concerned parent too.
The only reason not to allow children on the bus might be, available space or fear of the unknown by the local school district.
In twenty years I think we have had only two situations that caused us concern.
That is not a bad record.
To get a program like this started in your district you need to inform the powers that be and
the best way to do that is to have them talk with other districts that have allowed this type of activity in the past.
What we are finding out, with the continuous shortage of qualified and good people to drive school buses, schools are becoming a little more understanding.
Another great perk, we allow some of our drivers to take their buses home with them.
This works out very well for both parties. It's a little more involved but well worth the time and effort.
Good luck and if I can help you please do not hesitate to contact me.
Wags
MICHAEL W. WAGNER
wags@wwa.com
708.371.2987.EXT.6
708.371.8735.FAX

Subject: Special Ed Bus Evacuations
In Dallas I drove a Special Ed bus, Wheelchair Students and walk on Students.
Hopefully you have an Aide on board if you have Special Ed students, although I am noticing
more and more that Bus Companies are doing away with the Aides.
When I did Bus Evacuation with Wheelchair Kids, we used a blanket to slide the student
to the Door (back), and then one of us lifted the child from inside the bus to the other that was
standing outside the bus. It definitely takes time to do this...but in a real Emergency you need to know how to do it!!
Some kids can be pretty heavy too!! ...................Good Luck!
...........Ladydriver

Check with your schools about the possibility
of a Saturday work day for students who misbehave on your bus.
They come to school and with mops, brooms and buckets in hand help the drivers clean up the buses.
We do this every so often here and it works. Make the crime fit the time.
I know of very few teenagers who would enjoy spending their free time working on a bus.
.................Sharon,...................................Polk County,FL

I drive a school bus in Osceola County Florida.
We have a referral system to use when a student is acting up on the bus. They way it works is
the first two referrals the school administrator talks to the student.
After that they are removed from the bus for specific times. 3rd referral 3 days, 4th referral 10 days, etc.
On my middle school route the referral system wasn't working. The student didn't care. So what if mom
or dad had to drive them to school in the air conditioned car.
I talked to the school administrator and started something new. The first couple of times they acted up they
were given verbal warnings from me. The next time they were given a choice.
They could write a 300 word essay on a subject of my choice or they would get a referral.
They would think about a minute, 300 words is about a page and a half, and decide for the essay.
The subject that I use is "RESPECT, A TWO WAY STREET".
You would be surprised at the change in attitudes and conduct on my route.
During the first 4 months I had about 20 different essays. Some were really excellent, some not so good.
There were a couple that decided not to do the essay and received referrals.
When I did the referrals I put on them that I had offered the essay. Most parents then were upset with the students
for not doing the essay. It does work on most students.
..........Paul Merrey

I like to prevent a messy situation instead of cleaning one up, so I carry a box of gallon size
ziplock bags on the bus.
Everyone on the bus knows this and whenever they start feeling a little queasy, they ask me for one.
If they don't use it, they take it home with them anyway.
Sometimes, it helps them feel a little better just to know that they won't have to embarrass themselves
by making a mess all over the floor.
...........Sharon, Frostproof, FL

Subject: use of barn lime
Kitty litter is ok but I think that an ice cream bucket of barn lime works even better,
a very small amount spread over the tires when stuck works like a charm.
and it will last all winter in most cases.(keep it under the drivers seat)
...... Dave Platteville Wi.

Since we experience harsh winters in Minnesota
most of our drivers place a snow shovel behind the drivers seat and wedge it,like the
floor broom is wedged, against the wall.
This way when our drivers travel on gravel back roads, which drift sometimes due to overland winds,
they may get stuck in the drifts, and be out of radio range, then they are able to dig out the tires and be on their way again.
It saves time of children being stranded for awhile out in the middle of no where and
gives the driver that additional sense of security.
Another thing we do is park our busses in heated pole barns. This way the busses are already warm
in the winter and are free from snow and ice debris.
It saves time and energy wasted cleaning the busses off since the drivers can come in,
do their pre-trip inspection and be on their way.
. . Chuck from Northern Minnesota.

I drive for Osceola School District in Florida.
One of the things that I keep in the bus is a 1 gallon plastic jug filled with "kitty litter".
When you have someone puke on the bus, most times there is nowhere to wash it out right away.
Put on the kitty litter and then it doesn't smell up the bus. Gives you time to clean it without someone else
getting sick from the smell......
Paul Merrey

Air Brakes -
While on a field trip to an orchard in NY State, and with the bus parked on a hill, some youngsters boarded the bus
and pushed in the parking brake. The bus then rolled down the hill, hitting and killing a nine year old child.
It has been suggested that buses with air brakes should be pumped down until the wig wag falls, thus causing the spring
brakes to come on, preventing the bus from moving when the driver is away from the vehicle.
....Bonnie

Air Brakes -
I drive a bus in Forsyth County in N.C.
Any time the driver is away from the bus the brakes must be bled down, if not you can receive points,
if you get 10 points in a year you are dismissed.
We also have what we all know as a bonus. If you do not miss any days the first half of the year you get $150.00
and if you do not miss any days the last half you get another $150.00.
You lose $50.00 every day you miss so you can miss two days the first half and still get $50.00 and if you do not
miss any more you get the $150.00 for the second half so you get $200.00, even if you missed 2 days that year.
We can get up to $300.00 if no days are missed.
.........Terry Long

Mirrors in the winter -
Drivers in our group carry plastic bags they get when buying their groceries and cover their mirrors
when the bus is at the lot so that they don't have to be scraped in the winter.
We pull them over the mirrors and tie them at the bottom.They just untie the bags and reuse them when they
are back from their run. Great for cross-over mirrors and side mirrors.
.......Sherrie in K.C,Mo.

:If you don't have heated mirrors try wrapping them with plastic bags to keep them free of frost and ice.
Most of our drivers wrap their flat and convex mirrors this way during cold weather.........

:A tip for all those short drivers out there -
I made an extended scraper handle for my wife by removing the original scraper handle and replacing it with
the handle from an old broom. You will have to remove some of the excess material from the broom handle
with a file or go to the lumber yard and buy a length of dowel rod.
........McHenry,Ill.

: A $1.98 can of ICE REMOVER from Wal-Mart, beats scraping windows and cleaning mirrors by hand,
by about a mile. 2 cans will last through most winters.
........Crystal Lake,Ill.

: Several of the drivers that I know bring a piece of heavy carpet material to put under their feet to keep
them off the floor while driving.This helps insulate their feet from the cold floor in the winter.
.....Crystal Lake,Ill.

Send your TIPS and SUGGESTIONS to: Frank - Bus #150 Last Updated 07/30/08