Buses, behavior and a lot of other things have changed since 78-year-old Betty Adams began driving Limestone County school buses in 1971. But, Miss Betty is still at it and recently received a “Love the Bus” certificate from the American School Bus Council for her effort.

Betty Adams has been driving a school bus in Limestone County for 47 years.

The thought of doing that would drive most drivers nuts.

But, Miss Betty, as the 78-year-old Limestone County resident is known, says it keeps her busy.

She began driving a bus in January 1971 for Clements School and has continued through five different transportation directors.

“It was good to drive the bus because I could be home with the kids in the summer,” said Betty, the mother of four children.

She also knew a few bus drivers — her uncle, brother and two sisters-in-law — which helped convince her to try it.

“I’ve always enjoyed it,” Betty said. “Some days are better than others — much better,” she joked.

For example, children are the wooliest on picture days, report card days and the last day of school before holidays, she said. And she sometimes wonder whether the food children eat makes them act up — whether they are lying in the floor of the bus or tattling on another for chewing a pencil.

“If I knew I was gonna drive this long, I would have kept a book of funny things kids say,” she said.

For example, she once angered a third-grader, and he said, “I’ll tell you one thing, if momma’s car is out of the shop, I’m gonna drive to school tomorrow. And, I hope it’s out of the shop.”

In the morning, Betty drives about 40 students to the Limestone County Career Technical Center in Athens and returns about 50 in the afternoon. She also serves as a substitute teacher at the Tech Center, whenever she is needed.

Compared to years past, more parents pick up their children because they have to ferry them to events like band practice, softball and soccer, Betty said. Lots of students have their own cars and drive themselves compared to decades ago. But, since the overall population of the county schools continues to increase, there are still plenty of students to chauffeur here and there.

Better buses

Not only have the students changed from yesteryear, so have the buses, and the motorists who share the roads with buses.

“It’s like driving a Jaguar,” Betty said of today’s buses. “When I started, they were all straight shift and the heaters didn’t work. Now they are automatic and the newer ones have AC.”

Unlike the buses, the motorists who share the roads with school bus drivers are much less thoughtful.

“It’s awful the way people pass school buses,” she said. “The other day I had my stop sign out, my lights flashing and a little boy was going down the steps. I saw a truck coming and I just knew it wasn’t going to stop, so I blew the horn and the boy stopped.”

The boy was going to have to cross in front of the bus and across a lane of road to get to his home. She said the driver of the truck nearly went in the ditch trying to stop once he finally saw the school bus.”

“They just don’t see a yellow school bus anymore,” Betty said.

Steel magnolia

Certain weather events stand out in Betty’s mind as unnerving, such as the 1974 tornado that ripped through the Tanner and East Limestone communities.

“That was a scary day,” she said.

A few years back, an ice storm struck, coating and breaking power lines and blowing transformers during the journey home.

“They kept us too long,” she said, which meant driving the kids home when the icing was already underway.

Then, a few weeks ago, tornado warnings in Athens and Limestone County made for “a nerve-racking day,” Betty said.

Perks

When she first began, drivers didn’t have medical insurance and sick days like they do now.

Obtaining health insurance was a big plus for her family when the school system began offering it because her husband, Marshall, who died nine years ago, was self-employed.

I get nine days off — one a month — and I have great health insurance,” she said. “Lord, do we have insurance.”

Betty thought she would retire when her husband died but she decided she wanted to keep busy.

“I’m trying to decide when to retire,” she said. “I know I’ve got to sooner or later.”

But no one is ready to be rid of Betty.

Each year, every Alabama county sends a bus driver to the “Love the Bus” event sponsored by the American School Bus Council as a way to raise awareness and give appreciation for the hundreds of thousands of school bus drivers who safely transport children to and from school. The event was held in Pelham, where the school system buys its buses.

“Everybody has lunch and gets a certificate,” Betty said.

Everyone back at the Limestone County Schools bus garage as well as students and faculty at Limestone County Schools were very proud of her.