By Meg Peters
Review Co-Editor
Lake Orion bus driver Mike Gatlin is just going to take a deep breath, pull the door closed, and go.
Gatlin, or more fondly ‘Mr. Mike? to students, needs a steady hand, and mind, while competing to be the best bus driver in the United States.
Backing his 40-foot transit school bus into a narrow aisle of cones, competing for the closest distance to the back row during the Alley Docking test, is just one of the tests on the docket.
He might also have to perform what many bus drivers around the nation know as the Straight Line test., another measure used to rank driving skills.
‘For this particular test, judges measure out a set of cones or balls to be slightly wider than the bus tires, and test how straight a line drivers can drive.
‘So you take your right front tire and drive through the middle of those things and try not to hit any of them, then you’ll see it in your review mirror go in between your duals,? Gatlin explained.
From trick driving tests to a written road safety test, Gatlin will be judged for his safety skills’July 18 to 19’at the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition in Minneapolis Minnesota.
Regionals, states and now nationals has all been hosted by the National School Transportation Association (NSTA). The competition began in 1971 as the National School Bus Safety Road-e-o, and continues to assess professionalism and skill every year.
Gatlin qualified with a first place finish at West Branch for the state competition, and will be representing Michigan, and for the first time ever – Lake Orion -, at nationals.
If he wins, he would be considered the safest bus driver in the U.S.
?’That would be cool,? he said. ‘But even if I don’t, I would be the first one from Lake Orion to go to the nationals.?
Gatlin didn’t expect the win at states, after the road test that he thought was a little rocky, but with a smaller ring of competitors this year he made his way to the top.
‘I try and have fun with it, but I’m really serious. I really want to do well, I’m going to try.?
He’s been a bus driver for the Lake Orion school district moving on 18 years, and is known by ‘Mr. Mike? to many of the students who have learned to respect him with his tough, but fair protocol.
‘If something starts, nip it in the bud. You got to gain their respect, but if you’re just mean to them, and holler at them, you’re never going to get their respect. They should know because it’s safety, and it’s the wrong thing to do.?
Through 17 years of inclement weather, fighting flying garbage cans and people moseying in the streets during garage sales, Gatlin’s love for transporting Lake Orion kids has evolved into proving he knows every step it takes.
‘Literally.
‘There are 17 steps for picking up a student, it’s every little thing,? he said.
1.??????’Check mirrors and traffic. 2. Apply brakes lightly and slow down. 3. Activate flashing lights at least 200 feet in advance of the stop. 4. Do not pull closer than 10 to 20 feet from waiting pupils. 5 Activate right turn signal. Stop the bus as far to the right as practical. 6. If pupils cross the road, stop the bus on the roadway or private road. 7. Shift the bus to neutral and apply the parking brake. 8. Cancel turn signal, if activated, check mirrors and traffic. 9. Open the door (Eight light system will change amber lights to red) as a signal for students to enter the bus. Pupils crossing the road may require an additional signal. 10. Have students enter or leave the bus in an orderly manner. Be sure all students are accounted for. Count them and track them. 11. Check to see that students are seated and close the door. 12. Deactivate the alternately flashing red lights. 13. Allow traffic to clear, where practical. 14. Activate left turn signal. 15. Check mirrors and traffic. 16. Enter the traffic lane. 17. Cancel left turn signal.
Gatlin has them written on flashcards.
‘It was a bonus question for 50 points at States,? he said. ‘You had to get everyone right, or you got zero.?
Gatlin will take the written test first, something he has been studying for every night, before taking the wheel.
While he hasn’t been able to practice the driving portion as much, not knowing exactly what the tests will be, some of his skills speak for him.
The last time he went to states was in 2006. He won $20, and 3rd’place overall, after pulling his bumper as close as possible to the stop line where a $20 bill was taped to a piece of cardboard.
Judges used a plumb-bob to ensure extremely accurate measurements.
‘It’s like the Price Is Right, how close can you get without going over,? he said.
Gatlin said being a Lake Orion best driver has been one of the best jobs he has ever had.
He met his wife through a co-worker, has made lasting friendships with students, who still come up to him and say ‘Hey Mr. Mike.? even after graduating to another driver, and has even gotten to go to Alaska, twice.
Granted, it was with 24 teenagers, which had its ups and downs, but had he never left the carbide plant for bus driving, he would not have worked for Camp Tamarack in Ortonville as their activities bus driver.
Twice he has shuttled riders across the country, camping alongside bears, in the rain, and on the ferry from Prince Rupert, British Columbia, then to Alaska during the six week adventures.
‘You’re not going to take 26 teenagers camping for 46 days and have it be fun all the time, but I got to see a lot of cool things that I wouldn’t be able to afford.?
He has earned eleven safety awards from the Lake Orion district, and is prepared for anything that comes at him at nationals.
All he has to do is take a deep breath.
‘I think I stand as good a chance as anybody. You just go there and do the best you can with it, and just try to just take a deep breath, and go.?