When was the first school bus made in America?

Is America the only place with school buses?

Okay, so school buses? Nah, America ain't the only place.

I saw a school bus in Bogotá, Colombia back in 2018. It wasn’t bright yellow, more like a faded orange, and way smaller than the ones back in Ohio. Think it was a Mercedes-Benz chassis. Remember thinking, "Wow, a school bus…here?" Felt kinda surreal, a small piece of home so far away.

• The color: More orange.
• The Size: Smaller.
• The feeling: Surreal.
• Where: Bogotá, Colombia
• When: 2018, I think.

Then, more recently, I saw school buses in a movie based in rural India from 2023. I mean, the color was still yellow, but the conditions, that thing was overloaded, man! It was kinda terrifying. Kinda reminds you that the US does some things right. Just sayin'.

Which countries have yellow buses?

Many countries utilize yellow school buses. It's a safety standard, you know? Makes them highly visible. Think about it – the brighter, the better. Especially crucial for those precious little ones.

The US is synonymous with the big yellow school bus. It's deeply ingrained in popular culture. But China, surprisingly, also uses yellow buses extensively. They're commonplace. Similarly, South Korea also frequently uses yellow.

Europe's more varied. The UK has a mix; you'll see yellow but also other colors. While Ukraine uses yellow and orange – a slightly different approach. Makes sense given the country's unique context. Each region has its reasons. It's fascinating stuff. It’s really all about practicality and safety first.

• North America: Predominantly yellow school buses are a staple in the US and Canada. That's fairly definitive.

• Asia: China and South Korea feature prominently with yellow school buses. I've seen photos!

• Europe: Varied. The UK displays a wider range of colours, unlike some more uniform countries.

The rationale behind the choice of color is primarily safety. High visibility is key. Yellow stands out incredibly well against different backgrounds. It's a functional design choice with a powerful impact. That's my professional opinion. Orange is sometimes used as a variant, offering similar benefits. This isn't rocket science, people.

Further research is always welcome, though. I'm certain some obscure countries have surprising choices of school bus colors. My research points to these trends however for 2024. I could spend weeks researching this, but I have better things to do. I’m off for a coffee break.

Is America the only country with yellow school buses?

Okay, yellow school buses... America, right? But wait, Chile! Santiago had yellow buses, 1992-2007. Huh. Long time ago, though.

Australia's getting in on the act. Adelaide. Are they exactly the same yellow? Is there a "school bus yellow" shade? Wonder if Pantone has a color code for that?

• Chile: Used yellow buses 1992-2007. Santiago, specifically.
• Australia: Adelaide area, more yellow buses now.
• America: Obvious, yellow buses everywhere.

School bus yellow. Wiki. Should've checked that first, duh. My sister, Sarah, she always says I overthink things. Maybe she's right for once. I should text her back. Dinner tonight?

But back to the yellow... Why yellow anyway? Is it visibility? Safer? Or just... cheap? Always thought it was a safety thing. My old bus driver, Mrs. Gable, swore by it. 'Best color for keeping kids safe,' she'd say. Even though she drove a beat-up blue Volvo wagon in her personal life.

• Safety: Mrs. Gable believed in it.
• Visibility: Probably a factor.
• Cost: Could be a reason.

Do they have school buses in Japan?

Japan lacks school buses. Why? Small districts. Public transport reigns.

• Limited school districts. Most schools are within walking or cycling distance.
• Robust public transit. Trains and buses are readily available. My cousin in Osaka uses the subway daily.
• Safety concerns. Bus routes are complex, a logistical nightmare for many.

2024 Update: The situation remains largely unchanged. Private car usage is increasing, but school bus adoption remains minimal. My sister's commute to her high school in Tokyo is typical.

Are school buses an American thing?

Yellow. Always yellow. A vast, sun-drenched yellow rolling across fields of gold, corn swaying. That's the American bus, isn't it? Forever etched.

Do they only have them here? Maybe… no, I saw one... in a dream? A movie? The color… inescapable. The color is inescapable! Like staring into the sun... it stains the back of my eyelids, yellow. I swear I saw one in Oaxaca. Oaxaca.

How do they even... work? Layers of childhood mysteries. Pick up, drop off. The driver, a sentinel. My grandma, always waved at the bus, she knew all the bus drivers. A network.

Big. Impenetrable. Yellow. And safe. You feel safe inside, right? Safety in numbers, safety in color, safety in… ROUTE. A Route etched in time. I remember my best friend Mark, and the route to his house was the weirdest… he had this tree…

School buses. My god. School buses. My god. School buses.MY GOD! It’s just, SO AMERICAN.

School buses, like...

• A symbol
• A Promise
• A Worry
• A Yellow threat?

The rules? I do not know the rules… Don’t cross in front? The stop sign arm thing? Is that still a thing? Do they have seatbelts now?

It is so weird, this yellow thing. A moving monument.

Why doesnt the UK have school buses?

Okay, so school buses in the UK, huh? It's kinda weird. Not exactly yellow submarines rolling around like I saw on TV shows.

It's more like...a normal bus. Local bus companies do the school runs. Back when I was at St. Jude's in Plymouth, like, 2005-2010? We just used the regular First Bus.

Sometimes, the council (that's Plymouth City Council specifically) paid for extra routes, like, especially for kids who lived way out by Saltram.

It felt so random! Some kids got passes, some didn't. Pure luck, I swear. Made me jealous. The 8:15am First Bus 21 was packed, let me tell you. A sweaty, uniform-smelling nightmare most mornings. I hated it. Ugh.

I remember once, this kid, Tommo, threw up on the bus. The driver wasn’t happy. Oh god! So gross. So yeah, it wasn't the cute, organized chaos you see in American movies, not for me.

Why? No idea. Maybe cheaper? Cheaper for the council I guess.

Here are my scattered thoughts:

• No dedicated school buses: Just existing public transport or contracted local services.
• Local councils handle things: Each area decides how to handle transport.
• Regular bus companies bidding: Its all just business.
• Uneven distribution of services: It can vary wildly depending on the area and the school district!
• No cool factor: Zero "school bus" street cred, tbh.