Posted by Michelle on June 22, 1999 at 20:02:30:

Another bus story. Enjoy!

I think it was when I was in the 8th grade. It was back in California. We had a rather young school bus driver. I would guess she was in her early 20's. She was a blonde and wore all kinds of different outfits. Conservative she was not. Her name was Sheila Minor. I have remembered her name well as all the guys on the bus were googly eyed over her. I, however, was googly eyed for other reasons.

Ms. Minor wore shorts, tight jeans, stirrup pants, skirts. She rarely wore a dress. She wore stockings sometimes, depending on the weather I guess. Her selection of shoes was unreal. Flip-flops, flats, platforms, pumps, sneakers, clogs, you name it. You just never knew what she might wear from day to day. She did have somewhat of a temper though. Screaming kids were not tolerated. She spoke her peace more than once. Most on the bus listened, but would eventually go back to there terrorizing ways slightly thereafter.

The bus was quite old and had a manual transmission. If it was not the oldest in the school district, it was a close second. It certainly was not a well running bus. This turned out to be a good thing.

I usually sat in the back with all of the guys. I did this the year before. We had a different bus driver that year(very boring!) I started to sit in the back for this year as well. That did not last long though. One day, upon exiting the bus, I noticed her foot on the brake pedal. She did not have on a shoe! I noticed a pair of red Dr. Scholls sandals laying on the floor, beneath her suspended feet. She was a little on the short side, causing her to stretch her legs and feet out. I would venture to say that her feet were about a size 7 or so. Her toes were painted often. She seemed to like reds and pinks, although she had then unpolished at times. Seeing this, I decided to sit in the front of the bus more often. I was close to the first pick up on the route so this was not a problem. Tried to be at the beginning of the line when school was out also. The attraction of barefeet driving a vehicle seemed to do something for me. My mom did and still does it from time to time. This got me in the habit when I learned to drive.

The next morning, the bus came and picked me up. I got on and sat down in the front seat. I then looked at her feet. She had on a black flip flop on her right foot. What was strange was that her left foot was bare. After driving a few miles, I noticed her let up on the gas and slip out of her right flip flop as well. The gas pedal was long and somewhat wide. The brake and clutch pedals were square in shape but fairly large themselves. The clutch really made Ms. Minor cause her to almost lunge forward. I can now see why her shoe had to go. Much to hard to press with a loose fitting shoe. She pressed the gas about half way up on the pedal. When she would let up, her whole foot would about rest on the pedal. Upon pressing it in, her heel would begin to rise in the air. Exciting to say the least. I earlier mentioned about how crappy the thing ran. When we would stop, she would slide her foot off the brake and massage the gas pedal. It seemed like it would want to die at times.

Another incident I recall was when school let out. I was about the first in line. I got on and took my customary seat. I wonder if Ms. Minor ever wondered why I always sat up front. I am very surprised none of the guys wanted to. She was pretty. Anyway, I noticed she had on a pair of clogs with some black stirrup pants. She engaged the clutch with her clogged foot and started the bus. Her right foot revving the gas as it warmed up. She eased in the clutch several times then took it off the clutch, shook her foot out of it and then placed her now pantyhosed foot on the gas. She had on suntan colored hose. She then eased her foot out of her right clog. The school principal approaced, behind several students waiting to get on. Ms. Minor saw this and quickly slipped her right shoe back on. She slid her right stocking foot back. Our female principal boarded, checking things out, and got back off. She did this regularly. Checking different busses from day to day. Ms. Minor then slipped her shoe back off. She must have figured she could get reported if she were found driving with no shoes. I know for a fact there is not one(I took my driver exam shoeless!) but many think there is. Why? Who knows. Some think it is dangerous or unsafe I guess. I noticed that she would slip her shoe back on during the rare times a parent was with their kid in the morning or waiting for them in the afternoon. It was fun to watch anyway.

I was too uncomfortable to get in a conversation with her. I know I would now. I found she usually slipped off the loose fitting or hard to drive in shoes. Anything that had a strap she seemed to leave on. Sneakers were left on always. Hard to say if it was something she liked to do or was just due to what she had on. I figure if she was not in to driving barefoot, she would always wear something she could drive in. That is how I am. Oh, she had a pair of flats she would always leave on. Her heel would slip out of the shoe at times when she worked the clutch. I figured she would get frustrated and shuck it. Very unpredictable she was. One of the few I have seen who would sometimes drive with one shoe on and one shoe off.

The fun only lasted one semester. Had I guy driver the next semester. Cute, but I was back in the back though. I wonder what ever happened to Ms. Minor. She was a prize.

Will share a few more encounters with her latter. Hope you all enjoy.

Love,
Michelle