{"id":2703,"date":"2006-08-30T02:04:00","date_gmt":"2006-08-30T06:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kitfoster.com\/carport\/2006\/08\/school-days\/"},"modified":"2010-12-30T12:02:03","modified_gmt":"2010-12-30T17:02:03","slug":"school-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.kitfoster.com\/carport\/2006\/08\/school-days\/","title":{"rendered":"School Days"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Nick<\/a><\/p>\n

School opened in our town today. Twenty-four years ago, my son Nick set off for his first day of school. After a hearty breakfast<\/a>, seen off by his mother and younger sister<\/a>, he boarded Bus 19, a big yellow International<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I remember my first school bus, too. As it happened, it was a Plymouth station wagon<\/a>, called into service because our only town bus, a 36-passenger Mack, was too small for the student body of booming babies. No pictures of the Mack survive, but it had the familiar 1940s nose<\/a> and a streamlined body similar to this one<\/a> that languishes in the woods<\/a> in a neighboring northwest Connecticut town. From the interior configuration<\/a> I think it’s a 1940-47 Ford.<\/p>\n

No other town had a Mack bus; most had Chevys<\/a> and GMCs<\/a>, like the buses that replaced our Mack, and a few Dodges<\/a>. By sixth grade, I rode a spiffy Thomas-bodied Ford<\/a> like this one, still later a Wayne-bodied International<\/a>. The bus contractor in nearby Canaan always insisted on White<\/a> chassis, and my high school had a Reo<\/a>, used mostly for athletic events and field trips.<\/p>\n

Many years later I was intrigued to encounter the Crown Coach<\/a>, the popular California transit-type school bus with underfloor engine. We had nothing like that in the east, although the Amtran Genesis<\/a>, with International chassis, and Blue Bird<\/a> flat-front<\/a> have been gaining some traction here. Our town still uses conventional Internationals<\/a>, though, as far as the eye can see<\/a>. They’re probably on the road as you read this. If you like school buses, you’ll find plenty to enjoy at School Bus Explorer<\/a> and Josh’s School Bus Gallery<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nick’s first day of school was a great success. When his sister Harriet welcomed him home<\/a>, he was anxious to tell all about his adventures<\/a>. He still is. He’ll turn 30 next spring and is still studying – for his PhD in neuroscience<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

School opened in our town today. Twenty-four years ago, my son Nick set off for his first day of school. After a hearty breakfast, seen off by his mother and younger sister, he boarded Bus 19, a big yellow International. I remember my first school bus, too. As it happened, it was a Plymouth station….<\/span>
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