The Wheels on the Bus Don't Go Round and Round

"So," Jack asked me as I walked back in the door this morning, "do the wheels on the bus go round and round?"

He asks me that all the time. I don't always frown at him and sourly reply, "No."

Tina had just called. Her tone dripped with smarm as she called to ask me, "Did your bus break down?" "I don't know what you're talking about," I replied haughtily. She laughed, not fooled a bit. She knows very well that the other two routes are nowhere near mine.

Almost back into town, the bus suddenly quit as I was driving down the road. No punkity punkity, Just....gone. Things started beeping and flashing. Come on! This is only my second day!!!

The superintendent was only a few seconds away by radio, and he had already arrived with another bus by the time I had my reflective triangles deployed. (In case you don't know, that's really, really fast.) And poof, the kids were to school in plenty of time, despite the unforeseen circumstance.

It turned out to be out of gas. Now, let me be very clear. I checked everything. I double and triple checked some things, most especially including the fuel gauge. And my gauge read all the way full. I would testify to it in court, except...

When the superintendent returned the bus to me, filled and topped off, he pointed out that the "E" and "F" are in the opposite position from what most vehicles have. Once I looked at it, I suddenly wasn't quite as sure. With the needle right across the "E", it could very well have looked like an "F". The Malfunctioning Gauge Theory, tempting as it is, was probably incorrect. Ok, more than probably.

I now have my school-issued gas card. As Jack says, "Mr. H says don't be afraid to use it."

Sheepishly,

Noni Beth