Word on the Fleet: a report from the WVCSD Transportation Dept.

WORD ON THE FLEET: MARCH 2022

A regular report from the WVCSD Transportation Department

FLEET FUN FACT: Did you know…

*  *  *  *

MEET THE FLEET: Highlighting the district employees who keep things rolling.

Meet Mr. Mark Glasses, this month’s WVCSD spotlight bus driver. Mr. Glasse has been driving for the District for three years. His daily route, Route 31, takes him across the district. His high school run reaches all the way to Sugarloaf and Chester, while his elementary run for Park Avenue has him picking up students around the village and out in Pine Island. Prior to becoming a bus driver, Mr. Glasse worked as a courier for a payphone company for eight years. He also drove a lot in that role, traveling all over the area picking up the coins in each payphone. Mr. Glasse moved to Warwick from Staten Island in 2004, and has lived here ever since. 

• What brought you to the Warwick Valley community?
  My wife and I, and our three kids, moved up here from Staten Island because it was just getting a bit crowded down there. We came upstate for a little more space. At the time, my wife promised the kids a dog if we made the move, so we got Malcolm, a wonderful pit bull mix, from the Warwick Valley Humane Society. He was the sweetest thing in the world. You’d walk in the house, he’d knock you over with love.  

• What led you to become a WVCSD bus driver?
  Once our kids were out of the house, I was looking for something local to do. Not surprisingly, the payphone business had slowed down, so they really didn’t need me anymore. This was a perfect fit.  

• What is your favorite part of the job?
  Getting the kids to say good morning and good afternoon. I give them a good-natured hard time if they don’t say good morning or good afternoon. I have one elementary school boy who gets on and just is not a morning kid. I’ll say good morning and he’ll just run right past me. So when he gets off, I give him a two sign (like a peace sign), meaning he owes me two smiles or good afternoons later. In the afternoon, he’ll smile and laugh about it, but in the morning it’s a no go.

• Can you share a memorable moment from the road?
  The elementary school kids love the soundtrack to Encanto! A student came up to me and said, “Mr. Mark, can you play We Don’t Talk About Bruno?” I didn’t know what he meant at first, but now I know the words in my sleep. It’s a lot of fun to hear them all singing together.

• What’s a hobby you enjoy in your free time?
  I kind of like to eat, so I can cook! I started cooking in college as a way to entice people to type my papers for me. Left to my own devices, I enjoy cooking Asian food. My wife only eats fish, my oldest is a vegetarian, and my youngest was vegan for quite a while. Needless to say, I cook a lot of vegetables and fish.

• When you’re not driving the bus, what’s your favorite local scenic drive?
  I love driving out around Pine Island, especially in the spring and summer when they’re working the black dirt fields. Also, driving around and seeing the hawks on ridge, just hanging out looking for their meal.  
  

*  *  *  *

FLEET FAQ: We answer some Frequently Asked Questions received by the WVCSD Transportation Department.

Q. Are students required to wear seat belts on the school bus?
A. New York State does not require children to wear seat belts on the bus. If a parent requests that their child wear a seat belt during transportation to and from school, the child must buckle themselves. Read more about the Transportation Department here.