Rapping school bus driver serves up rhymes for the ride

Putting his own spin on the school district’s yearly bus emergency drill, bus driver Chuck Smith surprised his bus riders this winter with an unusual safety spiel. Students boarding the bus did a double take as Smith, dressed in a gold chain and sideways-twisted cap, rapped out the drill, hip-hop style.

March 23, 2010 4:17 pm
Bus driver Chuck Smith raps his way through the emergency drill during his morning bus ride. Smith’s rhyming delivery helps break through the monotony of the standard safety spiels.
Bus driver Chuck Smith raps his way through the emergency drill during his morning bus ride. Smith’s rhyming delivery helps break through the monotony of the standard safety spiels.

Putting his own spin on the school district’s yearly bus emergency drill, bus driver Chuck Smith surprised his bus riders this winter with an unusual safety spiel.

Students boarding the bus did a double take as Smith, dressed in a gold chain and sideways-twisted cap, rapped out the drill, hip-hop style.

Most students dread the drill due to its monotonous tone, said Smith, who was inspired to make it more upbeat when a friend of his sent him a link to a YouTube video of a Southwest Airlines steward.

That video shows the steward shaking things up by rapping the safety information before the flight took off.

Smith conjured up his own rap. Lyrics from his educational session follow:

It’s time once again for those emergency drills

So listen up, kids, I’m gonna do it with thrills

The number one thing is that you don’t want to freak

You want to listen up carefully and you don’t want to speak

We got five; count ‘em, five ways to exit the bus

So leave your things on and leave without any fuss

We got two doors on the roof, we got two doors on the sides

We got the window in back and none that have slides

So the first step that you take will be a long way down

Just land on your feet and you will be on the ground

We need two kids at the door with your hands in the air

To help the little small boys and ladies so fair

Once you’ve left this bad bus, you need to move far away

About fifty feet should do and then there you should stay

Now, the ones in the front are gonna have some more time

Before the kids in the aisle will be out of their line

The brake needs to be pulled so the bus doesn’t move

Just give it a tug, it comes so gently and smooth

The radio’s on and the microphone’s here

Just push on the button and speak plain and clear

Tell them “route 8 is down” and tell them right where we are

And in no time at all, they will send the aid car

The extinguisher’s here if you should see some flame

The first aid kit is here if someone should be maimed

If your driver’s knocked out and he’s stuck in his seat

Your gonna need to get yourself moving and beat your little feet

The seat cutter’s right here, kept right by my side

Cut my belt from my body and drag me outside

That’s pretty much it, that’s all you need to know

Let’s pretend we just wrecked, now get up and GO!