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When is enough

Posted by Enough? on 9/10/2024, 3:06 pm

Coming back from an out of town game last week, I was not safe to drive. I became really drowsy, we won a great game, and the last 35-40 miles, I was fighting to concentrate on what I was doing. At 62 years of age, when do I say I just can't drive after 10:00-10:30 for safety reasons - the safety of my students and my own personal safety?

Re: When is enough

Posted by sad on 9/12/2024, 12:08 pm, in reply to "When is enough"

Sad to say, depending on your district size they may not care. I know my most recent district was trying to force me despite having a medical exemption to driving a bus. I made a decision that that would be my last year there. I am MUCH happier for it.

Re: When is enough

Posted by Hmmmm..... on 9/12/2024, 3:43 pm, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

...I'd like to hear their logic in thinking that if the state has DQ'd you from getting a CDL how the state is then going to turn around and give you one anyway.

Re: When is enough

Posted by Exercise on 9/12/2024, 11:09 am, in reply to "When is enough"

Another reminder to why I left teaching and will never return.

Re: When is enough

Posted by Pretzel Guy on 9/11/2024, 12:14 pm, in reply to "When is enough"

Please note that (according to my Chat GPT query), counting your teaching hours, you are exceeding the legal limit of driving hours (10 hour rule).

Re: When is enough

Posted by Beagle on 9/11/2024, 7:46 pm, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

Please note that literally no one enforces this, since you're not driving for ten hours.

Re: When is enough

Posted by Texas on 9/12/2024, 5:34 pm, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

Correcting this statement to ‘no one in Texas watches this.’ My home state definitely does. More importantly the NTSB does too. Just cause Texas has a culture of not caring, doesn’t make it right. The federal law is on duty, which means time at school teaching is not considered off duty in that situation. I know no one in Texas cares, but motor vehicle is also the only time you are not able to apply tort law in Texas.

OP should be able to claim a medical exemption at that age. Just get a doctor to sign it. They can’t fire you legally at that point for that since it would be discrimination. Make sure you’re a member of tcta or something. Depending on the district they won’t let this go lightly.

Re: When is enough

Posted by Hobson on 9/11/2024, 11:45 am, in reply to "When is enough"

This happened to me years back when I was still driving a bus. I didn't remember the last thirty miles I drove. I went to my superintendent the next Monday. I told him what my concern was. I never drove a bus to a game after that. I did drive the truck pulling the band trailer, but not a bus.

Re: When is enough

Posted by IMO on 9/11/2024, 7:41 am, in reply to "When is enough"

No band director should ever have to drive their own kids. No football coach should ever have to drive their own kids.

We work an 8-10 hour day, drive sometimes more than an hour to the game, work another 2-3 hours, then have to drive back after a 12 hour workday. It's never safe. It's never been safe, and it's laziness and penny-pinching for districts to require it.

CDL holders aren't allowed to drive 10-12 hours a day. Why should we be required to drive after working that long?

Re: When is enough

Posted by agree on 9/27/2024, 11:03 am, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

Yes, and you'll hear the lame argument of, "we can't find enough drivers" which actually means, "we pay our drivers dirt pay and therefore, they keep quitting or no one wants to work for the menial pay that we offer."

Re: When is enough

Posted by YoungBlood on 9/11/2024, 2:19 pm, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

who in the world is driving an hour and under to a football game?

The way UIL is making these football regions I haven't driven less than 3 in years. Are regular people driving an Hour?

Who could I even talk to about this?

Re: When is enough

Posted by City on 9/18/2024, 4:11 pm, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

Large, urban districts that have multiple high schools using a shared stadium.

Re: When is enough

Posted by Pretzel Guy on 9/12/2024, 10:38 am, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

There are schools in the Texas Metroplex that are doing an hour or so regularly. You may find on of them. My district doesn't make us drive, but there are many others around that do.

Re: When is enough

Posted by Mr. Dude on 9/12/2024, 2:28 pm, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

I think you missed the hour and UNDER part, he was shocked people had games close by, as am I…we have one district team under an hour (45 minutes), the rest of our district is 2+ hours. Every playoff game is 1.5 hours to 3 hours (we went to state semi finals…that game was the closest of the 5 playoff games)

Re: When is enough

Posted by Inner-City BD II on 9/12/2024, 1:34 pm, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

Agreed.

In my 10+ years in the inner city, the longest road trip I ever had to drive with my bad was 45 minutes.

Re: When is enough

Posted by Well... on 9/12/2024, 7:09 am, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

We're in West Central Texas. We have a couple of games, both district and non-district, that are just under 45 minute drives. Our longest road trip will be tomorrow at 1:55. We won't go over that unless we qualify for State Marching Contest.

I don't have to drive, fortunately. In interviews if I'm asked if I would get a CDL, I always say "no" for two reasons:

1. I can drive, or I can watch the kids. I can't do both at the same time.

and

2. I am an epileptic, which disqualifies me medically in any case from a CDL (I can and do hold a regular license).

In fact, when a school calls me for an interview, I'm up front about the epilepsy right away. If the school balks, then it saves all of us the time and trouble of an interview.

Re: When is enough

Posted by Big Shot Bob on 9/10/2024, 5:35 pm, in reply to "When is enough"

Simple answer. Now is the time to say it! It’s not worth the risk. Period.

Re: When is enough

Posted by amazing on 9/11/2024, 12:27 pm, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

It's amazing how we worry about SAFETY and still allow people to drive buses after getting up early, working, doing a game, and coming back home.

Re: When is enough

Posted by Enough? on 9/11/2024, 11:30 am, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

School's solution is for one of the coaches to drive, to the game, and me drive it back....

Re: When is enough

Posted by Okay... on 9/12/2024, 6:56 am, in reply to "Re: When is enough"

Remind them that if there's an accident that it isn't the school that loses their license, and their job (if a CDL is a job requirement, and you no longer have one, then in the school's eyes you can't fulfill the contract...same with the coaches).

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