Does anyone else get emotional about ‘municipal vehicles’?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read an interview with a newly arrived Syrian refugee back at the height of the crisis (or the height of the American media attention to the crisis.) He was saying it was hard to live in a new place, he missed his home and was scared for his people, BUT... in America, they have a special bus that only children are allowed to ride. It picks kids up for school every day, and brings them home afterwards! ALL children, not just rich ones. And it's painted a bright sunny yellow to make children happy. And he thought that was just the most miraculous thing, to live in a country that cares so much about its kids.

I tear up whenever I think about that interview.

School buses are indeed amazing. I found myself wondering during the pandemic whether today’s society would set that system up at all now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or am I a total weirdo?
Eg when I see an ambulance (which is often) - I always feel like - wow. It’s amazing as a society that we have this little vehicle that rushes to someone’s aid. Even snow ploughs there is something very stirring about.

These things don’t happen out of the kindness of governmental hearts - we pay out the ass for them. They damn well better be there for as much of our incomes gets confiscated for it.

Exactly. I guess romanticizing wage theft is a dcum specialty because of dcum demographics.

Do they know that the person in the ambulance probably won’t be covered for the ride and be put in debt for the ride? (Unless they are an illegal immigrant, of course.)

How about the reason they are in the ambulance? Carjacking by 3 fourteen year olds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read an interview with a newly arrived Syrian refugee back at the height of the crisis (or the height of the American media attention to the crisis.) He was saying it was hard to live in a new place, he missed his home and was scared for his people, BUT... in America, they have a special bus that only children are allowed to ride. It picks kids up for school every day, and brings them home afterwards! ALL children, not just rich ones. And it's painted a bright sunny yellow to make children happy. And he thought that was just the most miraculous thing, to live in a country that cares so much about its kids.

I tear up whenever I think about that interview.

School buses are indeed amazing. I found myself wondering during the pandemic whether today’s society would set that system up at all now.

There’s a huge school bus driver shortage. Nobody wants to drive a school bus because the kids are so “rowdy” and the pay is terrible.

The school bus driver shortage remains severe
Without job quality improvements, workers, children, and parents will suffer

and September, numerous media reports drew attention to school bus driver shortages across the country. The turbulence resulting from these shortages has at times been dramatic. In Louisville, Kentucky, school district leaders fumbled the rollout of an expensive new routing software intended to reduce the number of school bus drivers needed, leading to misplaced students and forcing the school district to halt classes for more than a week. Meanwhile, in New York City, the union contract for school bus drivers expired, with contentious negotiations resulting in a narrowly averted strike.


Bus drivers tend to be older and are paid dismal weekly wages

Although the worst health threats of the pandemic have abated, school bus drivers are still sharply impacted by the pandemic’s fallout. School bus drivers tend to be significantly older than the typical worker. In 2021, 72.6% of state and local government school bus drivers were age 50 and older, compared with 37.5% of state and local government employees and 30.8% of private-sector workers. The age makeup of the school bus driver workforce made these workers more vulnerable to the effects of COVID, contributing to workers leaving the profession and being reluctant to return. Since the return to in-person schooling, bus drivers also report increased confrontations with students and parents.

https://www.epi.org/blog/the-school-bus-driver-shortage-remains-severe-without-job-quality-improvements-workers-children-and-parents-will-suffer/

It’s a terrible job because of low pay and children bullying and attacking other kids and the driver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or am I a total weirdo?
Eg when I see an ambulance (which is often) - I always feel like - wow. It’s amazing as a society that we have this little vehicle that rushes to someone’s aid. Even snow ploughs there is something very stirring about.

These things don’t happen out of the kindness of governmental hearts - we pay out the ass for them. They damn well better be there for as much of our incomes gets confiscated for it.

Exactly. I guess romanticizing wage theft is a dcum specialty because of dcum demographics.

Do they know that the person in the ambulance probably won’t be covered for the ride and be put in debt for the ride? (Unless they are an illegal immigrant, of course.)

How about the reason they are in the ambulance? Carjacking by 3 fourteen year olds?

There's a new study that excessive optimism is associated with lower cognitive skills, such as verbal fluency, fluid reasoning, numerical reasoning, and memory. So you've got pessimism going for you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or am I a total weirdo?
Eg when I see an ambulance (which is often) - I always feel like - wow. It’s amazing as a society that we have this little vehicle that rushes to someone’s aid. Even snow ploughs there is something very stirring about.

These things don’t happen out of the kindness of governmental hearts - we pay out the ass for them. They damn well better be there for as much of our incomes gets confiscated for it.

Nobody said anything about kindness. A well-functioning society takes work and contributions from all members and is indeed something to marvel at and appreciate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a teacher, a nun, who always told us to say a prayer whenever we heard an ambulance siren for the person inside.

All during Catholic elementary school I had teachers who told us to do that. I think that is why I’m a little like OP in feeling a bit sad, at least for a moment, when I hear sirens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or am I a total weirdo?
Eg when I see an ambulance (which is often) - I always feel like - wow. It’s amazing as a society that we have this little vehicle that rushes to someone’s aid. Even snow ploughs there is something very stirring about.

These things don’t happen out of the kindness of governmental hearts - we pay out the ass for them. They damn well better be there for as much of our incomes gets confiscated for it.

Exactly. I guess romanticizing wage theft is a dcum specialty because of dcum demographics.

Do they know that the person in the ambulance probably won’t be covered for the ride and be put in debt for the ride? (Unless they are an illegal immigrant, of course.)

How about the reason they are in the ambulance? Carjacking by 3 fourteen year olds?

There's a new study that excessive optimism is associated with lower cognitive skills, such as verbal fluency, fluid reasoning, numerical reasoning, and memory. So you've got pessimism going for you!

I think this is something I always instinctively knew.

[Anonymous]

Op - I am in no way an optimist. BUT I think it’s pretty amazing when systems designed to help people do, in fact, help. Municipal vehicles are the most obvious manifestations of that - but there are many examples.

I was in a car crash aged 4 or 5 and it crushed my dad’s ribs (I was fine). An ambulance came and while they were working to extract him, one of the medics strapped my toy bunny to the gurney and gave it heart massage to distract me.

Cute sh*t like that, times when you see evidence that there are systems and people in place to try to make things better, is what reminds us (to the rubbernecking posters point) that we are all human and more than just the result of tax dollars

[Anonymous]

*they are more than just the result of tax dollars

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't say I get "emotional" about them, but I do notice and appreciate them. Since I've been working from home, I see the trash and recycling trucks each week. It always amazes me a little that no matter what I put out (within reason)--mattresses, yard waste, empty paint cans--they just pick it up and carry it away. Yes, I pay for it in taxes, but it's totally worth it to me. I grew up in a rural area and I remember my dad burning everyday trash and making frequent trips to the dump 20 miles away to get rid of big stuff. Municipal services are great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a teacher, a nun, who always told us to say a prayer whenever we heard an ambulance siren for the person inside.

Our nuns told us the same thing at our Catholics School. So, I still do pray sometimes for the person inside. Or, if I am walking, I will stop for a second and reflect.

OPS I feel the same way about flying. It is amazing we can go to another state/country in a big metal bird.

[Anonymous]

I always think a little prayer when I see an ambulance rushing through traffic. Once I was that person in the ambulance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read an interview with a newly arrived Syrian refugee back at the height of the crisis (or the height of the American media attention to the crisis.) He was saying it was hard to live in a new place, he missed his home and was scared for his people, BUT... in America, they have a special bus that only children are allowed to ride. It picks kids up for school every day, and brings them home afterwards! ALL children, not just rich ones. And it's painted a bright sunny yellow to make children happy. And he thought that was just the most miraculous thing, to live in a country that cares so much about its kids.

I tear up whenever I think about that interview.

Yes! I'm a foreigner, and while some rural parts of my country have school buses, they're not painted a special color. Here the color and shape is iconic. It's such a great idea!

[Anonymous]

I can’t necessarily relate to this particular thing, but I can relate to the feelings you’re explaining - and I think I’d like you a lot in real life

[Anonymous]

As a man, the only thing comes to my mind is get ahead of them so i don't get stuck behind. You ladies are odd.