Dozens of Lakewood children were left waiting in the near-record cold today after school buses failed to start, parents report to TLS.
Parents say they contacted the bus companies after their children were waiting in the frigid cold for about 40 minutes, only to be told that multiple school buses failed to start due to the temperatures.
“I called the bus company and was told that around 20% of their buses did not start,” a parent told TLS.
Sources say buses from several different schools failed to show up.
Due to the holiday, some buses were not used since Friday, adding to the stress of the batteries in the frigid temperatures.
However, TLS spoke with Jays Bus Service who said they were proactive to ensure the children wouldn’t be waiting outside.
“Our mechanic came in earlier today – around 4:30 AM – to make sure the buses were operating properly,” a spokesman for Jays Bus Service told TLS.
As for the children left waiting, “I drove my child, and several other neighbors to school,” a parent said.
[TLS]
Incredibly, the bus companies don’t feel a need to notify the parents of the pickup status, nor do the schools. If you contact the dysfunctional bus companies, they tell you to speak to the BOE, who refuse to answer their phones. It’s interesting that the BOE is always eager to take a snow day and cancel service in the name of “safety,” but when small children (who are unable to regulate their body temperature) are in danger in subzero windchill weather for extended periods, there is no one to talk to. Why parents tolerate this is beyond me.
Poor kids I feel so bad for them. My son’s bus was running 15 min late & the Yeshiva was kind enough to call & inform us about the delay I was very impressed
Jays Bus Company always answers the phone & will tell you the exact time of Bus arrival. Keep it up Jays!!
If the buses had proper maintenance this would not be an issue, but that costs money. What are the bus companies doing with all their money?
I waited outside with my 6 year old daughter for a half hour. Our school bus is from Durham. It is an excusable for them not to be proactive in this situation. A woman froze to death in this weather.
The bus companies are disasters. After my son waited in the 10 degrees yesterday for 1/2 hr I wasn’t gonna let that happen again today in zero degrees so I drove my kids to school today.
This situation is unfortunate, however it is irresponsible to allow children to spend extended time outdoors in such cold weather. Parents Please check the weather before you send children out to wait for the bus.Dress them warmly and if the bus doesn’t show up within a reasonable amount of time (12-18 min.) don’t allow them to keep waiting. It is dangerous!!!! Also it would be great if we can work on creating apps or message services that tracks all buses and pinpoints the location of the bus en route.This would be a most helpful system for parents and all those involved in running the bus companies.
C Fried:
there are such systems used by some schools in Brooklyn that calls and text a minute or 2 before the bus arrives to your stop
My fifth grader waited for 40 minutes outside before giving up and coming back home in a super lousy mood. Great way to start a school day, ain’t it?
Who let’s their kids stand outside for such a long time? Why not watch from door or neighbors door for bus coming?
“lakewooder”
Gr8 idea!! Let’s build “Doors” by all Lakewood bus stops! So the kids can wait behind the “door”!!!!
I think that we do this to ourselves. First we complain that there is a 90 minute delay, so today when there was no delay we complain that the busses did not start.
There should be a system that informs parents, via text or phone message whether their bus is running, and also 5 minutes prior to arrival.
Lakewooder, that is not always an option, my daughters bus driver will not slow down, forget about stop if he doesn’t see the kids as he comes down the block, as was the case this morning. They waited outside for 20 minutes, then went to wait to inside and when the bus came over half hour late he drove right by.
it would be great if the buses had some sort of gps tracking device that alerts parents as to where the bus is at all times.
#3 – With Jay Ellinson at the helm it’s no wonder that everything runs so smooth and efficient. Jay is just a super individual with a huge heart who does so much for this town- not just for the thousands of boys and girls that he gets to school each and every morning. Mechayil el choyil !
South side that’s a dreadful story. I think we should find out who that driver is & start a petition to fire him immediately. Think of the nerve. After coming half hr late in zero degrees to just drive by without even waiting a minute to see if the kids are waiting somewhere.