Saturday, March 14, 2009

CANCELLED

Well, we are still in town.  We didn't have the chance to leave for our weekend trip last night.
Why?  Well, first let me find Masked Lash....she is writing a letter to the school to complain about the lack of planning.  It is not a good thing to lack planning when traveling with 40 kids through dangerous parts of our city.

The children were supposed to arrive around 3:30 in the afternoon.  Of course, we can allow some time for traffic and what not, but what really happened?
The bus broke down.  Now, the first response that the bus company would be around with another bus in about 15 minutes.  

Ballerina Girl was ok with this, though she doubted it highly remembering what country she woke up in today. (yes, this is Lash talking and trying to calm down BG...)
She thought that seemed fishy, but the LS Principal assured her that the bus company was close and working on getting that extra bus. 
 
2 HOURS LATER, the children were still sitting there, in one of the MANY dangerous sections of our city.  They lucked out for two reasons:
1. there were many "high-profile" Brasilian children on this trip, which meant that one very prominent family had their security guards following behind the bus.
2. there is a family whose relative owns another bus company and was able to bail them out.

The children would have not gotten another bus from the original company because they DIDN'T HAVE another bus.  Here is where the school's lack of planning comes in.  So, what was their plan if this bus would have been farther from town?  The camp was 5 hours away, going through many small towns and mostly mountains....no bus companies around there usually.  What would they have done?  Why were there not immediate remedies being sought when the original bus company never showed up?  

The bus had to be towed off the road, with the children on it...VERY dangerous, but then again, they couldn't get off the bus because that was EVEN MORE dangerous.

Listen, I must go and clam down BG...she is still furious about this.  If some sort of longer window would have been given to her originally she could have picked up her son herself and gone on to have their weekend away.  
On  side note, just because she might not get around here until later, her son was great, had a wonderful time and is telling her stories nonstop about his week away.  and she feels really good because in his little journal he wrote how he missed her and was happy to come home and see her!  Though in person, he stated how he had a great time AWAY!!
She knows that is the most important thing here...but she is still fuming at the school!
ML



15 comments:

mythopolis said...

Glad you were there, Lash, to keep BG calmed down....Yes, very poor planning on someone's part!! I hope other parents will express their concern to the school as well....glad to hear, on the other hand that the camp was a good experience for the kids!

mythopolis said...

By the way, when I looked at my blog list to see what recent posts had come up on other sites, and yours said CANCELLED, I thought, oh no, BG has terminated her blog! Thankfully, that was not the case.

Stephanie said...

UGH! I would have been FURIOUS! Glad everything was okay though and your little one had a good time!

Brenda said...

I know how those things work in other countries. When my son went on trips with his school in Peru, I was always biting my nails!

Scriber's Web said...

Oh no! These things are too stressful for parents. But I bet your son thought it was an adventure.

How cute about your son missing you and writing in his journal.

Take care!

larkswing said...

Oh goodness! That does not sound well planned at all! Glad he had a good time though!

Smiles!

Gabriela said...

Hmmmm, can't wait to hear this story in person. Grrrrr!

FancyHorse said...

Oh, my! How scary! I'm glad everything worked out ok, but terrifying for two hours! Way too long!

I'm glad your son had a good time at his camp, too. And, I'm glad he's home!

word verification game
tersi: When Italians give a short, one-syllable answer (doesn't happen often, I don't think)

BLOGitse said...

argh! that sounds so Egypt!
Here too many broken buses, cars jam the roads and chaos is everywhere!

I wouldn't live in peace here with kids. Roads are dangerous!

I'm happy your son had a great experience 'away'.

I send you lots of strength of mind and will!

Cloudy said...

There is a nice Blog on the otherside from the world.
So long an have a nice day
Kvelli

Mojo said...

I can't say I blame BG for being furious. That's not just poor planning, that's flatly irresponsible.

marina said...

how scary I am with you BG I would be mad !! that was very poor planining but I am gald everything work out and all is well with the kids, marina

lizzy-loo said...

how unfortunate. a few things that i questioned while there often got the response of "that has never happened" wouldn't it be great if all contingencies were planned for? we cannot rely on best case scenarios.

Unknown said...

Uh, I totally relate to the fuming part.
Crazy, crazy people!
I'm glad all went "well" in the end!

cat said...

Oh gosh, I would have been furious. Can just as well happen here in South Africa where it is just as dangerous.