Why aren't school busses evolving? I'm riding on a bus with a bunch of fifth graders that is identical to the one I rode on over 30 years ago. The window latches still suck. The vinyl seats are still the same color and texture. Is there no pressure to make them better or have we simply reached the pinnacle of kid hauling?
They also all stink to high heaven driving behind them. I hate them.
no pressure to make them better. They are still just as cheap to build as absolutely possible due to the ever increasing pressure on school system's budgets
they may not have made them better, but dang sure have made them wider … they no longer fit on our community streets … they're so wide they even force my Mom's Fit off the road as they pass … this is with their right side tires already off the road, berkeley those shiny happy people
They're the same size. I think residential streets are narrower. They do have automatic transmissions, so there's that. I always liked sitting in front and watching the old crones row the gears with that three foot lever.
The ones around here ARE the same buses from 30 years ago.
Our school system has some new ones, and to my eye, they look smaller. Still pretty crappy inside though, and yes the window latches still suck. Back when I rode them regularly, they didn't have cameras in them, because we weren't a bunch of entitled, misbehaving, undisciplined heathen.
I refer to them as "yellow rolling roving roadblocks" in my morning commute. Usually with some more interesting language thrown in.
I remember the old guy who used to drive the bus I rode on about 25 years ago. Mr. Ryder. It had a 5 speed stick, and he missed about every 3rd shift attempt. Every time he did we always gave him E36 M3 for it. Poor guy. I'm pretty sure when they finally retired that bus the gears were more like discs.
1988RedT2 wrote: Back when I rode them regularly, they didn't have cameras in them, because we weren't a bunch of entitled, misbehaving, undisciplined heathen.
When the hell was that? The bus I rode had lots of smoking, taunting, menacing, bullying, a beatdown or two and occasionally some throwing of stuff out those E36 M3ty windows at pedestrians. And all that was in a time when the bus driver could pistol whip you for insolence if he wanted.
Just out of curiosity, what is it we're hoping school buses to evolve into? Crossovers? Minivans? They're designed to carry large quantities of children safely to school. So by their nature, they're going to be large and go slow. Yes, it sucks being stuck behind one, but I don't see a lot of room for evolution. In most school districts, the same bus carries high school kids, then picks up elementary school students. So the interiors are meant to be easily washed, hosed out, etc... Some of the newest ones do have a bit of a sleeker exterior, as they're based on commercial truck chassis. But they're still big, fat yellow bricks.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:1988RedT2 wrote: Back when I rode them regularly, they didn't have cameras in them, because we weren't a bunch of entitled, misbehaving, undisciplined heathen.When the hell was that?
I rode my last bus in 1979. Any buses I've ridden since then have been in the capacity of chaperone/parent. We lived in a fairly rural area. Inner city youth may have been a tad more unruly.
There's no money in classy vinyl for heathen little butts.
Wow! This very idea has been on my mind since my buddy bought one as a tour vehicle for his band. I cannot believe they haven't changed either. There is a HUGE amount of wasted space. The seating area is absurdly high. Why are they built to haul 20K pounds when they will typically see around 7000lbs of kids?
I just assumed it was a government regulation thing.
mazdeuce wrote: They're the same size. I think residential streets are narrower. They do have automatic transmissions, so there's that. I always liked sitting in front and watching the old crones row the gears with that three foot lever.
I've lived on this same street (and it hasn't changed any) since 1957 …. the busses never forced us off the road when I was in school … they do now
1988RedT2 wrote: I rode my last bus in 1979. Any buses I've ridden since then have been in the capacity of chaperone/parent. We lived in a fairly rural area. Inner city youth may have been a tad more unruly.
I lived in a rural area and last rode a school bus in 1974. There were plenty or unruly kids, but back then the driver could retaliate.
Ditchdigger wrote: The seating area is absurdly high. Why are they built to haul 20K pounds when they will typically see around 7000lbs of kids? I just assumed it was a government regulation thing.
I see two options:
1) School buses are repurposed medium or heavy duty truck chassis, so the weight capacity is built in due to the truck's other uses.
2) Kids have gotten a LOT fatter, so they were planning ahead 20 years ago when they last bought buses. Feed them more awful cheap food so they're fatter and more sedentary, and therefore easier to program er... educate.
my guess is that the best and brightest engineers mostly aren't drawn to school buses.
I would guess that safety has probably increased significantly though, even if the shapes or color haven't (ABS, suspension, frame design and materials, tires, those lugnut visual inspection teardrops, etc).
Other than escape hatches in the roof I can't see any safety improvements. I would assume that ABS might have made it over, but then again.....
I'll think about it some more when I have to get back on another one for the 6th grade trip tomorrow.
Does the bus you're on offer seat belts to anyone other than the driver?
Nope, though the driver did have a three point belt, so that's another big safety improvement I suppose.
Someone has to do a schoolbus in this years or next years challenge
mazdeuce wrote: Other than escape hatches in the roof I can't see any safety improvements. I would assume that ABS might have made it over, but then again..... I'll think about it some more when I have to get back on another one for the 6th grade trip tomorrow.
They have blinky lights and numbers on the roof now too.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:1988RedT2 wrote: Back when I rode them regularly, they didn't have cameras in them, because we weren't a bunch of entitled, misbehaving, undisciplined heathen.When the hell was that? The bus I rode had lots of smoking, taunting, menacing, bullying, a beatdown or two and occasionally some throwing of stuff out those E36 M3ty windows at pedestrians. And all that was in a time when the bus driver could pistol whip you for insolence if he wanted.
Back then that stuff was considered "character-building" and adults just looked the other way. Today's "entitled" children are too good for that obviously! 
The ones here have AC now.
GameboyRMH wrote:Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:Back then that stuff was considered "character-building" and adults just looked the other way. Today's "entitled" children are too good for that obviously!1988RedT2 wrote: Back when I rode them regularly, they didn't have cameras in them, because we weren't a bunch of entitled, misbehaving, undisciplined heathen.When the hell was that? The bus I rode had lots of smoking, taunting, menacing, bullying, a beatdown or two and occasionally some throwing of stuff out those E36 M3ty windows at pedestrians. And all that was in a time when the bus driver could pistol whip you for insolence if he wanted.
My last US school bus driver before I got my license in 9th grade (and then moved overseas) was a big 250lb black lady named "Ms Brenda." You did NOT want Ms Brenda to have to get up out of her seat, because if she did you were in for an ass-whoopin. And this was in the late 80s. Believe me, on a route of upper-middle class mostly white kids, nobody messed with Ms Brenda. And she could definitely row the gears. She also had no problem putting you off the bus if you were being a PITA or getting too rowdy. She'd just stop (someplace safe) and say "get off, boy!" lol....
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