A Dangerous Situation
Janet tried her best to remain calm and see the situation from every perspective. But this time, she couldn’t find the clarity to deal with the situation in a relaxed way.
Those children didn’t only put her life in danger. They endangered all the kids on the bus, and that was something she wasn’t going to stand for. One way or another, those bullies would learn their lesson.
Breaking Point
When Janet heard the truth, she was at her breaking point. She knew kids could be inconsiderate and cruel. But she never thought they would go that far.
They had never been easy to deal with, but this was crossing a line that should never have been crossed. When the lives of the children she looked after were threatened, she couldn’t just back down.
On The Job
Janet was always on the ball when it came to her job. In her opinion, every single child on her bus had to be safe, even when they were incredibly rowdy at times.
Because of that, she always took extra precautions. She drove slowly, even though it meant she had to leave early. And in her time as a driver, she never got into a single accident. But that nearly changed that day.
15 Years
Janet had been driving the school bus in Nashville for fifteen years. She loved the job, and she was incredibly dedicated to the kids on her bus.
But there were four of them that were determined to turn each of her days into a nightmare. And it was because of them that this incident occurred.
Same Old Problems
Annie, Roger, Tim, and Amy always had something up their sleeves. Whether it was a stink bomb or a water balloon filled with paint, there wasn’t a day when they didn’t do something to disrupt the trip.
Janet had gotten used to them and their antics over time. But the stunt they pulled next changed everything for the driver.
A Certain Group
The four of them were like a little gang. While at school, they would plan the trick they would pull the next day. And they came up with everything under the sun.
Janet thought she had seen everything they could bring to the table. But she was incredibly wrong. Those kids were very inventive, and they had something new every time.
No Breaks
There wasn’t a day in the last three years that was peaceful. They weren’t giving Janet a break at all. And it was starting to get on her nerves.
The kids were being funny, and she knew that. But there were a few times when they crossed the line. And this day was the last straw.
Daily Encounter
Janet had put up with a bus filled with perfume. She had a smelly bus for days after the stink bomb. She put up with the screaming and the spitballs.
She had dealt with the tantrums, and she rolled her eyes every time they pretended to be late for the bus. But this was crossing a line.
Early Morning
It was yet another early morning for Janet. She had gotten up early, and she was feeling great. She had no idea that her day was about to take a turn for the worst.
As far as she was concerned, it would be just another day and another silly park. If only she knew how wrong she truly was.
The Usual Route
Janet got her bus and drove her usual route. She picked up all the children along her route and dreaded the last stop. But she had no idea why she was feeling so bad about that stop.
As soon as she saw those four kids standing on the side of the road, she knew something was up. For the first time in three years, they were on time, and that had to mean something.
Same Four Kids
Amazingly, it was only those four kids who would cause problems. But because of that, Janet managed to pick up on some of their signature traits.
One of them being that they were never on time. But what made this day different was that Tim was holding a tray of snacks. Janet couldn’t help but wonder what was going on.
Something Different
The kids looked naughty. There was a mean streak in their eyes. Something Janet knew all too well, but she couldn’t figure out what exactly it was that they were up to.
When she found out, her entire view of the children and her job would change. And not in a good way. She had had enough.
Couldn’t Pin It
The kids walked into the bus, and Tim put one of the muffins he was carrying down on the dashboard. Janet found it strange as the kids had never been kind to her before.
But she thought they were just trying to make amends. If only she knew how wrong she truly was. That muffin was the key to everything.
Sudden Realization
Janet looked at the muffin as she pulled off, and suddenly, it hit her. There was something about that muffin. Something that played a part in their prank.
But what was it? Did they decide to put something like a laxative in there? Janet wouldn’t put something like that past them. But the truth was so much worse.
A Frantic Attempt
Janet heard the kids at the back of the bus getting into an argument. At first, she didn’t know what it was about, but the kid that was arguing with the four trouble causers quickly made things clear.
The little boy went on about how cruel they were for giving Janet a muffin that contained nuts, even though they were fully aware of the fact that she was allergic to nuts.
Pulling Over
As soon as Janet heard those words, she pulled the bus over. She was just about to take a bite of the muffin when the child started speaking. But luckily, he saved her from tragedy.
All the kids knew what would happen if Janet ingested nuts. They had seen it before when she accidentally had something that had nuts in it.
The Last Straw
That could only mean that the kids were doing this on purpose. They wanted her to go into anaphylactic shock. She couldn’t believe the cruelty of kids today.
They had no regard for human safety. She didn’t get along with them, but she would never do anything as severe as trying to create an allergic reaction in one of them. They would pay.
More Lives At Risk
And even though it wasn’t severe the last time they saw it, it didn’t mean that it wouldn’t be bad this time. But then she considered not just her safety. The kids in question were endangering more than just her.
They could’ve put the lives of all the children on the bus at risk. That was something that she couldn’t stand for.
A Verbal Altercation
Janet stormed to the back of the bus and confronted the children. At first, she was just trying to explain how dangerous their actions could’ve been. But their talk quickly turned into a heated argument.
It was clear they weren’t mature enough to speak to her properly about the safety concerns she had. She was nearing her limit.
Getting Upset
The more she spoke, the more upset Janet became. She could tell the children didn’t care, and that infuriated her. She had no idea how she could make them understand just how bad things could have gotten.
But when she tried talking to the children about the safety concerns, they wouldn’t care. She really needed them to understand.
Falling On Deaf Ears
All Janet was trying to do was explain that allergic reactions weren’t something that should be messed with. It wasn’t just a silly prank they could pull but rather a risk to everyone’s lives.
That they could have serious implications, especially if a school bus driver had to have a serious attack while driving. But the children’s reaction would only make her start to fume inside.
Finding It Funny
But the children didn’t care about what she had to say. They actually found the situation funny. They all giggled at the prospect of Janet having an allergic reaction to anything. This made her angry.
But as a bus driver, she didn’t have the power to discipline the kids the way school faculty did. She had to hatch a plan.
Enough Is Enough
At that point, Janet decided that enough was enough. She just couldn’t deal with the four children and their antics anymore. She was going to make sure they learned exactly what they did was wrong.
But she couldn’t use the same tactics she had previously used. Obviously confronted them head on wasn’t working.
It Wasn’t Over
Without saying another word, she returned to the driver's seat and made her way to the school. But it wasn’t over. Janet still had something to do. These children needed to be taught a lesson.
She thought about it long and hard while she drove the children to the school. It seemed a little drastic, but it was the only way to bring attention to the issue so the children could learn their lesson.
Immediate Resignation
As soon as Janet got to the school, she put in her resignation. There was no way she was going to keep putting up with those kids, especially not after what they did that day.
It wasn’t out of spite, she was just at her limit and wouldn’t be tortured by children who clearly didn’t care about her or any others. But her feelings were very bittersweet.
The Only Thing To Do
She would not be getting in her bus the next morning. And even though that hurt her, she knew it was the best way to proceed.
The alternative was getting back on the bus and having her life and all of the children’s lives endangered. She wouldn’t let that happen to anyone, even if it made her feel bad.
Reasoning
Janet walked straight to the headmaster’s office and headed straight in. The headmaster was prepping for the school day and was quite surprised to see her.
“Is there a problem with the bus, Janet?” He asked. But Janet was about to explain everything that had happened. But his reaction would be priceless.
Speechless
After explaining the reasons behind her quitting, the headmaster was speechless. She looked at the hastily scribbled piece of paper with her formal resignation.
She had written it on the bus after the kids hopped off. She was almost in tears as she had her informal meeting with the headmaster. She hoped something would happen because of it, at least.
Promises
The headmaster apologized to Janet and said he would formally do something about what had happened. She thanked him and walked out of the office. She looked at the children running to their classes and shed another tear.
She would miss everything that she enjoyed at school. The biggest thing was the children, who were well-behaved and kind. But this was only the beginning.
Not The End
Even though things ended from Janet’s side, they didn’t end from the school’s side. The school was furious about what happened to Janet, and they wanted to make amends from their side.
Another representative of the school gave Janet a call and asked her for a statement. She had already told the principal everything but agreed just so that something like this wouldn’t happen again.
Gone Too Far
They wanted the kids to know that they had gone too far. And they wanted their parents to know exactly how far they had gone. Only the children’s parents would strike fear into the hearts of the culprits.
They wanted the kids to know that they had gone too far. And they wanted their parents to know exactly how far they had gone. Only the children’s parents would strike fear into the hearts of the culprits.
Local Support
The school spread Janet’s story across the community, and the support came pouring in. But things didn’t end there either. It was just the beginning. Teachers and staff together spread the message.
But their support was so much more than anyone had initially realized. They were about to learn all about it.
Reaching Higher Places
Janet’s story was about to reach places the school never thought they would reach, and it was all thanks to one of the teachers.
One teacher in particular decided to do something that no one had expected. She had found and posted the actual video online. It would get a lot of attention from the internet.
Going Viral
The video went viral, garnering thousands of views and just as many shares. Janet became an internet sensation, but not too many people agreed with the way she handled the situation.
Others, however, were fully supportive of what she had done, and it was those people who helped her get back on her feet after she lost everything.
Opinions Everywhere
The internet had been whipped up into a frenzy all because of the video. Most people supported Janet and the torture she had to endure at the hands of the delinquent children.
But surprisingly, there were some people that didn’t agree with her. She had no idea if they were internet trolls or just entitled people who never had children.
Polarizing Opinions
Some comments were harsher than others. One user commented, “Come on, they are just children being children. In my day, they’d get disciplined privately with a belt at home.”
Janet couldn’t believe the insensitive comments that were underselling what had happened. This was the 21st century, and people needed to know the truth about what had happened.
Mostly Positive
Thankfully, the negative comments were a landslide of positive ones. Many people did believe that what Janet had gone through meant that she was in her right to quit.
Many people praised her for looking out for the kids by refusing to play a part in what might endanger them. But it wasn’t over yet, and people weren’t done.
Support Pours In
Because Janet was only two years from retirement, it wasn’t easy for her to keep up with all her bills since she had given up her job.
But with the help of netizens and the local community, she could do something she never thought she would. People weren’t done supporting her just yet, and they wanted to show her how to give back.
Giving Back
A lot of people online understood exactly what it felt like to struggle. It wasn’t even her fault that she had to give up her job. It was the fault of the children who had decided to endanger everyone and make her life miserable.
What those people had done for her was more than she ever could’ve imagined. They were ready to give back to her.
GoFundMe
The school created a GoFundMe page in which they told Janet’s story, and the support came pouring in. She never expected her old employers to go to these lengths to look after her even after she’d quit.
They managed to collect $38,000 for Janet, which meant she could retire much earlier than she expected.
Not The Only Help
But that wasn’t the only help Janet got. The community also did something that would ensure that her retirement could be fulfilling. They thought of a way that she wouldn’t just retire comfortably.
They wanted to set her up for life with a little business proposition. Janet had never expected this kind of kindness.
T-Shirt Galore
One of the community members started printing T-Shirts with slogans of what Janet had said on that day. They were selling them online, and a part of the profits went directly to Janet.
And those T-shirts went just as viral as the story did, with everyone wanting to play their part in helping the former bus driver.
Early Retirement
Janet took the opportunity to retire early. She used the money to buy herself and her husband a small home in Hawaii, where they plan on spending the rest of their lives.
In a sense, she does feel bad about what happened. But she also stands by what she said, and she would do it again if she had to.
What About The Kids?
As for the children, they didn’t get away scot-free. When they pulled their prank, they didn’t think about how severe the consequences would be. But they found out soon enough.
The school and their parents were very unhappy with their actions. And they would teach them to respect the people who tried to protect them.
Severe Punishment
The school suspended the children for a period of six months. They knew the punishment wasn’t as severe as it should’ve been, but they hoped the parents would take care of the rest.
And that was exactly what happened. Each child had a thorough lecture about allergies and endangering the lives of others. They were also grounded.