Although school bus driving may not be anyone's dream job, someone has to do it. According to the Transportation Research Board, part of the National Academy of Sciences, a child is 13 times safer in a school bus than in other modes of travel. Children driving to school or riding with other teenage drivers are 44 times more likely to be fatally injured than in a school bus.
John and Kay Reger are veteran drivers of New York Mills school busses with 45 years and 30 years of driving, respectively.
Kay recently retired after her 30th year of bus driving. She recalls a few memories from her bus driving days. "Lots of times the children will give you special valentines or a little treat. Some of the kids even gave Christmas gifts," says Kay.
One memorable trip was one that left her to backing out of a half-mile driveway because she did not want to get stuck into a snowdrift.
Bob and Theresa Theisen hosted a retirement party for Kay recently. A few "long time-ago" drivers, some of the newer drivers, family, and friends attended the party.
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On retirement Kay says, "I'm enjoying it. I have a lot of things I want to do. I plan on spending time with my husband, family, animals, and flowerbed. I love to mow grass."
When the Regers first took on the job they say they got into bus driving because they were looking for work and a school bus driving position was available at the school. But what makes someone want to stay in the bus driving business for so long? Kay answers, "It just kind of grows on you, it becomes a habit."
But if given the chance to go back and drive again Kay says, "I wouldn't want to do it again."
An average day in the life of these two bus drivers include waking up, driving the morning route, stopping for coffee before going home to do different chores around the house, going back to the school for the afternoon route, then finally finishing the day at home.
John says the worst part about bus driving is having to get up early, while Kay believes the worst part is knowing you have to go back in the afternoon. However, Kay likes the fact that bus driving is part time and says the job is "good for a woman."
John is thinking about retiring in the near future but for now is "taking it one year at a time."
