Submission from an employee ( Not me, beleive it or not! )
Team Work......Is That Not what we are all about?

SAU 50 drivers are a team. (Portsmouth, Rye and Greenland)
SAU 21 drivers are a team.
SAU 14 drivers are a team. (Fremont)
SAU 17 drivers are a team. (Newton and Kingston)
PCA drivers are a team. (Portsmouth Christian Academy)

Seacoast Division 2508 is one big team! This big team is led by Tanya , Melissa with the big Cheese being MG!

Common respect for the other drivers out there doing the same job is just plain lacking! An added two seconds that it takes to slow down, throw those flashers on and let another driver out of an intersection, is that going to make anyone that much later? But it may really make the difference to that driver that may be stuck there for a really long time at some intersections!

Just like at the schools.... Some are very hard to get into and out of . Does it really take that much effort or time to help get these buses in and out of the schools? It seems that no matter how hard Melissa, Tanya and MG work at the line ups it is inevitable that buses get stuck behind each other. Why can not the drivers work together and pull over to let others by and/ or stagger so that another bus does not have to sit behind another when really there is no good reason? We all have the same problems with traffic and parents and other problems that arise on a daily basis (well more realistically every minute L), why are we not helping each other as much as we possibly can?

Simple requests are getting ignored or even worse they are turning into huge issues on the radio (i.e.... can you turn your reds off? Can you let me/us by ? )for everyone to listen to. To any of those who are tuned into our frequency we really must sound like idiots! A major part of our jobs are to be aware of our surroundings. Why are these requests being made in the first place? If a driver sees another trying to get by so they can get into their place in line, the automatic thing should be to shut down the reds. That driver that is coming by is gonna go slow and watch for kids anyways that is their job! In some schools like WHS it really is going to make the difference time wise for that driver if they cannot get into their loading area and load. But in the same respect, once you get into your spot make sure you get in and over with no reds on so that the buses behind you can still get around you if you are still loading when it is time to go.

Melissa, Tanya, and MG have so much they have to do every minute of every day do you really think it is their job to have to referee all the drivers on this type of shit? Yes, in certain circumstances and certain problems they need to be consulted as they have the final say, but we as drivers should be able to handle it, in most cases. We are all out their doing the same job. We are all adults and a BIG THANK YOU to those drivers that are doing their part. And a kick in the ARSE to those that are not! Please do your part for the team! Even if you do not get along with some drivers, this is your JOB...... this is NOT personal!

The Big Cathy Rice Mystery
Mood:  irritated
A small list of definitions:

Curious; adjective: eager to investigate and learn or learn more (sometimes about others' concerns)

Nosey; adjective: offensively curious or inquisitive

Prying; noun: offensive inquisitiveness
adjective: offensively curious or inquisitive

Snoopy; noun: a fictional beagle in a comic strip drawn by Charles Schulz
adjective: offensively curious or inquisitive

I am posting these definitions because there seems to be a need for some clarification.

Those of you who have nothing else better to do with your time than "wonder" why Cathy Rice is working in the office, I highly recommend that you walk your inquisitive arses up the flight of stairs and ask her yourself. There is no need for all of this gossiping, especially when it's none of your business to begin with. If you have a problem with these arrangements you have 2 choices:

1) Be a real woman, and confront the issues you may have with the person involved or...

2) Grow up, seek therapy for your gossip addiction and zip your trap.

If this is too much for ya, feel free to let me know about it... I'd be glad to pass along any suggestions or concerns you might have about the bright, sunshiny voice we hear on the 2 way every morning. However, if you do choose to go through me for information, you'd best be prepared to get your head chewed off.... Best if we just cut out the middle man and ask her yourself.

Sincerely,
Mair

Health and Fitness
I'm wondering if anyone would be interested in joining a weight watchers group. I'm doing some research into getting the organization to come to us every week, right at the bus company.

Also, what do you think about joining Synergy, in Exeter. That's another of my missions.

PLEASE let me know what you think about these things.

I have no prices yet. I'll keep you posted.

Welcome Back
Well, another summer gone. It certainly flew by. I don't know about you guys, but I am glad to get back. I miss the routine that driving the bus brings. It's not like any other job. We don't walk in every day and have the same experiences and do the same crap over and over. Every day is different. So, even though it is structured in time, we all know that with every day that passes, something interesting is going to happen. A new story to be told. I'm looking forward to another season of story telling.

New Food Joint!
Mood:  hungry
Hey, for any of you who are interested. My friends have opened up a new restaurant on Hampton Beach. It's the Jamaican Jerk Center. It's next to the Belle and Regis hotel, at 100 Ashworth Ave, between H & I Streets. Here's their menu Jamaican Jerk Center

They also have a location in Cape Neddick Maine which is exactly 1.5 miles north of Yorks Wild Kingdom, on Rte. 1

yum yum!

Pic's pic's and more pic's

Our Bus Baby (Derrick)

Avery and Dominique

Kiki

Just a couple pics
Our Cop
(what posture, huh?)

Our Holly
(with contained enthusiasm)

Our Mair.
Ha'aheo no paha 'oe i kena papale kupalaka, pehea la.

Walking on the catwalk today, we have Mair, in her sexy reflective gear...
Mood:  mischievious
Topic: New Policies
Apparently, the sound of the large, yellow, motorized, child carrying apparatus's reverse beeper and white lights, along with the horn beeping is not enough notification for people dwelling behind aforementioned large, yellow, motorized, child carrying apparatus to get out of the way. Because of this, we must now wear "reflective attire" and have someone "assist" us with parking our large, yellow, motorized, child carrying apparatus. I for one, have no desire to stand behind, next to, near, around or by any persons large, yellow, motorized, child carrying apparatus, whilst said vehicle is propelling in the reverse direction. Have you seen the route one fence? Right. Its not THERE anymore.

I don't really see how a cone is going to help matters either. If you have no depth perception to begin with, you aren't going to be able to judge the distance between your bus and a cone anymore than that poor, begrudged route one fence, or your "spotter" for that matter!


Like everything else in life, the masses must be punished for the stupid ones mistakes. It's not the office's fault. It's not the main headquarters fault. It's a humanity thang. It's the same reason why there's a tag on your hairdryer that politely informs you not to dry your hair while standing in a bathtub full of water. It's the same reason why you are urged to not stand in a puddle, and stick a fork in a toaster. As sure as I am that I will try and take a sip of my coffee, knowing that I have already finished it, and am disappointed by that little cold dribble that comes out- people are going to do stupid things. That's life folk's.


What I don't understand, as far as that poor fence goes, is that on the mirrors in which we view objects to the rear of our large, yellow, motorized, child carrying apparatus's, in small letters reads, "Objects may appear closer than they really are." So why on earth would you want to push that proverbial envelope and drive further than what you "think" you see in that mirror? -shrugs shoulders in bewilderment-


So, we have new policies. What's new? We've lived through many policy changes and have come out unscathed. I've yet to have to seek professional help because the placements of those damn pre-trip slips have moved 100 times in the last 6 months. The good news is, we have jobs. Pretty decent jobs at that. We drive a few hours, go home, drive a few hours more, and go home. I for one, don't know if I could handle the ole' 9-5er at this point of the game. And as far as the reflective attire, I say GO WITH IT! Take that attire to the next level folks!

The word of the day is...Accessorize! Yano those little earrings that blink, commonly found at Christmas time? Yeah, those. Hard hats with strobe lights? GO for it! Those annoying hand held air horns? WHY NOT! Anything to make yourself seen whilst making your way across that obviously dangerous parking lot. I'm actually thinking about acquiring me one of those "sticks" that people put near their mailboxes so the plows don't smash them during the winter, and using it as a walking stick. Spotters, you aren't discounted in this accessorizing trend... you too can have the latest in view-wear. We'll call it "Landing Gear" for namesake. Head across the street to the Airport and purchase yourself a couple of those "thingies" that they use to guide planes into the hangers. Why not?


When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

This article is the opinion of Mair, who gets diarrhea of the mouth at times. This article was printed without permission from the office or anyone else for that matter, as I tend to be a little bit rebellious. This does not reflect the opinion of, well, probably anyone else on the planet. Thanks for reading. Happy, safe driving!

Jamaica
Anyone interested in seeing our pictures from Jamaica can view them here...

Mair's Pics

and here...

Dragon's Pics

The Holiday Party 2004
Mood:  party time!
What can I say? How cool is it that a bunch of people who work in different divisions, with different points of view, that have different lifestyles or have different ideas and opinions can gather together under one roof, and do absolutely nothing but have a good time? Pretty freakin' cool I'd say.

Thanks to Holly (atleast as far as I'm concerned) for beating the DJ into submission and making him play some decent dance music- and dance we did. We had managers from near and far, rubbin' elbows with us grunts, and it was pretty cool to watch 'em let loose. (evidence photo's on the website) OH, and SAU50 people actually WON something! WAHOO! (we never win)

The only question I walked away from this bash with was, who the hell was the dancin' dude? We established that "he came with the bar." He sort of reminded me of (for you old folks) "The Unknown Comic," from "The Gong Show."

Well folks, any comments feel free to submit one. It'd be nice to see someone elses opinion on the subject.