School Busing on Thanksgiving in Lakewood

I find a sad irony in this. After all the work that went into getting the law to recognize our right to celebrate all our holidays and sabbaths without penalty, one would think that we’d automatically show sensitivity to the few holidays the goyim observe.

Offering to give the drivers a free pumkpin pie is just a slap in the face that underscores the insensitivity being shown. Imagine if your boss demands you come in on Rosh Hashana, and in response to your protest offers to give you a jar of honey for coming in. This is no different in their eyes.

It’s not a question of sensitivity. They are required by law to work and they knew that when they took the job and bid for the district with the Jewish routes.

People should have a little shtultz and realize that these are a few whiners who think they are above the rules and enjoy the fact that they can exploit the Jews by putting us on a guilt trip and subtly reminding us that we are supposed to feel like second-class citizens.

And the comparison to civil rights is ignorant. There is Freedom of Religion in this country. As for a Jew being let off work for a Jewish holiday, if it was not stipulated beforehand I absolutely agree that he should not be let off work and his boss has a right to fire him. Or take a sick day or something. In this case it is part of the job description. So stop feeling guilty and have some shtultz.

Turkey Day is a very big holiday for non-Jews. It starts their family holiday season. I don’t think they have to bend over backwards to prove how important it is to them. 99.99% of school employees in America expect there to be certain holidays they dont work out of consideration to them, not whether other decide it’s important to them or not.

This situation is being handled to show a gross lack of understanding and leadership, if not outright insult to the bus drivers. If we can do a chesed for them and handle it like a day when it snows and parents have to arrange to pick up their children, that would also show rachmonus.

As it stands now, the air is so filled with tension and resentment, the double chilul Hashem is the situation was handled in such a way that our children will be ones on the front lines boarding the bus and c”vs have to deal with dirty looks at best.

I dont think these elected officials are representing what the majority of Lakewood wants in this matter.

yitaningwat-

I’m sorry, but I disagree with you. It’s not for you to decide if its an insult, only the drivers can tell you how they feel. It most definitely is a question of sensitivity, and I think your replies underscores that. You are demonstrating a lack of sensitivity to their position. I might have the right to tell my employees to come to work over the weekend, for example, but it is insensitive of me to do so when they have a family wedding on Saturday.

You take for granted our civil rights, probably because you weren’t around before that. To call me ignorant is well, shall we say ignorant? At the very least its insulting, can we agree on that? Insensitive?

I don’t agree. Civil rights are rights. To take off on a day that you signed up for is not a right. Not every time that someone whines do we have to give in. This is not called being sensitive, it is called being a pushover.

Again, my point is that this is part of the job, and we all knew Thanksgiving was going to happen when they took the route. Your example about your employee taking off for a wedding is not relevant therefore, because being that it is an unforeseen circumstance, I can see that it would be insensitive of you not to let them off. Thanksgiving is not an unforeseen circumstance. The ones being insensitive are the bus drivers, not the schools.

From the bits and pieces I am picking up here, seems to me that the bus drivers should have a beef with their employer(s) not the reciepients of the service. Their employers signed a contract and it is their responsibility to know what they signed. If they assumed and assumed wrong, again, they are at fault, not parents who get the service. Admittedly, they are easier targets, but still doesn’t make them legitimate targets.

I think its major Chillul Hashem it was on 1010 wins this morning that all the bus drivers were upset.

I apologize for coming on a little strong in my previous posts. I had a rough day and it showed. I’m sorry.

My opinion is still the same of course.

This why people HATE us. Just look at what has been going on in frum neighborhoods lately. Remember we are still in golus, regardless of how much money we pay in taxes, or how much power we think we have in government. This is a huge chilul Hashem.

I don’t live in Lakewood and don’t know the dynamics of the contract between the schools, the school districs, the state governement, the bus company and the students who get bussed. Who entered into a contract with whom to provide bussing on “school days”? Who agreed to those terms and who is the beneficiary of those terms? Who hired the drivers? Under what terms? Did the terms of the contract change since inception that suddenly people are surprised?

Based on what people are writing here, seems that if drivers have a beef with anyone, it is their emploers who entered into a contract at terms they the drivers, don’t like. There is no chillul hashem here (unless a jew owns the bus company, was aware of these terms and neglected to tell the drivers).

OneofMany,

Exactly.

It seems that the yeshivas notified the authorities only recently that they required bus service this Thanksgiving. In past years I believe, the yeshivas graciously did not require buses on Thanksgiving allowing the drivers to celebrate the holidays with their families. Perhaps, it would have been helpful if the yeshivas had notified the authorities earlier in the year about this change. The drivers would have been able to change their holiday plans and get used to the idea that they would be working on Thanksgiving.

Forgive my ignorance, but I don’t live in New Jersey (B”H)- do they have school bus service on Sundays year-round? If so, presumably Thanksgiving would be the same thing. And if not, there takeh shouldn’t be busing, just like every other secular school district in the country (even when it’s frum-controlled, such as Lawrence or East Ramapo).

The way you describe it (I have not heard this reported elsewhere, nor do I care to look online for the story), you make it look like a back room deal between the district board (which is controlled by frum jews) and the company (owned by frum jews), with the employees left holding the bag. Is this what the employees (the drivers) are claiming and grumbling about?

BTGuy –

I do understand that. But why did they have to take a private school route? What are we supposed to do exactly? It isn’t fair to us.

I am not saying that there is this grand scheme to manipulate our feelings. I’m not such a conspiracist. However, I do think that on some level this is the – perhaps unconscious – motive of all people who complain about not getting something they do not deserve.

One more thing. How can people say it’s a chillul Hashem when it is part of their contract? There is no manipulating on our part. We are not doing anything wrong. I am fully aware that there are some angry feelings directed at us but angry feelings do not equal chillul Hashem. They may equal guilty conscience. But not chillul Hashem.

According to Michael Inzelbuch:

“Please be formally reminded that pursuant to contract, New Jersey Administrative Code, and information provided by the New Jersey Department of Education as recently as yesterday, bussing must be provided on November 24, 2011 (Thanksgiving) unless same is not required by the school(s) you serve.” (from The Lakewood Scoop)

This doesn’t sound backdoor to me. This sounds like something perfectly legitimate which some disgruntled people are upset about, but cannot say they were tricked into.

zahavasdad –

Most of these drivers don’t even live in Lakewood (that’s how it was when I was growing up, I would imagine more so now). They could have taken a public school route in Jackson or Howell for the same price.

BTGuy –

Lol, the pumpkin pie thing is a joke.

OneOfMany –

The only similarity between the two cases is that they both involve bussing. Be that as it may, that was a legal issue. This is not.

I’m not an expert in Thanksgiving day celebrations or how to celebrate, but isnt Thanksgiving known for watching football and eating dinner with family? Just ensure the drivers are home by then. when is kickoff for the first game of the day, 3:00?

OneOfMany –

True, but when there may be a possibility that it is legally wrong I can see that it would be a chillul Hashem. In this case, besides for the fact that legally they have no argument, since it is part of their contract it is unfair for the schools. The fact that someone complains doesn’t create a moral imperative to cancel his/her obligations. I can complain too.

It was the Asbury Park Press that ran several stories about this with glee.