Yesterday afternoon I had a major scare that shocked the shit out of me. My maid had gone to the lobby to wait for the transporter to drop Alycia off. Then I received a call on my cell phone from the van driver. In a panicky tone, she told me that she’s already at the lobby of our condo but Alycia wasn’t in the van!!! She told me that she had called out all the names of the kids in the van and the kids said Alycia was in the van but she WAS NOT IN!! I asked the driver to quickly go back to school to look for Alycia. How can this happen??? How can the driver be so negligent? I have left my precious daughter in her hands and pay her RM180 a month. How how could she have left my precious daughter behind? What if something bad happens to my daughter? Can she return my baby to me? Though she’s in Primary 2, she’s only 7yo being a December child, still almost a toddler. My mind as usual fast forwarded to the worst case scenario – would she be kidnapped or was she kidnapped? Would she walk out of school to look for the driver? OMG, I was panick-stricken. My mil too. Quickly called my hubs who was busy at work. Our close friend who was in our house at the time offered to bring my mil to school right away to look for Alycia. The next 20 minutes felt like a standstill. Why didn’t the driver call me back? She told me that she had asked a school teacher to look for Alycia but why hadn’t she call back? I called the driver umpteen times to check on the status. Finally, my hubs called me. He had found Alycia. The driver also called me. The teacher had found Alycia. All 3 cars sped off to school in search of Alycia. There was a near-miss kidnap case of a primary school girl in that school last year.
About 40 minutes later after the first call that every mother would dread receiving, Alycia was finally home. According to her, the class teacher had asked some of the students to stay behind to complete some work, thus Alycia came out late. But Alycia appeared unfazed and told me she wasn’t scared a wee bit when she could not see Aunty J, the van driver. I’m not sure if she was telling the truth. She was a tad teary eyed when I asked her why the teacher asked her to stay behind to complete her work. It could be she made a mistake and had to do correction or did not complete some work that the teacher had asked her to do.
I gave the driver a piece of my mind. Told her the things she should have done to ensure that all the kids are in the van and not just call out names and assume that the kid is in. What if the other kids tried to pull the van driver’s leg and answered YES on behalf of Alycia? The driver apologized profusely.
After the incident, I have been drumming non-stop into Alycia’s head the list of things that she should do if this happens again. Now, maybe I should also speak to the teacher and tell her not to make the kids stay behind to complete work, especially if the kid has a transporter waiting for him/her.
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i think the teacher is to be blamed too, making kids stay behind and that’ll stall up the whole van, the other kids would have to wait too, in yr case, a careless and assuming van driver just went off.
thank god she’s safe but let this be a reminder to us, to prep our kids on what to do should they miss the school bus.
Oh can understand your feeling during that time. Luckily everything is fine now. A big lesson to the transporter and teacher too. Yes agreed that you should voice out to her teacher, never ever like this incident happen again.
I would have been really panic too if i were you. thank goodness she came back safe and sound. this reminds me to prepare hq should this happen to him when he starts school next year.
I guess what you have done on Alycia and driver are right, it is also right to inform the teacher on your kid logistic arrangement. I read your post on your FB wall yesterday, thank goodness she is safe and sound now.
Both teacher and driver are to be blamed. They are responsible to you and for your kid. Hopefully no more such incidents happen again. Really scary. I am a mother too, and my feeling goes to you.
Why on earth the teacher must hold back her pupils knowing very well that the parents/grandparents are waiting if not transporters and then the transporter did not even bother to do head count before going off? *shake head* Thank god your girl is safe.
really very irresponsible of the driver. i have seen some transporters at ashley’s school and unfortunately, i don’t feel safe leaving my kid with them. all they want to do is to hurry up and send the kids home. i’m glad aly is ok.
while the driver shd be held responsible, the teacher shd not have held back the students knowing that either parents/transporter r waiting to pick them up.
must have a word with teacher too.
scary indeed, luckily she’s back!
Oh gosh..lucky she is back home safely…
Oh my God!!! I also see kids just dashing from their buses to cross the road without the transporter even helping them to cross the road when I send Abilash to school.
this is so scary, i always tell my son, if the van driver is not there, please seek help from teacher to call me on mobile. luckily she was fine. thank god.
teacher to be partly at fault but the van driver, being a transporter have huge responsibilities. if the kid is in or not, she should see for herself, maybe have a checklist board with names of kids, and teacher’s numbers. i’d worried shit myself if this happen too… thank God that all is well.
I’m sure everyone learned a lesson from this episode. Importantly she’s fine now and not traumatized. She is so pretty. Really have to watch out for her. Gosh.. My heart stopped a beat when I read your FB comment.
gosh..it is indeed veryyyy scary. I know how you feel.
I agree with what most ppl have said here. Do NOT let this just slide away. I would follow up with a meeting with the school principal, and document in writing or put into an email. Then, as well, an email or written note to the teacher with a “cc” to the principal, and as well the same to the transporter or the company she works for. Remember to stay calm and get them to recognize their mistakes. Do NOT ever let them blame the kid! I’d shame them endlessly if they, as adults, think they can deflect the blame and not accept they made mistakes. And to cap it off, and to make u look good, say you have to get to the bottom of this near-disaster as u do not want the same to happen to another child/ family. They cannot fault u that way!
I think all Mothers will have to go thru this experience at least once and yes, it is very nerve wrecking… I too had a similar experience and yes, by god, I wanted to die when I got the call from the driver. How I panicked! Really no fun..
That is indeed a scary experience. I know exactly how you feel!
Thank goodness all is well now!
I supposed that is why kids at 7 need a cellphone!
yeah must go sound the teacher not to do it again. That aunty driver also very careless. must do head count by herself before leaves the school ma. Thank God Alycia is fine.