BACK TO YOU.
>> Rhonda: THANK YOU, KIM.
WELL, TALK ABOUT A TEST DRIVE.
OUR NICK MONACELLI IS BEHIND THE
WHEEL OF A SCHOOL BUS TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT JUST HOW HARD IT IS
TO DRIVE A BUS, SO IS IT?
>> YEAH, I THOUGHT IT WAS JESUS
TAKE THE WHEEL, NOT NICK TAKE
THE WHEEL.
BUT ANYBODY SOON IS GOING TO
HAVE A CHANCE TO TEST DRIVE A
COMMUNITY SCHOOL BUS BECAUSE A
BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE IS STILL IS
ISSUE.
THEY’RE TRYING TO SHOW PEOPLE
DRIVING ONE ISN’T AS SCARY AS IT
SEEMS.
NICK MONACELLI DECIDED TO FIND
OUT HIMSELF.
>> CHECK THE MIRRORS, MAKING
SURE NOTHING’S CRACKED AND
BROKEN.
EVERYTHING IS NICE AND SOLID.
>> BRIAN LAPORTE IS HEAD OF
TRANSPORTATION AT UTICA
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AND THE MAN
BRAVE ENOUGH TO GET ON A BUS.
>> LET’S GET ON BOARD.
>> IF YOU SAY SO.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> WITH ME BEHIND THE WHEEL.
BRIAN THIS LOOKS SUPER
INTIMIDATING.
AND WHAT’S THE NUMBER ONE THING
TO KNOW BEFORE I HIT THE GAS
PEDAL.
>> WHAT YOU THINK OF IS THE SIZE
OF THE BUS.
A LONG BUS HERE AND LONG TAIL
SWING AND THE MIRRORS ARE THE
FIRST THING YOU WANT TO CHECK.
PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE.
WE’RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND
START THE ENGINE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WHOA.
>> YOU WOULD PUSH IN YOUR AIR
BRAKES, DROP YOUR VEHICLE INTO
DRIVE AND IT RUNS JUST LIKE
YOU’D DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE.
>> SAME THING, NO DIFFERENCES?
>> NO DIFFERENCES.
>> ARE YOU READY?
>> YES.
>> SURE?
>> POSITIVE.
>> HERE WE GO.
HOW FAST CAN THIS BABY GO?
>> WE DON’T WANT TO GO ANY
FASTER THAN WHAT THE SPEED LIMIT
WILL ALLOW US TO GO.
SO WE’RE ABOUT TO MAKE A TURN
AND TALKING ABOUT KEEPING AN EYE
ON THE MIRRORS TO KEEP TRACK OF
THE LACK OF THE BUS.
>> CHECK THE MIRRORS AND.
>> YOU CAN SEE THE BACK OF THE
BUS.
>> IT’S NOT AS DAUNTING AS YOU
THOUGHT.
>> IT ISN’T.
IS THAT PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE
HURDLE, GETTING PEOPLE TO
UNDERSTAND IT’S BIG, BUT NOT AS
TERRIBLE?
>> IT’S OUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN.
TYPICALLY WE TALK AT JOB FAIRS,
WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN
DRIVING A BUS?
THE FIRST WORDS OUT OF THEIR
MOUTHS, OH, NO, THE BUS IS TOO
BIG.
I CAN’T DO THAT.
>> AND THE FIRST TEST, I’M
DRIVING BETWEEN PERSONAL
VEHICLES.
EYE ON MIRROR, PLENTY OF ROOM.
>> PLENTY OF ROOM.
>> ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO.
ALMOST A CURB JOB, NO, WE DID
IT.
>> WE DID IT.
>> NICE.
>> JUST FINE.
>> HERE IN NEUTRAL.
>> NEUTRAL.
>> PARKING BRAKE ON.
>> PUSH YOUR FLASHER BUTTON, HIT
SERVICE DOOR.
>> SERVICE DOOR OPEN.
>> AND NOW YOUR FLASHERS ARE ON
AND SAFE TO PICK UP A STUDENT.
>> I LOVE IT.
>> HONESTLY, DRIVING ONE OF
THESE REALLY IS NOT THAT HARD.
AND THAT’S THE POINT OF UCS’S
CONQUER THE BUS CHALLENGE.
ANYONE CAN TAKE ONE FOR A SPIN.
THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE A LOOP
AROUND THE LOT OR A FIGURE EIGHT
THROUGH THE LOT AND FEEL HOW A
BUS ACTUALLY DRIVES.
>> THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION,
YOU DID NOT SHOW ME WHERE THE
NAUGHTY CHILD EJECTION BUTTON
IS.
>> THERE IS NO NAUGHTY CHILD
EJECTION BUTTON BECAUSE AT UCS
WE DON’T HAVE NAUGHTY KIDS.
>> NOT BAD AT ALL.
>> NO.
>> HOW IS IT GOING?
EVERYBODY WAS SO FRIENDLY.
HONESTLY, IT REALLY WASN’T THAT
BAD.
I PASSED THE CLASS, I GOT MY
CERTIFICATE, I GOT MY--
I CONCURRED THE BUS T-SHIRT AND
I’LL DO THAT WHEN IT’S WARMER
THAN TODAY.
AND YOU WANT TO DO THAT ANYBODY
WITH A LICENSE CAN DO THIS UP ON
THE SCREEN.
THE EVENT HAPPENING ON NOVEMBER
20TH AT AUXILIARY SERVICES AREA,
THAT ADDRESS 6600 18 MILE ROAD
IN STERLING HEIGHTS AND GET
THIS, THE PAY FOR DRIVERS STARTS
AT $21 AN HOUR AND ALSO OFFER
BENEFITS, MEDICAL VISION,
DENTAL, AND TRAINING AS
PROVIDED.
THEY’LL PAY FOR EVERYTHING,
THEY’LL DO IT RIGHT THERE.
IT’S ALL KIND OF ALL IN ONE
PACKAGE.
NOW, THE BIGGEST QUESTION FOR
ME, CAN I DRIVE THE BUS AND YELL
AT THE KIDS BEHIND ME?
[LAUGHTER]
>> WITH BENEFITS.
THAT’S REALLY GOOD, BUT NICK, I
MEAN, THERE’S MORE TRAINING THAN
JUST DRIVING AROUND THE PARKING
LOT THOUGH.
I’M JUST ASKING, NOT JUST SAYING
THAT I DON’T THINK THAT YOU CAN
DO IT.
>> WHOA, WHOA.
>> Rhonda: BUT FOR THE PARENTS
AT HOME SAY THESE PEOPLE COULD
POTENTIALLY BE DRIVING MY KIDS
AROUND.
WHAT’S THE DURATION OF THE
TRAINING PROCESS?
>> SO IT’S ACTUALLY SEVERAL
WEEKS AND THEN WHAT THEY DO,
ONCE YOU GO THROUGH THAT
PROCESS, YOU GET A SAFETY PERSON
ON BOARD WITH YOU FOR YOUR FIRST
COUPLE OF ROUTES JUST TO MAKE
SURE YOU CAN HANDLE IT, YOU CAN
HANDLE THE KIDS AND YOU’VE GOT
EVERYTHING DOWN AND THEN THEY
CUT YOU LOOSE.
EVEN THOUGH WE’RE MAKING LIGHT
OF THIS, IT’S A BIG DEAL AND
THEY TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOU TO
MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO
AND GET THE KIDS TO AND FROM
SCHOOL QUICKLY.
>> Evrod: FOR PEOPLE CONSIDERING
DOING THIS.
DO THE BUSES COME WITH APPLE CAR
PLAY AND SIRIUS XM SUBSCRIPTION?
ALL I WANT TO KNOW.
>> Rhonda: ONLY EVROD WOULD ASK.
>> AND THERE WAS A RADIO THERE,
BUT NOT WHILE DRIVING.
DON’T BE JEALOUS OF MY T-SHIRT.