Instructor’s Guide for “Unauthorized Rider”

PURPOSE

This video demonstrates the need to plan ahead when being confronted with an attempt from an Unauthorized Rider to board the school bus.

Background

There have been numerous Unauthorized Rider situations like this in the media in the past few years. The following events are all from 2013

In Pennsylvania, a 28 year old mother was charged after boarding a school bus and punching a 10 year old boy in the face.

In Texas, a man attempting to flee police boarded a school bus while the driver was out of his seat attending to a student on the bus. The man thought he could use the bus as his getaway vehicle. He was later charged with attempted kidnapping.

In West Virginia, An armed man boarded a school bus on a field trip and demanded the driver to drive him to a town 100 miles away. The driver eventually talks the man off the bus.

In California, Two men approach a school bus demanding to talk to students who allegedly threw something at their vehicle. When the two stories don’t quite make sense, the driver grows suspicious and calls dispatch. The men flee. The driver is later honored for her actions.

In Arizona, A man follows a student, boards the bus and gets off at the student’s school. Later a 9 mm gun is found in the seat that the man was sitting in.

And in Alabama, school bus driver Charles A. Poland is killed when a gunman boards the bus and demands two child hostages. The Alabama state legislature later makes it a Class A misdemeanor to impede a school bus route or to enter a school bus unauthorized. The Alabama Department of Education stated that unauthorized entry has increased dramatically in recent years.

CONTENT

Chief of Police Jeff Herr talks about the need to retain control over a school bus and illustrates the best, good and poor driver positions in order to deal with an unauthorized attempt to board a school bus. Chief Herr uses his law enforcement background to show drivers how they should position themselves and talk to unauthorized persons.

CONCEPTS

School bus drivers will learn the following concepts:

  1. The best driver position is to prevent any attempt to board the school bus and speak to an unauthorized person from a closed door or open window.
  2. Use clear, concise directions and firm commands to unauthorized persons
  3. Communication with the dispatch office is essential and drivers should refer all unauthorized persons to contact dispatch or the school. Drivers should not attempt to deal with external situations (such as parent complaints) during a school bus route or trip.
  4. Drivers need to expect the unexpected when dealing with unauthorized persons.
  5. Drivers cannot react in a quick manner if they are belted in their seat. It is too late if they are following an unauthorized person down the aisle.

ACTIVITIES

The “bad” driver positioning that is shown as an example how NOT to handle unauthorized persons. Notice that the unauthorized person is now in control of the bus and tells the driver what to do. You may wish to talk to drivers at the end of the film on what they could do differently at that point ie. call dispatch, regain control of the bus by telling the person that police are en-route, etc. This DVD is not intended to scare drivers, but to get them thinking about what they should do in the event that someone attempts to board their bus. You may wish to use these sample questions. The correct answer is in bold face type.

  1. You have noticed an unknown man at the bus stop who seems agitated. The first thing you should do is:
  2. Ask the students who that man is.
  3. Be ready for the unexpected and close the door immediately after the students board.
  4. Ask the man if you can help him.
  1. A mother approaches the bus to complain about the seating arrangement on the bus. You handle this by:
  2. Carefully listening to her concerns and come up with an acceptable alternative.
  3. Suggest that if her child wasn’t such a little stinker, you wouldn’t need a seating arrangement.
  4. Prevent her from boarding the bus, and calmly but firmly tell her that you have a schedule to keep, but she should call the office with her concerns.
  1. A car aggressively pulls in front of your school bus, stops and the occupants get out of the car and come towards the bus. Your reaction is:
  2. Make sure the door is closed and contact dispatch immediately.
  3. Ask the occupants to please remove their vehicle so you can proceed with your route.
  4. Ask the occupants what the heck they think they are doing!