A good morning’ and a smile
Celebrating Bus Driver Appreciation Week, Feb. 8-12
When students board CMS Bus 169
every morning, they’re guaranteed to get
two things from their bus driver: A “good
morning” and a smile.
At the wheel is Richard Robinson, a
27-year-veteran bus driver. He started
driving a Union County bus when he was a
high school student at Sun Valley High. He
is one of 13 children and needed the extra
money. He was a student-athlete and the
job worked with his track schedule.
“Things were a little bit different back
then,” he recalled. “I drove an old fivespeed Chevy with holes in the floor where
you could see the road below you.”
In 1989, he followed his Aunt Betty’s
advice and started driving again. Since
then, he’s driven routes throughout the
district. His routes have varied from
Huntersville to Steele Creek.
“I consider myself a member of the
million-mile club,” said Robinson, who now
drives for the East Butler district.
Robinson prides himself on
volunteering for assignments in routes
that require extra expertise. He’s driven
many exceptional children and often drives
for some of the district’s lowest income
schools.
About 10 years into his driving career,
Robinson was seriously considering moving
on to a driving job for UPS. He was helping
one of his special-needs students off the
bus and the student cried when saying goodbye.
“He asked me if I could be his daddy,” said Robinson. “And it was then
that I realized, I had the opportunity to be a role model for these kids. It
really is a higher calling and it’s what I am meant to do.”
His bus is another source of pride for Robinson. He spends time every
day cleaning his bus. The tires shine and the mirrors are always clear. His
students are allowed to snack on the bus, but know that any leftover paper
would lead to a food ban for the rest of the school year.
“The rules are very clear about what’s expected on our bus,” said
Robinson. “I set an example to take good care of the bus and the students
understand and respect that.”
Robinson often mentors new bus drivers and encourages them to