-
Clarissa Jolly
I was five when I started riding the bus, and I am a junior now, still riding the bus. I have four siblings who also ride, a sister in ninth, a brother in eighth, another brother in seventh, and the youngest one is in sixth grade. My little niece, who rides too, is in kindergarten.
You have to get up early in the morning to ride the bus. Luckily, I’ve had four nice bus drivers over the years: Mr. Cruz, Joe Smiddy, Coach Henderson, and Coach Lewis. We have rules on my bus. You can’t stand up or eat on the bus, and if you do eat on the bus, you could get in trouble. We do not have to keep quiet; sometimes, it gets pretty loud, especially after school.
My favorite memory of riding the bus is when I was in sixth grade. A new person started riding; she and I sat by each other and became friends.
I asked other high schoolers about their memories of school bus rides and here's what some said: Senior Emily Garcia said, “When I was little, I always wanted to ride the bus like my older sisters. But when the time finally came around and I got to ride the bus, it wasn’t what I expected at all. It was very crowded and loud, and as a little kid, it’s scary to be on this big yellow bus with a lot of older kids. But now that I’m older, the only time I take the bus is if we go on a field trip or to away games for sports. The reason I enjoy the bus ride now is because it allows me to gain a stronger relationship with my teammates and classmates. I’m very thankful for that since I don't have much time left with them before I graduate.”
Senior Mariana Aguilar said, “I used to love to ride the bus every morning but especially more after school. You know how in movies, when the bus is dropping a kid off, his or her friends stick their heads out the window to wave goodbye? Well, my elementary years were just like that. And it was always so inspiring to look up to the high school kids sitting in the back of the bus; everyone wanted to be them. Every time the bus would hit a speed bump, the back of the bus would bounce while the “cool kids” were basically levitating. It was a dream the younger ones wanted to experience.
“I was one of those younger kids dreaming to be a high schooler, but as soon as I hit high school, my bus dreams came to an end. The reason is I'm an athlete who does extracurriculars, and there is no time now to ride the bus and stick my head out the window to wave goodbye to my friends.”
An anonymous senior boy said, “Riding the school bus is very therapeutic for me. I love looking through the condensation on the window during the cold mornings and watching as the sun begins to rise over the horizon. During game days, I enjoy listening to music to pass the time on the bus, whether we are traveling to a nearby rival school or to a tournament four hours away from North Hopkins after Christmas. On those chilly, Friday nights after an away game, feeling the hot air from the bus’s heater and heading to a fast-food restaurant for a bite is what makes life worth living. One of my favorite memories is, one time after a basketball game, Coach Clark bought the entire team pizzas from Pizza Hut to share on the bus, and we all had a great time playing music loudly on the bus and living in the moment.”
Another anonymous senior said, “I like to ride the bus when going to a sporting event or field trip. I have many memories with friends and teammates and most of them are quite hilarious. On a trip with the basketball team we were heading towards Mumford, Texas, for a basketball tournament. We had a speaker and played many songs for hours and often sang along with the music. We sang harmony to songs by Bad Bunny and Katy Perry.”
However, some other kids reported problems about riding the bus. Several said it’s hot on the bus and they got sweaty. Some reported getting bullied. It’s horrible when someone throws up on the bus. And the bus can be too loud. (By the way, it’s important to tell an adult if you are bullied on the bus.
But overall, most students have some good memories about riding the bus. A junior explained, “I have great memories about riding the bus. I laughed a lot with my friends and felt the nice, cool breeze blowing in through the windows.” n
— Originally published Nov. 22, 2022