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Profile of a school bus driver r Marie Yurevieh. Young students in the Yurevieh bus >it quietly on the trip to school. \ spotless floor is indication that Marie's philosophy of discipline through love is working. Sill IT Photos Bv Wh v i h * (»«vlord Carl Ames, transportation director for School Districts 15 and 156, at right, points to a particular area of concern on huge route map in his office. Looking on, from left, are drivers, Marie Yurevieh, Harry Sikora and Cindy Johnson. <3 Mrs.lYurevich performs one of the tasks that makes her 1971 bus appear almost new . Above, she washes a front window, but her self-imposed care also includes frequent washing and waxing of the entire bus. PAGE 16 - PLAINDEALER-FRIDAY.. MARCH 28, 1975 % ' ' 1 . . * THE SCHOOL BUS DRIVER. . . . . 1 * • ' • % (Substitute parent, Counselor, friend) v THE SCHOOL BUS Some say it's humdrum. Others say it's exasperating. But Marie Yurevieh calls driving a school bus "love". It's an unusual day when the fleet of more than forty McHenry public school buses goes on the road and Marie is not among the drivers. In fact, the 49-year-old mother of three has missed only fifteen times in the four years she has. been a driver. In the front of the bus she refers to as "mine", hangs a sign that expresses the entire story of Marie's success. Fashioned by a parent with a flare for the artistic and a fondness for his child's driver, it reads. "Love Me or Leave Me". Those words express perfectly her wish that students adhere to her rules because they respect her Otherwise she . prefers that they ride another bus. Requisites for driving a bus in Districts 15 and 156 include the ability to pass a rigorous test, display emotional stability, and possess a particular type of personality that adapts well to young people. To these requisites Marie Yurevieh brings something else. It is a combination of indefinable qualities that make Transportation Director Carl Ames say, "She's the kind of driver we would hope all would be".. To the youngster who has forgotten her lunch, she becomes a friend willing to lend the price of a sandwich and a glass of milk; to the excited child who wants to show off a new tooth, she is a substitute parent; and to the neglected little one whose very apparent need is an attentive ear, Marie acts as counselor. She doesn't try to hide the fact that she would be unhappy if these children were taken away from her She lets them know that, and almost without exception they respond. Even best friends are not Santa Claus at Christmas and the Easter bunny in the Spring Marie is both -- and more. Attired appropriately, she puts the finishing touches on those miracles of childhood by distributing candy to her brood But there is even more significant evidence of her love for them and it manifests itself in many ways. One is the ruling, strictly adhered to, that no one has a lollipop in his mouth while riding in her bus. "A sudden stop could be dangerous", the conscientious driver says with conviction. Another evidence of her concern is her request that riders remove their warm apparel in the bus so they won't get too warm. Checking shoelaces is another of her self-imposed services. But the greatest testimony to her genuine feeling of concern for them is the safety quiz she conducts at regular intervals. There are no exceptions; high school students are interrogated on the same basis as younger riders. "How do we cross the street for loading and unloading?" "We count ten steps, then we cross the street in line--no pushing, no shoving". "What do we do at a railroad crossing?" "We are very quiet, then we get thanked". Everyone has an individual recipe for success as a bus driver For Marie Yurevieh it is simple. She learns the students' names and then becomes their friend. She admits that children are harder to handle than they were a few years ago Her answer to that is also uncomplicated. "I'm theadult, they are thechildren. The riders I have had before know what isexpected of them I use some psychology with those who are new each year". Maybe it should be no surprise that this warmhearted lady, whose love for children is very strong, also has affection for her bus It is almost a reverent tone she uses in speaking of it. Although she believes McHenry has the best fleet of school buses in the state, and they receive the very best care, that isn't enough. Marie washes and waxes her bus inside and outside between regularly assigned clean-ups by the Transportation department. "My bus has the number 2", she reflected, "but the kids say it should be 1". Her scrupulous attention to details of service extend to the driving public. Marie feels a thank-you is due the driver who is delayed by the necessity of stopping for a school bus. Although she can't change that law--and wouldn't if she could--the next best thing is a smile and a wave of the hand. "You would be surprised what a difference it makes," she said with obvious delight. v Driving a school bus seems a natural thing for a woman who had experience with an even bigger vehicle before moving to this community In Chicago she accompanied her husband, a grocery man, as he made deliveries When he went into the store, his wife moved the 2' 2-ton truck when necessary to avoid a traffic tie-up. She admits tit a proud feeling 1 when she was in command of the powerful vehicle. $ One day after moving to McHenry, Marie saw a lady driver behind the wheel of a school bus The exhilaration she experienced was related to her family over the evening meal. The Yurevieh family believes in action. The next day her sixth grader, David, asked his bus driver if there might be an opening for his mother. That marked the start of a career for Marie Yurevieh that is so deeply entrenched in her daily living that it has also become an avocation. As Ames speaks with distinct pride about drivers like Marie, he acknowledges that not everyone is suited to the role of school bus driver. He admits to losing drivers from time to time because they can't adjust. "It takes a particular kind of person", he pointed out as he mused over the variety of personalites among drivers in the two districts he serves as director. One of those who has earned her place among the thirty-six men and women who man regular runs is Cindy Johnson At 22, she is one of the youngest of the drivers and she likes it. The attractive young mother of a 4-year-old daughter, Michelle, is in her second year Her eyes assumed a crinkly smile as she explained her difficulties in a prolonged training period prior to taking her qualifying test She describes the training she received under a district bus driver as "very good", but she was too young to take her test Realizing the need to retain all the information she had learned, Cindy continued to train until she reached the acceptable age of 21. About two years ago she decided to work, but had the problem of care for a pre-schooler. She enjoys her decision and says she was guided in accepting this particular job by two facts. It was part time and the best pay for the time spent. How does she discipline? The petite driver was a paradox as she explained quietly, "I yell a lot. And I look mean. They can tell if you mean it". Cindy acknowledges, however, that discipline remains the most serious problem for most drivers. When she takes .over a new run the younger children, in particular, try their own method of testing her. TheTFrefusal to sit in their seats often means an additional half hour to complete her run until she gains control. She finds older students are ingenious in finding ways to escape following the rules One boy lighted his cigarette, blew the smoke into a paper bag, then placed the bag out the window to avoid detection. The process was repeated until Cindy Johnson became aware of the procedure and added the role of disciplinarian to that of bus driver. Only once was she confronted with the presence of marijuana on her bus. Unable to determine the offender, she pulled the bus to the side of the road and demanded that the cigarette be thrown out of the window or she would drive directly to the police station. It was a new run and one of her riders had presented the ultimate test. The driver exerted her authority and made her point. "Discipline scares many away", she pointed out in a confident way that would convince anyone she has passed the grueling test of two years behind the wheel. Her firmness, tempered with kindness, has had its rewards. Besides thoughtful remembrances at the Christmas season, several girls pooled their meager resources to buy her a box of candy. And at the end of the school year; junior high age students presented her with a vase of flowers. Small remembrances for handling a tough job? Maybe, but at least for this school bus driver they are ample appreciation. They are also enough for the only senior citizen among McHenry's school driver, Harry Sikora, of 4604 W Sussex, in the retirement subdivision of Whispering Oaks. A Chicago Transit Authority bus driver with a 100 per cent safety record over a long period of employment, Harry tried retirement. "It was monotonous", he observed with a smile that is so typical of Sikora. After a twenty-eight-year summer residency at Wonder Lake, he settled here permanently in 1962. It was while working in the laundry room at East campus that a co-worker learned he had been a CTA bus driver Sikora was infor med of the shortage of drivers in the district and encouraged to apply for a position. After the nuisance of handling transfers and money, and the frustrations of driving in heavy traffic, Sikora describes his retirement job as "relaxation". Again the Sikora grin was evident, together with a patience and good humor that are prime assets in his job. "It's like driving a pleasure car", he observed. With his excellent background, Harry needed no training to drive a school bus. Although somewhat older than the other drivers, he took the exam without the need of instruction. The fatherly image he creates in the minds of his young riders brings gifts to Sikora at Christmas time. And there are other times, too, when his world is brightened by such expressions of affection as given to him by one small girl who unashamedly proclaimed, "I love you". It is probably not surprising that one who has devoted a lifetime to transportation should regard safety as a prime factor in his job. He sums it all up with a very simple philosophy, "I figure 5 minutes sooner or later won't make any difference so I drive carefully". For Carl Ames, the task of putting buses on the road daily to accommodate almost 5,000 students is a major undertaking. His is the responsibility for thirty-six persons to man daily runs, plus a spare fr, breakdowns In the public school districts, women are literally "in the driver's seat". There are only eight men In all, they cover a forty-five-year span, starting at 22. Ames is not averse to employing men, but he explains that the job lends itself best to the spare time and financial needs of housewives or retired women. "It has to be part time", he observed, "and doesn't pay enough for someone supporting a family." His drivers have a good safety record. Driving in excess of 350,000 miles annually, there have been only two accidents thus far this year. A governor on each bus is set for 50 miles per hour, a fact that may contribute to this enviable record Buses are checked monthly by certified mechanics as preventative maintenance. There are few breakdowns on the road. Most frequent problems are in the areas of electrical system and brakes. Poor roads in some subdivisions necessjtajap considerable front end work. More than anyone else, If W the transportation director who is aware that the most serious offenses committed by riders are rowdiness and vandalism. Thousands of dollars are paid out each year because of broken windows, torn seats, and to remove rocks from radiators. Those most familiar with the tribulations of this responsible position realize well that the special type person required to be a driver is much the same kind needed to be a transportation director. In addition, the leadership of a Carl Ames is all important-the kind of leadership he acquired as a major in the U.S. Marines, where he served twenty-five years. What does he think of his job° There was a brief silence. Then briefly and to the point his answer was typical of the business-like Ames: "It's a challenge, interesting but complex". These complexities are known to only a few of the thousands who come in contact with his drivers, ever so briefly, on a daily basis. But his drivers know. They are the Chicago police officer and private school administrator who drive daily. They are the postal employee, retired serviceman, Greyhound bus driver and pilot who are called upon as "spares'. The complexities extend to the columns of the school budget figures, which list an appropriation of $301,700 for transportation in Consolidated Grade District 15 and $160,800 in High School District 156 annually. Tomorrow's leaders are in the making today, and bus drivers are playing no small part in their formative years. Their role as counselor, substitute parent and friend equal the importance of their responsibility in the daily routine of safely transporting children to school and home again. Courtesy is a way of life for Marie Yurevieh, She believes the driver who must stop for her bus deserves a thank-you. Marifc demonstrates her appreciation with a smile and a wave of her hand - not once, but every time.