Eating onboard - School Bus Fleet Magazine Forums (2024)

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Eating onboard

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BUSBOSS105
Senior Member

USA
77 Posts

Posted-11/22/2002: 04:22:47 AM

I was recently scheduled to provide two buses to transport a student group to a childrens museum.
Their return trip at 12:30pm fell into their lunch time and the museum provided no facilities to accomodate them.
The teacher asked if it were possible for the students to eat on the bus while on route home.
I told her our safety and liability policies, (nevermind comon sense)
would not allow them to eat on a moving bus.
When my buses arrived at the school there were two other buses already there. When I approached the teacher she stated that this contractor would allow her students to eat on the bus so she scheduled them, without even notifying my dept
Now, being a public school transportation dept. my buses would have provided transportation free of charge during the school day. Instead the system will be billed approximately $500.00 for the 1st 4 hours. Now with budget cuts and layoffs looming near I consider this a waste of money and my time for planning this trip.
Should I have allowed the group to eat on the bus? Or followed safety policies which the contracting company obviously didn't care about.
P.S. This issue has come up on a few trips that might be scheduled.

wagonmaster
Top Member

USA
2298 Posts

Posted-11/22/2002: 04:43:33 AM

A no food and drink rule on the bus is a sound policy for a myriad of reasons and it's certainly worth defending. If you lived in the southern U.S. the bug problem alone would be reason enough because of all the health factors. They need to make other arrangements, and they can. Enforce it.
Joe

Wolfman
Senior Member

USA
192 Posts

Posted-11/22/2002: 06:17:29 AM

No eating means NO EATING! You did right, I have been on a few trips like that and the teacher asked the same thing. I pointed to a sign in my bus that reads "NO eating or drinking on the bus, state law." They need to take all this in when making the trips. The other company is only there to make money, so they don't care. Stick to the rules, safety first.

Wolfman Howling Mostly at the kids!

LynchSteven
New Member

3 Posts

Posted-11/22/2002: 07:04:23 AM

No eating or drinking is a safe and sound policy. Spilled food or drink on the floor is a safety hazard. We spec and pay for a ribbed rubber non-slip aisle as required. If you put seeds, pop, chips, or anything else on the floor, you will compromise the non-slip feature of the ribbed rubber. Plus, you have the bouncing bus factor. Buses bounce and eating while bouncing does not mix. I think choking would be a concern. Also, having to clean up food in buses can get expensive. If it requires a mop and bucket you can wind up paying overtime. And if it isn't cleaned up properly, you get bugs and/or animals. Food, cans, bottles, and bags can all become projectiles or items of mischief that can distract the driver. Finally, we have it as a posted rule on the bus and it is listed in the Student Code of Conduct. The bus is an extension of the classroom (in theory) and I'm pretty sure the schools don't allow "lunching' or "munching" in the classroom.
In short, there are many serious reasons to not allow eating on the bus and only one wimpy reason to allow it-convienence. Do we sacrifice any measure of safety for the sake of convienence? I would argue against it.

Skewl Bus Boi
Advanced Member

USA
323 Posts

Posted-11/22/2002: 07:38:52 AM

Check local laws. In CT, it's a state law that no one may eat or drink on a school bus. If it's prohibited in your state, you can tell the teacher you talked to, and report the teacher and bus company to the DOT for violating that law.

Phil

"Blue Bird!" "of happiness?"

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Eating onboard - School Bus Fleet Magazine Forums (2024)

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