PHOTOS: Is This a New School Bus Trend in the Hudson Valley?

Let me start off by saying that this is not news. I repeat: This. Is. Not. News. Still, have you noticed a new trend with school buses in the Hudson Valley?

I never thought I'd become a person who was so certain that things were done differently when I was a child, but this new school bus habit feels like a smack in the face to all I thought was good and true. Or maybe I'm just being sensitive...

Being a School Bus Driver in the Hudson Valley

Let's start with a fact: school bus drivers have a very tough gig. Early hours, loud children, and wild drivers illegally trying to pass them can all add up to a stressful morning. So why are we adding something else on top of it?

Are School Bus Stops Getting Longer in the Hudson Valley?

I started noticing this trend back in 2024, and it seems to show no signs of stopping: not only are children no longer waiting at the bus stop when it arrives, but whether they're in their parent's car or even inside their house (I could never), they all take their sweet time getting on the bus.

School Bus Driving Behavior in the Hudson Valley

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but back in my day, my bus wouldn't even stop if there wasn't a child waiting for it. If we were lucky, it would slow down slightly before continuing its trip to school. Now, it seems like a school bus stop for a single child takes actual minutes.

Read More: $200 Million Zero-Emission School Buses Funding Boost

Informal Research on Hudson Valley School Bus Stops

On a recent drive from Newburgh to Poughkeepsie, I witnessed this activity three times in ten minutes. One child took their time getting out of their parent's car (it wasn't raining), another was waiting inside their house (again, not raining), and a third had a parent come outside of the house and ask the bus driver to wait for their dawdling kid.

Read More: School Bus Trap: Get a Surprise Ticket in the Hudson Valley

Now of course there's a counter-argument to my lame complaining. School transportation is indispensable for some families, and an impatient school bus driver could ruin the day of an adult just trying to get their kids out of the house. Is returning to "old ways" really worth the 5 minutes of commute time I'll get back?

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I guess I'm looking for an answer instead of a solution. Have school bus drivers become kinder, or have they just needed to adapt to kids who are taking the authority of a big yellow vehicle less and less seriously? As it's been said, judge not, that ye be not judged... maybe that means I should apply to be a bus driver next school year.