NewsCovering Kentucky

Actions

School bus driver says the job is much more than just driving

Public School Bus
Posted
and last updated

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Steve Guynn, or Mr. Steve to his students, lives every week like it's National School Bus Safety Week.

"I'm proud to take care of these people's students while they are on my bus. Get them from point A to point B safely," Guynn said.

That's why he takes pride in his pre- and post-trip inspections, which ensures everything on the bus works properly so that his passengers don't have to worry about their grades.

"I love my job, I love interacting with my students," he said.

For all bus drivers, building good relationships with their students is important, and Guynn sometimes has the opportunity to talk with them and offer them "a little bit of wisdom," he said.

But on his route, Guynn said he has to wear multiple hats.

"Sometimes you can't have as much personality as you would like," he said. "You have to reprimand the student. There's a drill sergeant here, there's a clown over here. There's a point right in the middle where it's good to interact with any specific group of students."

While Guynn can report the students who don't follow the bus rules, it's those he shares the road with that sometimes cause bigger issues.

"One of the most challenging things that most bus drivers face is automobiles running our stop arm… [it] happens a lot," he said.

This is one of the most frustrating parts of the job because Guynn's mission is his students' safety every day.

"I love my job," he said. "I love interacting with the students, I love interacting with the parents, I love interacting with the parents, I love interacting with the teachers. They are good people and this is a good job to have."