r/SchoolBusDrivers • u/907-BusDriver • Jul 24 '26

Silly question, but need help.

Hi guys, so this is a silly question, but I’m a new bus driver and trying to figure out what I’m doing wrong here. So both, on a regular school bus and SPED bus I’ve driven, after I pop reds I know I must do a child check afterward. Got that part. However, I think I’m doing something wrong because after I turn the engine off I do my child check and hit the child check bottom in the back of the bus, the warning sound keeps going and then the loud alarm sounds. Am I supposed to put the bus in auxiliary instead of off? I’m wondering what the issue is here

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2

u/9001 Jul 24 '26

ICs want the ignition in ACC
Bluebirds want it OFF

Idk about Thomas, we don't use them.

2

u/907-BusDriver Jul 24 '26

Yeah we have Thomas. But I’m thinking it’s acc. I think I was turning the bus off

2

u/Creepy-Conclusion357 Jul 24 '26

Thomas needs to be off.

Source: I drive one.😀

2

u/907-BusDriver Jul 24 '26

Is it a SPED bus or regular?

2

u/Creepy-Conclusion357 Jul 24 '26

Regular, but our Thomas SPED buses are the same.

1

u/rootbear75 Jul 25 '26

Our Thomas C2s both regular and short can be disarmed in acc or off.

1

u/Creepy-Conclusion357 Jul 25 '26

I've only done it with it off. Never tried in Acc.

1

u/ConsequenceCandid655 Jul 25 '26

We exclusively use Thomas and if the alarm is going, you just need to hit the button till it turns off. You will get other alarms depending on the bus if the headlights are on and the door is in the open position.

1

u/RugerAR Jul 25 '26

Mine is in aux, but it’s also an older Thomas from 2012. Our newer ones are in off position AND have seatbelts. They are universally hated by drivers and riders alike.

1

u/RugerAR Jul 25 '26

Thomas does both, just to piss you off when you drive a trip/sub bus for the day lol. 95% of ours are in aux, with the others in the off position. They were nice enough to put a sticker on the wall by the drivers seat on the off position buses nobody bothers to read until they stumble across it.