An Open Letter to Some Members of My Community: Why you gotta be like that?!

As mentioned previously, I was in charge of the buses for our high school's Grad Night. There were five buses and by 11:30 (an hour behind schedule, different story) four of the buses had pulled away and headed south to Dave & Buster's--about a 20-minute drive.

The last bus--the one my daughter and her friends, as well as most of the football team--were on, did NOT head south. It headed nowhere. The air brakes weren't getting air and while I really have no idea what that means, I do know that if a bus driver says he can't drive a bus because the brakes don't work, I am going to be damned happy he found it out in the parking lot and not on the freeway.

Since neither the bus driver nor I had a spare bus in our pockets, waiting for another bus was the only solution. Because this was the graduation night for our entire district, the only thing to do was wait for one of the buses to unload down at Dave & Buster's and come back for these kids.

As I describe this situation to you, the words floating through your brain are probably words like "inconvenient" and "minor irritant" and "sh*t happens."

Words and phrases that appeared to be floating through the minds of many of the football players, echoed and stoked by the attitude of the football mom/bus chaperon, were "tragedy of mammoth proportion" and "how will I ever survive this?" and "clearly I cannot be expected to endure an incident like this without special treatment."

Things actually said aloud:

Oh, my poor football players! Who gives a sh*t about the twenty kids on the bus that aren't football players?

But they haven't eaten yet! What will happen to them?!

They can't be expected to sit on the bus and WAIT for an hour!

But they're thirsty! What will happen to them?!

But he doesn't WANT to use the bathroom on the bus like everyone else! I am going to let him wander off into the parking lot where you can't see him and he will probably go to his car for a nightcap or maybe just get in his car and drive away after you've assumed responsibility for him by verifying his presence on the bus at check-in.

But HE HAS to get off the bus because he's claustophobic! Not because he's a football player and is too special for sitting on a crowded bus like the rest of the students.

Other things that were said out loud:

The bus broke down. Another one is coming. Yes, it sucks. No, it's not the end of the world.

These are healthy seventeen and eighteen-year olds. They will not die of stavation or lack of hydration in the next hour.

What part of these students are not to leave this area was unclear to you?!

Why is it that every time I turn my back you're letting one of your football players leave?!

Your football players are really a bunch of babies.

How about if you buck up and quit whining and kicking things and pretend like you graduated from high school today?!

To the mother that asked me what I was doing about contacting the bus company about compensation? You're absolutely right--we do owe them more money for having to deal with such spoiled, entitled, unpleasant people.

 

If you wonder why I don't put my house on the market and get the h*ll out of here, come back tomorrow for a feel-good story that will have you smiling and crying. I'm writing this story after pulling an all-nighter. The other story deserves a well-rested brain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Elizabeth]

I used to work for a company that brought tourism into the city of Los Angeles. During one of our events, we arranged for our clients to receive private helicopter tours over the city. This included Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and a very low flying ride over the Pacific Ocean surf. The finale was landing at Santa Monica airport with a stretch limo, door open and champagne waiting. Pretty awesome stuff. However, there was a 15 minute delay between the first helicopter and the last helicopter so the limo couldn't depart until everyone was there. One client tore into me because of the wait that he had to endure. With champagne. On a limo. The horror. Client or not, I looked at him squarely in the eye and said "That was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I am so grateful and thankful to be a part of that. It's too bad not everyone can appreciate such a fantastic experience."

As for the entitled spoiled kids part, I don't live in the same neighborhood but I may as well.

[lanes]

When the whine quotient occasionally starts to spiral out of control. I loudly announce that I am "in NO MOOD TO LISTEN TO THIS." Because I rarely raise my voice or use that tone, that usually shames people into being quieter about their grumbling. I can almost deal with the kids' whining because they are young and are still learning that the universe does not revolve around them (not all of them don't know that yet, I know!!), but the other chaperone? I would have lost my shit with her. Congrats for keeping your cool with another adult who should have learned better decades ago!

[gary rith]

OOOF!

[Lisa G.]

I drove a bus - no air means NO stopping power. Maybe football players prefer to go careening over guard rails and into other stationary objects/people, and then spend the entire evening in the ER or morgue?

Oh wait -morgue drawers are VERY claustrophobic. I hear they don't let you eat or drink in the ER either.

[Navhelowife]

Whiny people are everywhere. Doesn't matter what neighborhood you're in. When you start to value one group of people more than another, you start to enable whiny behavior and entitlement thought. Football is great, yes, but so are the students who work hard at jobs after school, or the ones that struggled to graduate, or the ones who have other interests....just because some achievements are more visible than others doesn't make them more valuable. Unless of course the football team managed to find a cure for some horrible disease...No? Not this season? Maybe next time.

[Little Miss Sunshine State]

Nobody has any patience anymore. Maybe too many people have gotten accustomed to instant gratification.

[Arli]

Jenn, I'm surprised at you! The football team didn't belong on a bus to begin with. They should have been in limos! They're the high school THE FOOTBALL TEAM, not real people like you an me! ;)

[CC]

Well, when I was on a bus last week with 2 classes of special ed students and it couldn't be driven because of an alarm that wouldn't turn off, I DID pull that spare bus out of my pocket. And we happily drove off to the zoo. ;)

[suburbancorrespondent,]

Wow. Some people have extremely high expectations of life. And extremely low expectations for healthy 18-year-olds...

[mom taxi julie]

People sure are a bunch of whiners these days! Sucks but not much you could do but wait and I'm sure they still had fun!

[Brightside-Susan]

I would not have managed to be so civil, I'm afraid.

[Albug]

I too am tired of people who whine. No one on that bus should have been unhappy. One hour? Big deal. As for the FB Mom, maybe you should have put her outside,down the road, to watch for the relief bus and text you when it was coming. Those boys sure have her number, don't they?
Good for you for keeping your cool.

[Karen (formerly kcinnova)]

Some fabulous comments above...

I'm glad to say that bus drivers usually complimented our band kids (former school) as the best group they had ever had. But then, band kids aren't used to special treatment (we were always at the bottom of the list, esp. if football was on that list, despite the fact we provided the entertainment & "pep" at those games).

[MIME]

This was a good reminder of how not to act when life's little inconveniences come our way. I know I wouldn't have acted like that, but I do think I get easily irritated over silly things. What bugs me most is that when we behave like this, we teach our kids to always expect perfection or else.

[Jocelyn]

This post makes me want to slap people, and none none of them are you.

[Another Jennifer]

There truly ARE worse things, and sadly these kids will someday have to learn that. Last week we laid our wonderful nephew to rest - car accident - 31 years old. He was the most positive, respectful, giving and loving kid - who had not had an easy life. I was already grateful for my life, health, family, and wonderful friends (like you). Every day that my kids are all alive is a good day - even if the bus breaks down.

[Nike Air Max]

It's wonderful that you are all talking everything through. I have no doubt that your focus is on the endgame. The love shines through in your posts. Thinking of you all...