[marden]

Washington Bus Driver Fired for Giving President the Bird

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — A school bus driver who was fired for "flipping off" President George W. Bush is trying to get her job back.

The 43-year-old has filed a union grievance against the district, claiming wrongful termination.

U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert said the obscene gesture occurred as he was traveling in the president's limo in June on the way to a fundraiser in Medina.

At a freeway ramp the limo passed several Issaquah school buses. The students waved to the president and Bush waved back. Bush was having a good time until he saw the driver, Reichert said. Bush turned to Reichert and said the driver had flipped him off.

Reichert later called the school district and the driver was fired in September. A spokeswoman, Sara Niegowski, said the gesture was "not at all appropriate modeling for students on the bus."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,226769,00.html

Actually, if my kids bus driver started swearing or was flipping people off, I would demand they be fired too. I think that is really the bigger issue here, I am sure the president has been flipped off plenty of times. http://coolaqua.blogs.com/coolaqua/2...eichert_h.html

That's how I feel, too. This is a matter of respect and proper behavior. When you see a breakdown in societal mores you have to look at what influences the young people. For them to see their bus driver (or any adult) doing this is not teaching them the right way to behave as citizens or as professionals.

Quite unprofessional and if possible I'd have sent her ass to jail for a few days to think about her actions.

She got off lucky.

[villalobos]

Quite unprofessional and if possible I'd have sent her ass to jail for a few days to think about her actions.

Sending her in jail for what?

[Spliffdaddy]

Being a leftwing peacenik terrorist sympathizer, for starters.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Spliffdaddy 

Being a leftwing peacenik terrorist sympathizer, for starters.

For starters!

Then with using obscenities in front of children.

[Atheist]

Originally Posted by marden 

That's how I feel, too. This is a matter of respect and proper behavior. When you see a breakdown in societal mores you have to look at what influences the young people. For them to see their bus driver (or any adult) doing this is not teaching them the right way to behave as citizens or as professionals.

Quite unprofessional and if possible I'd have sent her ass to jail for a few days to think about her actions.

She got off lucky.

Umm... we are talking about the United States... not North Korea... right?

[hyteckit]

I heard this Mark Folley guy who send teenage pages sexually explicit messages was quite a swell guy. Reason why the Republicans didn't fire him. If Folley had flip these teenagers off, he would've been fired.

[mitchell_pgh]

IMHO, we need to remove President Bush from the equation.

Is is OK for ANY bus driver to flip another person off in the presence of children? No.

IMHO, the driver should have been reprimanded (unless she has a history of causing problems).

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

I love it when lefty-loons pretend they can do anything, then whine when busted and pretend it wasn't what they did, but their political beliefs. So typical.

It's clear, she should have been fired for flipping ANYONE off, especially in front of kids, and got exactly what she deserved. She can shove her political bias where the sun doesn't shine, because despite pretenses from those that typically use this tactic, it's got nothing to do with anything.

[hyteckit]

Funny, the bus driver is a Republican.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Atheist 

Umm... we are talking about the United States... not North Korea... right?

In the matter of America's values going down the drain we might as well be NOKO. I applaud those who will hold the line against a slow, destructive erosion.

Anyone who can't see that is like they are on a leaf floating down the rapids. They think everything is going swimmingly and with the flow. But what they don't understand is that there is very rough water ahead and it's time that the drift be stopped before it's too late.

[marden]

Originally Posted by hyteckit 

I heard this Mark Folley guy who send teenage pages sexually explicit messages was quite a swell guy. Reason why the Republicans didn't fire him. If Folley had flip these teenagers off, he would've been fired.

No one is defending Foley. He has been denounced. He left Washington in shame. If he'd been a Democrat he'd still be serving his term.

Like Studds did.

[hyteckit]

marden,

When talking about Folley, you marden said

But as a Christian if he asks for forgiveness we should not ignore what the Bible teaches.

Hmm... you seem to have forgotten it so quickly. You want to throw her in jail for flipping the finger in front of kids? My my. What a Christian you are. What happen to forgiveness?

[marden]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE 

I love it when lefty-loons pretend they can do anything, then whine when busted and pretend it wasn't what they did, but their political beliefs. So typical.

It's clear, she should have been fired for flipping ANYONE off, especially in front of kids, and got exactly what she deserved. She can shove her political bias where the sun doesn't shine, because despite pretenses from those that typically use this tactic, it's got nothing to do with anything.

YES!!!!!

[marden]

Originally Posted by hyteckit 

marden,

When talking about Folley, you marden said



Hmm... you seem to have forgotten it so quickly. You want to throw her in jail for flipping the finger in front of kids? My my. What a Christian you are. What happen to forgiveness?

She can be forgiven, too! But give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and give unto God what is God's.

After she does time, forgive her.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE 

It's clear, she should have been fired for flipping ANYONE off, especially in front of kids, and got exactly what she deserved. She can shove her political bias where the sun doesn't shine, because despite pretenses from those that typically use this tactic, it's got nothing to do with anything.

I don't think you've been on a school bus in a while.

(They were talking about it on the radio this morning, and they agreed it would have been better if they got the whole bus to give Bush the finger.)

(Also Reichert is a moron.)

[- - e r i k - -]

Oh noes! The middle finger is dirty!!! Ah! Avert your eyes!!!

[houstonmacbro]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE 

I love it when lefty-loons pretend they can do anything, then whine when busted and pretend it wasn't what they did, but their political beliefs. So typical.

It's clear, she should have been fired for flipping ANYONE off, especially in front of kids, and got exactly what she deserved. She can shove her political bias where the sun doesn't shine, because despite pretenses from those that typically use this tactic, it's got nothing to do with anything.

lefty-loons? wow ... no wonder this country is breaking down.

there is so much patisan behavior that we all seem to forget that we are ALL americans. i am not sure she should have been fired for giving the bird, but i do know that this whole left/right thing is breaking us down as a nation.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Originally Posted by goMac 

I don't think you've been on a school bus in a while.

And you ride one every day, I'm sure. Good for you.

(Also Reichert is a moron.)

And yet he's not the moron who got himself fired and then expected his political views -that no one gives a crap about- to shield him from the consequences of his own moronic actions.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Originally Posted by houstonmacbro 

lefty-loons? wow ... no wonder this country is breaking down.

The country is doing no such thing, and certainly not because some leftists are utter lunatics.

[houstonmacbro]

it's right before our eyes.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE 

And yet he's not the moron who got himself fired and then expected his political views -that no one gives a crap about- to shield him from the consequences of his own moronic actions.

I don't think you're referring to who I'm referring to. I suggest a command+f Reichert.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Those are your eyelids.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Originally Posted by goMac 

I don't think you're referring to who I'm referring to. I suggest a command+f Reichert.

Whatever. Is there another U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert that has any relevance in this?

[goMac]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE 

Whatever. Is there another U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert that has any relevance in this?

Oh sorry. I misread as you thought he was the moron... etc etc...

: lays on ground and waves a white flag :

[houstonmacbro]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE 

Those are your eyelids.

cute.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Originally Posted by goMac 

Oh sorry. I misread as you thought he was the moron... etc etc...

: lays on ground and waves a white flag :

He may be a moron too, I have no idea. That he's a politician indicates a strong probability of it. But that would make it even more idiotic- to just hand another moron a reason to have you fired on a silver platter. Only an über moron does that.

[moodymonster]

wanting to send someone to jail to protect US values because they flipped the bird - and people say Americans don't get irony.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by moodymonster 

wanting to send someone to jail to protect US values because they flipped the bird - and people say Americans don't get irony.

[marden]

Originally Posted by moodymonster 

wanting to send someone to jail to protect US values because they flipped the bird - and people say Americans don't get irony.

They say you can't legislate morality. But you can teach people people there are just certain things you shouldn't do.

The bitch can flip off the prison matron if she wants to express her values to someone.

[marden]

Oh! Look what I just found!

November 01, 2006

District says driver did more than flip the bird to Bush

Posted by David Postman at 04:23 PM

In its profile of Congressman Dave Reichert this week, the King County Journal reported an Issaquah School District bus driver was fired after Reichert saw her giving the finger to George W. Bush as the presidential motorcade drove by.

The president turned to Reichert and said the bus driver had flipped him off.

Later, Reichert called the school district. After an investigation, the 43-year-old bus driver was fired in early September. She filed a union grievance earlier this month against the district, claiming wrongful termination.

The anecdote was widely reported and commented on in recent days, leading the Issaquah district to release a statement today saying it was not the only incident the driver had been involved in. The statement said:

The Issaquah School District terminated a bus driver for misconduct after she made an obscene gesture in front of students on June 16.
"This incident has to do with the responsibility of an employee who is supervising students to act professionally and serve as a role model for appropriate behavior," Superintendent Janet Barry said.

After leaving the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, the bus driver waited with a busload of middle school students on an onramp closed for the Presidential motorcade. The bus driver made an obscene gesture in the direction of the President's car when it passed by.

...

"This was part of a pattern of behavior with this particular bus driver, not an isolated incident," Barry said.

Following the incident, Congressman Dave Reichert called Barry and told her that he and the President had seen the gesture. Barry said she personally knows Reichert from his days serving as King County Sheriff when they discussed school resource officers. Reichert called as a courtesy, Barry said.

"He never discussed his view or suggested what action he thought would be appropriate to take," Barry said. "He reported the incident believing -- rightly -- that I would want to know this occurred, that as a steward of children and public resources, one of my employees had acted inappropriately in her job capacity."

Barry reiterated that the decision to terminate the employee was not motivated by any political reason.

"If the bus driver had made the gesture to a driver who cut her off on a local road, we would have taken the same action," Barry said.

The Seattle Times: Postman on Politics

AMEN!

[PER3]

"If the bus driver had made the gesture to a driver who cut her off on a local road, we would have taken the same action," Barry said.

Wonderful. One mistake and you're fired.

Are there no warnings or reprimands before dismissal?

Even in Putin's Russia (or many other countries), you would need three written warnings before firing a public servant.

If the report is as it seems, all I can think is—barbaric treatment.

[marden]

Originally Posted by PER3 

"If the bus driver had made the gesture to a driver who cut her off on a local road, we would have taken the same action," Barry said.

Wonderful. One mistake and you're fired.

Are there no warnings or reprimands before dismissal?

Even in Putin's Russia (or many other countries), you would need three written warnings before firing a public servant.

If the report is as it seems, all I can think is—barbaric treatment.

No one under the age of 40 can have a say in this matter. They have no sense of the way things used to be and so they will be unable to see the harm in what this woman did and what a terrible message it sends to impressionable youth.

[Dakar²]

Originally Posted by marden 

No one under the age of 40 can have a say in this matter.

It would've been quicker just to type "Ignore the following statement"

[marden]

Originally Posted by Dakar² 

It would've been quicker just to type "Ignore the following statement"

Ignore the preceding post.

[Rumor]

Should she have done it in front of the children: No

Should she have been reprimanded: Yes

Should she have been fired: No (unless there was a history of trouble)

Nice thing about this country is that you can flip off the President without going to jail. Giving the beloved GW the bird is not, nor should ever be, a jailable(sp?) offense.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Ohhh the feigned outrage!

Today, I wholeheartedly encourage any of you phony outraged to walk into whatever slog you call a job, and flip off a client or passerby, in front of your boss.

Get back to us for the pity party about how you think you were treated like a political prisoner in Stalin's Russia! Whine all about how it was 'just a bird' and that no one ever gets upset at someone flipping them off, and how employers encourage them. Whatever happens, it'll all be Bush's fault, I'm sure!

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE 

Ohhh the feigned outrage!

Today, I wholeheartedly encourage any of you phony outraged to walk into whatever slog you call a job, and flip off a client or passerby, in front of your boss.

Get back to us for the pity party about how you think you were treated like a political prisoner in Stalin's Russia! Whine all about how it was 'just a bird' and that no one ever gets upset at someone flipping them off, and how employers encourage them. Whatever happens, it'll all be Bush's fault, I'm sure!

When I bounce at the club, flipping the bird is the least of the concerns of the patron I'm focused on.

In my "real" job, it would be a different story. I wouldn't be fired, but would I be in trouble!

[TheWOAT]

Originally Posted by PER3 

"If the bus driver had made the gesture to a driver who cut her off on a local road, we would have taken the same action," Barry said.

Wonderful. One mistake and you're fired.

Are there no warnings or reprimands before dismissal?

Even in Putin's Russia (or many other countries), you would need three written warnings before firing a public servant.

If the report is as it seems, all I can think is—barbaric treatment.

She wasnt stoned to death after dismissal. In today's hypersensitive 'protect the children' attitude she deserved to be fired.

[Shaddim]

Originally Posted by Rumor 

(unless there was a history of trouble)

The school board said it was part of a pattern of behavior.

[Wiskedjak]

... just wondering why this is in the P/L. There doesn't appear to be anything political about why this bus driver was fired.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by PER3 

"If the bus driver had made the gesture to a driver who cut her off on a local road, we would have taken the same action," Barry said.

Wonderful. One mistake and you're fired.

Are there no warnings or reprimands before dismissal?

Even in Putin's Russia (or many other countries), you would need three written warnings before firing a public servant.

If the report is as it seems, all I can think is—barbaric treatment.

Barbaric treatment? She did something really stupid at work and was fired for it. Giving warnings is a courtesy that I hope would be extended in most circumstances, but I wouldn't say it's "barbaric" to fire someone for such bad judgment.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

... just wondering why this is in the P/L. There doesn't appear to be anything political about why this bus driver was fired.

Because a politician 'ratted' her out!

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

... just wondering why this is in the P/L. There doesn't appear to be anything political about why this bus driver was fired.

Because it involved someones precious.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Rumor 

Should she have done it in front of the children: No

Should she have been reprimanded: Yes

Should she have been fired: No (unless there was a history of trouble)

Nice thing about this country is that you can flip off the President without going to jail. Giving the beloved GW the bird is not, nor should ever be, a jailable(sp?) offense.

We shouldn't forget about the hecklers Clinton had arrested or the guy who refused to shake Bill's hand who did jail time for his 'offense!'

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by marden 

We shouldn't forget about the hecklers Clinton had arrested or the guy who refused to shake Bill's hand who did jail time for his 'offense!'

Those situations were wrong also.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Rumor 

Because it involved someones precious.

Let's not overlook the magnetic pull politics exerts on ANY subject.

When the President and a Senator are involved AT ALL the discussion would invariably turn political. Why waste time? Why deny the obvious?

Oh, I see. It's hard for some people to predict the natural end result. It's like a goldfish's memory. No matter how many times he repeats the process every time he runs into the wall of the goldfish bowl he is surprised.

Ok, trust me, this is the best place for it.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by marden 

She can be forgiven, too! But give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and give unto God what is God's.

After she does time, forgive her.

Please refrain from butchering the Bible. That quote is grossly out of context. It deals with paying taxes, not punishment for breaking the law.

[marden]

Originally Posted by Gossamer 

Please refrain from butchering the Bible. That quote is grossly out of context. It deals with paying taxes, not punishment for breaking the law.

If some of us can look the other way and make excuses for those who butcher the Islamic Holy texts and use it to kill hundreds of thousands, (so they SAY...) certainly I can get a useful idiot of my own to support or apologize for my interpretation of the Bible.

Can I get a witness?

[Sky Captain]

Testify brotha!

[hyteckit]

Look what I can do.