I really didn't think to care about school buses when I was in kindergarten, but the 1st school bus I think I ever rode was bus 392 of the Jefferson Parish Schools in Gretna, LA, back in 1988. I went to Gretna #2 Kindergarten. Then, I used to ride bus 136 when they put me in Special Ed in 1989.
Then, I rode the Special Ed bus 329 at McDonogh 26 Elementary for 6 WHOLE school years! 1989-1995.
In 7th grade at Gretna Jr. High, I didn't realize that bus 326 was new. Then we started to have to ride bus 37 for the 2nd half of 2nd grade, all the way through 9th grade.
When I was going to West Jefferson High School, I rode bus 34 in 10th & 11th grade. Then, I rode nice, new, pretty bus 272 during my Senior year, but I was disappointed that I couldn't get to ride it on me & my twin sister's 17th birthday. We had a substitute raggedy bus for the day. Bus 272 got something cosmetic fixed that day.
I used to always feel insecure & hate riding raggedy buses, but some raggedy buses, I used to like. I always loved brand new buses. I admit that I used to be excited to go on field trips, JUST TO get to ride a different bus. I was upset if the bus was a raggedy one that I didn't like.
The school bus drivers would probably get mad at me for mentioning their names on this blog. So, I won't. Out of respect. Some of them are deceased now. RIP bus drivers, & thank you for your service in helping the community.
Because of the Jefferson Parish school buses, that helped me have an OCD fascination with numbers. I suffered maladaptive daydreaming as a child because of early childhood trauma. I used to daydream a lot about riding buses, & I even used to write short stories about them back then. Whatever bus was new at that time, that would be my favorite number. EX: Bus 86 was 1 of the BRAND NEW buses, so I ended up liking the #86 & considering it 1 of my favorite numbers. I still love the #86. If bus 160 was raggedy, then I didn't like the number. LOL! But when they would get a NEW bus #160, I started to consider it 1 of my favorite numbers. Still 'til this day, I have a thing with numbers & colors.
I vividly remember some of the buses, throughout my school years, growing up.
I can VIVIDLY remember & tell you what bus 173 of the Jefferson Parish Schools System looked like. Strange that I didn't realize that there were other buses of different models, of that same number, in different cities & states.
Let me describe bus 194. When I was in 3rd grade, bus 86, 87 & 194 were brand new buses. I used to ride bus 87 all the time on field trips, but the abusive, fake, narcissistic Special Ed teacher Mrs. Michelle Estopinal, abused me, punished me & lied on me, so I couldn't get to go on 1 of the field trips. She ruined my ONLY possible opportunity to get to ride bus 86! I didn't get to ride bus 194 until a field trip to the Audubon Zoo in 1995, when I was in 6th grade.
So, Bus 194 was Blue Bird bus with an International front. It had brown seats. The bus was identical to buses 326 & 327. Also bus 343 of the Jefferson Parish Schools. I always wondered why, whoever would drive a Blue Bird bus, was a bus driver who drives REALLY FAST! 🤔 As a kid, I thought the bus naturally just rode fast everywhere it went. I always questioned why all the new buses rode fast, & why the raggedy buses rode slow. Same with cars & other vehicles.
That bus 131 at McDonogh 26... I had a love/hate relationship with that bus. I used to hate it & feel scared/haunted by it. Eventually, riding it so much, it grew on me. The seats caved in when you sat in them. It was a Superior bus with an International front. Bus 289 was the same way, but it had all green seats. I remember riding that bus (131) for over 4 hours one day, on a 1/2 day of school in 4th grade. I vividly remember & will never forget.
I think I may have ridden bus 131 in 1st grade & went to the Zoo, but don't remember. If that was bus 131, it had all green seats at 1st. I used to ride that scary bus 131 on field trips all the time. I was wondering what happened to bus 131 because when I was in 2nd grade, it had an exhaust pipe on the left side in the middle, + the color of the seats were different. With my weird, kiddie mind, I thought the bus was sick or injured or something (like a human). I was emotionally depressed by the change. The seats were green & brown, + there was 1 silver seat, that we kept calling, "gray". The "gray" seat was Seat 4 on the left side. Seat 12, the 2nd seat on the right side, was brown on the top half, & the bottom half looked like reddish brown & yellow swirl, which looked like a swirl of BBQ sauce & mustard! The seats being referred to as "brown" were actually the color of BBQ sauce. A reddish brown. In 6th grade, the seats were all silver! I felt bad because the elderly bus driver was always getting into accidents, & the kids would get hurt. 1 time, the bus fell into a ditch.
I was sick that morning (Friday, October 16, 1992 - shortly before the foster dad Al died), & the abusive, fake foster mom falsely accused me of "performing" & pretending to play like I was sick. I NEVER played sick! She forced me to go to school, anyway!
So I don't remember what happened in my class at school that day, but I heard that our 329 bus driver was sick, & we had to wait for hours for a substitute. 131 was the substitute. Bus 131 made a weird, extra wide turn & swooped in front of another bus by the bus loading area. I was assigned to sit in Seat 12. Me & Rudy Garcia. A fellow classmate. We rode all through Terrytown. It seemed like we were NEVER going to get home! I remember being so bored on the bus that I asked the bus driver if I could put up (close) all the windows.I think I was the last 1 to get dropped off. I remember hearing R&B songs, such as
https://youtu.be/jW2egyBK8Jw
"Baby I'm For Real" by After 7,
& also sicko R. Kelly's song, "Slow Dance"
https://youtu.be/DFJaQo1O0hs
I think I also remember Shai's song
https://youtu.be/caNRc1ER8p4
"If I Ever Fall In Love".
https://youtu.be/7py9ljHmgNo
Here's the acapella version. This is the 1 I heard.
I remember that when I FINALLY got home, the foster dad, Al, introduced me to Peanut Butter M&M's. He had a fundraiser box full of them, & I couldn't stop eating them.
Recently, I wanted a school girl nostalgic feeling, & I started looking up school bus models. I learned a few new things. My favorite bus model is the Thomas FS-65 Freightliner. Then, I started subscribing to a few school bus YouTube channels. I won't list the channels here, because I don't want the online gang stalkers to start spamming & harassing their videos & slandering me to them, like they do on TikTok. I had to block demonic trolls several times today.
I miss old school Thomas & Superior buses. I love Freightliner & International front. I don't like the modern day buses. I used to like Blue Bird buses with the International front. I love Thomas buses with either International or Freightliner fronts. I never did like Ward or Carpenter buses, but I miss the nostalgia of it all.
I'm also fascinated with transit buses. My favorite is the New Flyer CNG. I love the sound of the engine. I rode those in my hometown New Orleans & also Los Angeles. I love the long buses.
I wish I could write some more, but my brain feels tired. I may do a part 2. & if I do, I probably will keep it to myself.