As she drives across Rockville Pike, she keeps one eye on the road and one on the back seats. One girl in the third row is particularly loud. The girl continues, explaining to her friend why she is so loud. I just spend all my time screaming. Nobody pays attention to me otherwise.
All bus drivers have stories of student misbehavior, and Dowling is no exception.
One threw a Slurpee out the window. Another threw a banana peel onto a car in another lane. Today, one of the students tells her that another student has been throwing pennies out the window. If some of the parents would get on the bus and see what's going on, they would understand. After her four morning runs, Dowling gets a few hours off.