Chief Delphi

Chief Delphi (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/index.php)
-   Championship Event (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=12)
-   -   Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46449)

Andrew Schuetze 10-04-2006 08:01

Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Howdy all and NEMO types,

I'd appreciate some suggestions in regards to curfew and such for 18 hour bus rides. This year's trip to Atlanta will be via bus and will be 18 hours in transit. My thoughts are to treat it like a hotel situation and have a 'curfew' at XX:xx PM with seat checks. At curfew each set of seats will be same sex. I'm even thinking that I need to section off the bus a bit and have a female and male section???

What kinds of meals do you typically serve en route? We are leaving @ 7:00 PM so I am asking students to have eaten dinner before boarding and then having snacks for them in the evening. My plan is to then have breakfast items for the AM, Sam's club stuff. We would then stop at a pizza buffet somewhere for lunch and then do dinner in Atlanta.

Besides having a collection of G and PG movies, do you provide any other type of entertainment/amusement? Are there standard bus games that teams play?

Any comments and suggestions are more than appreciated,


Thanks,

anna~marie 10-04-2006 08:14

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
On our bus ride down us students entertain ourselves... card games, much music, many movies, and a lot of sleep - not to mention snacks! Don't ever forget snacks and extra batteries :D

David55 10-04-2006 08:20

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
I don't know exactly how these things are done in the US...
But isn't that a little strict?
Curfew, seat checks?? it's not like your in a 700 room hotel, your in a bus!
I doubt anything inappropriate can be done in a seat in a bus full of kids

And PG and G movies...that's kind of harsh...
I think that high school students are passed Aladdin and Snow White

Just my point of view...

David

Billfred 10-04-2006 08:27

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Schuetze
Howdy all and NEMO types,

I'd appreciate some suggestions in regards to curfew and such for 18 hour bus rides. This year's trip to Atlanta will be via bus and will be 18 hours in transit. My thoughts are to treat it like a hotel situation and have a 'curfew' at XX:xx PM with seat checks. At curfew each set of seats will be same sex. I'm even thinking that I need to section off the bus a bit and have a female and male section???

What kinds of meals do you typically serve en route? We are leaving @ 7:00 PM so I am asking students to have eaten dinner before boarding and then having snacks for them in the evening. My plan is to then have breakfast items for the AM, Sam's club stuff. We would then stop at a pizza buffet somewhere for lunch and then do dinner in Atlanta.

Besides having a collection of G and PG movies, do you provide any other type of entertainment/amusement? Are there standard bus games that teams play?

Any comments and suggestions are more than appreciated,


Thanks,

I have yet to have to supervise a bus trip (probably a good thing), but I recently tagged along with one on the way to the Florida Regional (about ten hours on the road, daytime one way and overnight the other).

Unless you have a policy that says otherwise, keeping each pair of seats to one gender during sleeping hours should be plenty. Meals are really dependent on your schedule--if you're leaving right around a meal time, it shouldn't be too hard to tell the kids to come either hungry or full. (Of course, full might mean an early pit stop somewhere. I'm sure you're aware of the unwritten rule that bus bathrooms are for absolute emergencies only.)

Other than movies (might wanna get a copy of the school policy to have handy in case the kids are demanding Terrifying Slashers From Heck VI), everyone pretty much keeps themselves entertained. It's not too hard now--if you pack an iPod and a Game Boy, you're pretty much set for whatever until your juice runs out. (Might want to encourage team members to go halfsies on a big pack of batteries nonetheless.)

If nothing else, there's always 100 Bottles of Beer Non-Alcoholic Beverage on the Wall. ;) Happy driving!

Greg Needel 10-04-2006 08:27

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Having done some long bus rides as both a mentor and a student on the team i would tend to agree with David on this one. Although the other question is how full is the bus going to be? If it is very full you won't have to worry about much, just spread you chaperone's around through the bus and you shouldn't see many problems. I think you should ask the students to bring entertainment/ movies but also keep some mad libs in your bag. For me and long bus rides go i normally just try to survive :rolleyes: . Overall i have found that if you treat kids with respect and give them their freedom you won't have to worry about bad things happening.

JaneYoung 10-04-2006 08:33

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
As a NEMO type traveling from Austin via bus - we have a lights out and
G rated movies. If you can, section off boys from girls with an adult chaperone in between. We have a philosophy that we don't want to give even the slightest hint of impropriety and that holds true in any form of travel including bus. The team knows the rules set forth before they sign up for travel to competitions.
The team has played Catch Phrase and cards and I think they are planning the same this trip - they enjoy being together talking, reading, some even do homework :ahh:
Your food plans sound good.
We carry water on the bus and they bring sodas, juice, etc.
I think your plan sounds excellent.
Jane

Edit: we also include other prior approved movies such as The Core - I don't know its rating but we went to see it as a group. Also - during the daylight hours they can change out seating but since most of your travel is at night, the separation is good and once the backpacks are opened, things just sort define spaces. And - there are Cracker Barrels along the way - we stopped at one of those on the way back after competition. Nice good meal for a tired bunch of folk. All the best!

JudyVandy 10-04-2006 08:49

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Your plan sound great. We've done both train and bus to Florida.

I agree, for propriety, and practicality, keep boys and girls separated for dark hours.

You might want to think about a breakfast stop along the way, rather than doing it on the bus, even if you have to leave a bit earlier. It will get everybody out of the bus for a bit longer than the necessaries and may be a key to all of you keeping your sanity!

petek 10-04-2006 09:08

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Cybersonics does the bus trip from PA to Atlanta in one shot, changing bus drivers in VA. The trip goes surprisingly quickly. A few things we do:

Give each person a role-call number - it saves a lot of time when checking that everyone is present, instead of call out names. We just start the role call and everyone calls out their number in order. Don't forget the adults - they're the ones missing most often!

We sometimes do a game, but not very often. The toilet paper relay race is good for a few laughs (pit one side of the bus against the other unrolling toilet paper from the front of the bus to the back and to the front again, without breaking it). We always have movies on - some people watch them, but most seem to entertain themselves with card games, chat, etc.

We leave about 6 AM. Breakfast is passed out on the bus, we stop around noon for lunch at a Cracker Barrel or such, and for dinner about 6 PM. Each person gets a snack bag when they board the bus and we bring cases of water.

At the hotel there is always a curfew (usually 11) and room check every night; I think it makes sense to extend this policy to an overnight bus trip. This is a must, if only for your own peace of mind and that of the parents who are trusting their kids to you.

Good luck and enjoy the trip!

Tomasz Bania 10-04-2006 09:44

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
I'm not sure but some of this sounds great, some of it sounds harsh.

My Opinion:
1. Curfews in the hotels are great (as long as they aren't TOO early)
2. Stopping at a specific restaurant is good but if you have a picky team a Travel Plaza seems to fit the bill a bit better.
3. Movie Ratings should be followed, but with exceptions. (PG-13,PG,G,And In VERY RARE cases R should be fine). Rather than just looking at the ratings, look at the movie.
4. Although Ipods and DS's are great on the bus, some people love to walk away and use them during a competition. To prevent this, keep them as occupied as possible (Cheering,Scouting,etc.).
5.Have FUN! Don't just sleep. Do Something. A bus ride is time to get pumped up and ready (unless you are arriving at night to a hotel, than refrain from ever using rule #5, otherwise you'll have a :ahh: FUN :ahh: time at the hotel)

Tomasz Bania

Carol 10-04-2006 09:47

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
MOE used a bus last year for Atlanta (fortunately this year we got cheap air tickets!). We left at 9:00 at night with a midnight to 7AM quiet time. You didn't have to sleep but you had to be quiet. (I personally got maybe 3 hours of sleep. At the most.) We showed movies - PG13, Pirates of the Caribbean was the big hit - and did some seat checks. Similar rules in the hotel.

Bathroom and meal breaks weren't a problem because the bus driver had his rules and had to stop every so often. Ask the bus company - they are the experts on that.

You may think the restrictions are excessive but the mentors do have to answer to parents and schools. If something happens and a parent sues, what happens to the program then?

KenWittlief 10-04-2006 09:53

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Laptops + network cables + power inverter + 12V jellcell = Highway Lan Party

With a 12V to 110VAC power inverter and a couple old jell cells you can run just about any type of game console + LCD displays.

Cards (the cardboard ones - remember those?)

pyroslev 10-04-2006 09:54

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
I've been on numerous long bus rides. (Thanks to Marching Band)

1. PG movies: a bit strict but understandable
Alternative: Highlight reels of other matches going to Atlanta and maybe going home a season of a TV show. I know someone suggested a season of the Simpsons for us.
2. Cards is an all around game. (Personal longest card game was 16 Hours straight.) Travel board games work well. Monopoly can get old after eight hours.
3. One side guys and one side girls with a chaperone every few seats and station one on that popular back seat. Seat checks are a must. A trick is to have a mentor awake and up front near the bus driver (If it's allowed under bus company rules) Have them roam every now and then.
4. If feasible, put the primary drive team on stricter schedule. Take care of them.

Travis Hoffman 10-04-2006 09:58

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by David55
I doubt anything inappropriate can be done in a seat in a bus full of kids.
David

You should never underestimate a motivated student couple's ability to conceal their actions in the dark. Hormones can do strange things to your "perfect little angels"!

Billfred's suggestions of spreading adult chaperones around the bus and enforcing same gender seating arrangements during nighttime hours are good ones.

48 does the straight shot from Ohio with the driver change in Tennessee. We leave around midnight (!!!) Tuesday night and get into Atlanta around 1-2 PM Wednesday afternoon. We do bring a few food items on the bus with us, but we always make stops for food and bathroom breaks - it's a good idea to get off the bus and stretch your legs (especially if you're 6' 3"). Plus it's fun to watch and laugh as the kids pile off the bus like a bunch of zombies at 3 AM!

Most entertain themselves with music, card games, etc., but we also play movies to help the time go by. We typically permit up to PG-13.

dlavery 10-04-2006 10:03

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by David55
I don't know exactly how these things are done in the US...
But isn't that a little strict?
Curfew, seat checks?? it's not like your in a 700 room hotel, your in a bus!
I doubt anything inappropriate can be done in a seat in a bus full of kids

And PG and G movies...that's kind of harsh...
I think that high school students are passed Aladdin and Snow White

Just my point of view...

David

Heh heh, yeah, things might be a little different in Israel. Let me just say that based on the stuff I tried to get away with while I was in high school, it is reasonable to expect that appropriate precautions should be taken with the current generation of students. "Appropriate precautions" may include: ankle shackles to keep everyone in their assigned seats, blindfolds, heavy sedation, muzzles, forcing everyone to listen to Anne Murray recordings, and confiscation of all lemon jello (don't ask).

Realistically, go with gender-based sectioning of the bus during the sleep periods, PG-rated movies or even PG-13 movies (if the parents are OK with it), and enough planned stops to let everyone stretch their legs and avoid cabin fever, and you should be fine. Finding enough G-rated movies that are reasonable and entertaining for that long may be tough - remember, you have to watch them too (after all, how many times can you watch "Barney Goes To Camp"?)! For those that will have iPods, GameBoys, or laptop computers (OK, who doesn't?), batteries will be an issue. A while back, Team 180 posted a great idea - wire up a few robot batteries to an inverter and use them to provide power to all the electronic toys on the bus. Tytus did something similar to power his X-box. Definitely something to think about!

-dave

sanddrag 10-04-2006 10:39

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
On our 7 hour bus trip we didn't have any movies but we did have a battery with inverter and a wireless/wired router and had a chat going. It was great fun. Just make sure you have a big inverter or lots of batteries and/or a really big battery and when you stop to eat, take it/them in with you to charge.

We had parents and mentors scattered throughout the bus and did no separation of any kind and everything was perfectly fine. Didn't have any movies but I'd allow up to PG-13 as long as the parents were okay with it. There are exceptions but these days I think high school kids have already seen and know about everything in R rated movies and their language is already at that level.

GeorgeTheEng 10-04-2006 10:42

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by dlavery
"Appropriate precautions" may include: ankle shackles to keep everyone in their assigned seats, blindfolds, heavy sedation, muzzles, forcing everyone to listen to Anne Murray recordings, and confiscation of all lemon jello (don't ask).

Dave, you're forgetting ball gags and/or good ol' duct tape and socks. That will ensure quiet :yikes:

I let me kids know that we will have space on the bottom of the bus available as a "time out area". Plus, we advised them to wait until the ride home to annoy us since they are going to be ours to abuse for 3 days and why make the advisors grumpier then needed.

Freddy Schurr 10-04-2006 10:55

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
1. Roll call every time you leave and enter the bus.
2. Quiet-time at designated time.
3. BJs is a good idea, stock up on food and water.
4. Also, check medical information on each student. Some students may need to use the rest-room every so often or have to step out of the bus for some time.
5. You are going to need a lot of entertainment for the trip. Hand-held games or actually team-building games work out best for this.

David55 10-04-2006 10:56

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by dlavery
Heh heh, yeah, things might be a little different in Israel. Let me just say that based on the stuff I tried to get away with while I was in high school, it is reasonable to expect that appropriate precautions should be taken with the current generation of students. "Appropriate precautions" may include: ankle shackles to keep everyone in their assigned seats, blindfolds, heavy sedation, muzzles, forcing everyone to listen to Anne Murray recordings, and confiscation of all lemon jello (don't ask).

Realistically, go with gender-based sectioning of the bus during the sleep periods, PG-rated movies or even PG-13 movies (if the parents are OK with it), and enough planned stops to let everyone stretch their legs and avoid cabin fever, and you should be fine. Finding enough G-rated movies that are reasonable and entertaining for that long may be tough - remember, you have to watch them too (after all, how many times can you watch "Barney Goes To Camp"?)! For those that will have iPods, GameBoys, or laptop computers (OK, who doesn't?), batteries will be an issue. A while back, Team 180 posted a great idea - wire up a few robot batteries to an inverter and use them to provide power to all the electronic toys on the bus. Tytus did something similar to power his X-box. Definitely something to think about!

-dave

Dave
There is nothing they can do on a bus that they can't do when they are free in the WGCC.

David

Wonka 10-04-2006 11:11

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Considering that our bus rides to Atlanta have been at least 24 hours, a lot of movies, snacks, sleep, and then self-entertainment between the students. There is always things to do to pass the time, believe me.

Willie - Human Player '06
Team 1305
North Bay, Ontario

sanddrag 10-04-2006 11:16

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Are we the only team that does homework on the bus? And our ride (to phoenix) is only 7 hours.

Eugenia Gabrielov 10-04-2006 11:18

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Though I don't agree with every aspect of your plan, I respect your reasons for following it. Allow me to make a couple of modifications as to how I would respond if I was a student in this situation.

Before I even go into specifics, I suggest you have (if you haven't arranged one already, you seem very prepared) a meeting to cover this all in detail. Even if students signed a contract, they may "forget" at this point.

I. Bus curfew / gender separation
Make sure this is understood beforehand to avoid conflicts. Choose a policy and stick with it. Instead of saying "we're going to have to all move around at dark" try and word it like this:

"OK, everyone, we'll have a pit stop before dark, and when we get back on the bus please sit "such-and-such"." That way, everyone leaves the bus, and they get back on and have to choose a new spot. It's a more concrete change than trying to move everybody at some arbitrary point. You avoid excuses like "it's not dark yet!" (I have heard this one, trust me) in favor of being able to say that "we agreed to move after the 9 o'clock pit stop".

A female and male section is probably unnecessary. You as a mentor know who your trouble makers are - most students won't really misbehave, they'll just want to sleep or chat casually.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Schuetze
Howdy all and NEMO types,

I'd appreciate some suggestions in regards to curfew and such for 18 hour bus rides. This year's trip to Atlanta will be via bus and will be 18 hours in transit. My thoughts are to treat it like a hotel situation and have a 'curfew' at XX:xx PM with seat checks. At curfew each set of seats will be same sex. I'm even thinking that I need to section off the bus a bit and have a female and male section???

What kinds of meals do you typically serve en route? We are leaving @ 7:00 PM so I am asking students to have eaten dinner before boarding and then having snacks for them in the evening. My plan is to then have breakfast items for the AM, Sam's club stuff. We would then stop at a pizza buffet somewhere for lunch and then do dinner in Atlanta.

Besides having a collection of G and PG movies, do you provide any other type of entertainment/amusement? Are there standard bus games that teams play?

Any comments and suggestions are more than appreciated,


Thanks,


Greg Perkins 10-04-2006 11:18

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
The longest bus trip my old team took was to the UTC regional when they held it in New Haven. However I did do a bus trip from NH to VA, and I do know what to do on bus trips and what not to do. Honestly, I think bus rules are kind of silly, and I agree with David; luckily our engineers and mentors were really laid back, and since we felt relaxed none of us "took advantage" of our freedom. To whomever said, give respect, get respect...I couldn't agree more. To the NEM's and parents who run teams, if you find bus trips or whatnot to be intolerable because of attitudes or emotions, try giving your kids some freedom, you'd be suprised how well it works.

Travis Hoffman 10-04-2006 11:19

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by sanddrag
Are we the only team that does homework on the bus? And our ride (to phoenix) is only 7 hours.

Our students often take their homework with them and work on it in their hotel rooms. The bus can be a distracting and uncomfortable study environment.

KenWittlief 10-04-2006 11:26

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
If you cant come up with good movies then Tivo John Steward or other entertaining TV programs before you leave

make sure you tell the students "dont watch John Steward this week..."

dlavery 10-04-2006 11:36

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by David55
Dave
There is nothing they can do on a bus that they can't do when they are free in the WGCC.

David

Trust me, there are MANY things that can happen on a bus that would not be a concern at WGCC. And when it happens on a bus that is traveling across state lines, it then becomes a federal, rather than state, issue.

-dave

David55 10-04-2006 11:49

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by dlavery
Trust me, there are MANY things that can happen on a bus that would not be a concern at WGCC. And when it happens on a bus that is traveling across state lines, it then becomes a federal, rather than state, issue.

-dave

You're probably right in some situations...

But I still think that in most cases it is really unnecessary to have same sex seating in a bus (Hotel rooms I can understand, but not buses). Correct me if I'm wrong, but boys and girls talking is not a crime (yet).

David

Rick TYler 10-04-2006 12:22

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by David55
Curfew, seat checks?? it's not like your in a 700 room hotel, your in a bus!

Either:

1. Kids have changed a lot since I was in high school back in the Pleistocene.

(or)

2. David55 doesn't have as much imagination as we used to when I was in high school.

I think seat checks are a great idea.

... and... if you want to show any movies rated PG13 or higher, I'd get a signed permission slip from all the parents of the students on the bus. You DO NOT want to have to deal with a parent who thinks their parenting decisions have been overridden.

Good luck. I'd rather do my taxes than spend 18 hours on a bus.

Pat McCarthy 10-04-2006 12:43

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
The last two years and this year, 67 has taken a coach bus down to ATL. It is about a 14 hour ride for us. This is how we have run things:

We don't do a gender-based seating system. Our mentors keep a close eye on us. We've got a pretty effective punishment system to deter most wrong doing.

We leave at Midnight on Tuesday so we get to ATL about 2PM on Wednesday.
I usually throw a pre-massively-long-bus-ride party at my house up until 11pm or so on Tuesday to get the kids tired out a bit so they won't want to stay up all that long once they are on the bus.
There really isn't a set time to go to sleep, but usually quite quickly the lights are turned out and a quiet time is in effect until 6 or 7am.

Our bus makes a dead of night (about 2am) stop in Cincinnati Ohio for a driver swap. This gives people (who are crazy, mind you) a chance to get up and run around the bus a few laps.

We'll then stop for breakfast at a McDonald's or something in Kentucky or Tennessee about 8am. After breakfast everyone is usually awake and needs stuff to keep them occupied. People bring lots of personal electronic goodies for this purpose. iPods, laptops, portable DVD players, books :ahh: , and homework. However, for entertaining everyone else, we encourage everyone to bring movies on DVD or :gasp: VHS.

The ratings on these have really not been much of an issue in most cases. We've watched: The Incredibles, The Blues Brothers, Ladder 49, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, The "Rejected" animation DVD, episodes of 'Family Guy', The Notebook (which the girls forced upon the guys after the argument against), and Anchorman. Probably a few others that I forgot.

*tangent* I think that the hardest one to pitch was Anchorman, because the DVD said it was unrated, but among the students we had a laptop and a cell phone, got online to IMDB.com, looked up the movie and found that it was just the extras that were unrated.*/tangent*
Anyway, lunch is another fast food restaurant, we try for a KFC in Kentucky. :p

In the past, we stayed in ATL Saturday night as well, and left Sunday for the trip home. Which got us home around 9pm. This year, we're saving some $$ and leaving Saturday night. This should make it a similar trip to the way down. Historically, the ride back is less energetic and more homework filled.

sanddrag 10-04-2006 12:49

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat McCarthy
We've watched: ... Blazing Saddles

Oh my. Funny movie though.

ScottM 10-04-2006 13:41

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
It doesn't look like it's been mentioned yet, I'd highly recommend "Apollo 13".

Scott

dlavery 10-04-2006 13:42

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat McCarthy
We've watched: ... Blazing Saddles...

Best thing EVER to do before an 18-hour bus ride: eat a massive meal of baked beans about 4 hours before the trip starts. Find that one mentor (or student) that has been bugging you just a little bit too much during the season (c'mon, we all know that every team has one!), and make sure you sit next to them. Then recreate the "campfire scene" from Blazing Saddles. :)

And later, as you are driving up and through the hills in Kentucky, explain how Boyle's Law works and offer to give a demonstration...

-dave

pyroslev 10-04-2006 14:19

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick TYler
I'd rather do my taxes than spend 18 hours on a bus.

Personally, doing the homework on the way down there would be the SMART thing to do. Get it out of the way so they can focus for the rest of the week. (I have exams the morning after we get back, including an essay which I'll read and write on the bus)

Common sense is key. The trouble makers know they are watched. Quiet time from 12am to 6am would be good. (Extend if needed) Don't do gender areas until quiet time or after last late night stop before midnight.

Common Sense.

MissInformation 10-04-2006 14:24

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
I would like to suggest the Bagel System. But to do so, I would have to explain the Bagel System:

An over-exuberant parent got some bagel stores to donate their day old bagels to our team for our bus trips to Richmond and Georgia. And by "some" I mean 3 big trash bags full of bagels. Richmond proved that we would have an obscene amount of bagels left over, most of which were thrown out. Now, at the end of Peachtree, we still had way too many bagels, so the teacher chaperon and I came up with The Ence-Foster Bagel System, which went like this:

Foul words- must eat two old bagels.
Horseplay (shoving, hitting, pushing, biting, pulling hair, etc)- must eat four old bagels.
Questioning the Bagel System- must eat two old bagels
Questioning why you can't question the Bagel System- must eat 4 old bagels
Having no pants on- must eat 100 old bagels.

Now, that's the only rules we dealt with because, despite what Dave said, we did not separate the team by gender and did not call a curfew and we've been known to slip in a few PG-13 movies (wooooo!). However, you can create bagel penalties for any rule you create. The Bagel System was really popular (believe me, when we stopped for dinner, I barely got to eat because I had to keep answering questions about it, such as what words constitute a foul word, every time I tried to take a bite, I would hear "Hey Heidi, does #$@ count?") I will admit now, that the Bagel System was corrupt. People were encouraged to tell on their peers, which they did, and we even had a double-crossing stoolie in their midst who got benefits for his miscreant ways. But overall, the Bagel System did more good than bad, and we had some sweet-talking, non-violent behavior on the way home, because, believe me, nobody wanted to have to eat bagels that had been sitting in the storage area under a bus for 3 days... "New diesel flavored bagels, yum!"

The Bagel System aside, my other recommendation is to make sure that all of the kids will eat pizza and if not, try to find a area that has several fast food places to stop at so that they can have some choices (we have very picky eaters and there tended to be big battles over dinner places). Oh, and try to encourage the buddy system at rest stops as rest stops can often be high crime areas with a lot of strangers coming and going, and you know, the world still has way too many sick people in it. Doing a seat check is a good idea, but I recommend doing the check by names, not numbers because it's easy to miscount. Oh, and one last thing, take extra trashbags and make sure the students (and adults) clean up after themselves!)

Heidi

Rick TYler 10-04-2006 14:29

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by MissInformation
The Bagel System aside, my other recommendation is to make sure that all of the kids will eat pizza and if not, try to find a area that has several fast food places to stop at so that they can have some choices (we have very picky eaters and there tended to be big battles over dinner places).

See -- this is an example of mentors who focus on unimportant things. The error is not the restaurant chosen, it's trying to make everyone happy. After six years as a Scout leader my method of dealing with this is simple: "I can't make everyone happy. This is where we are stopping for dinner. If you don't like it, bring food in a bag." See how easy it is?

Pat McCarthy 10-04-2006 14:30

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
If you can get the majority to agree on it, watch an entire trilogy or series of movies such as:
The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Harry Potter, Back to the Future, The Mighty Ducks, Beverly Hills Cop, Star Wars (all 6, muhahahaha), Indiana Jones, Terminator, or films made by a certain director. All great ideas in my opinion.

MissInformation 10-04-2006 14:36

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick TYler
See -- this is an example of mentors who focus on unimportant things. The error is not the restaurant chosen, it's trying to make everyone happy. After six years as a Scout leader my method of dealing with this is simple: "I can't make everyone happy. This is where we are stopping for dinner. If you don't like it, bring food in a bag." See how easy it is?

No, it's not that simple. Not when you have students who don't eat certain things for religious reasons, or do you want them to get the impression that their opinion doesn't matter? Or students who cannot eat pizza because they are lactose intolerant? Almost every town has a fast food section, and if you stop at a place like that, there's a good chance everyone has their needs met without making anyone feel strange or bad because of their difference.

Heidi

Nuttyman54 10-04-2006 14:53

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
"Dish" would be an excellent movie.

Joe Matt 10-04-2006 14:54

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Schuetze
Howdy all and NEMO types,

I'd appreciate some suggestions in regards to curfew and such for 18 hour bus rides. This year's trip to Atlanta will be via bus and will be 18 hours in transit. My thoughts are to treat it like a hotel situation and have a 'curfew' at XX:xx PM with seat checks. At curfew each set of seats will be same sex. I'm even thinking that I need to section off the bus a bit and have a female and male section???

What kinds of meals do you typically serve en route? We are leaving @ 7:00 PM so I am asking students to have eaten dinner before boarding and then having snacks for them in the evening. My plan is to then have breakfast items for the AM, Sam's club stuff. We would then stop at a pizza buffet somewhere for lunch and then do dinner in Atlanta.

Besides having a collection of G and PG movies, do you provide any other type of entertainment/amusement? Are there standard bus games that teams play?

Any comments and suggestions are more than appreciated,


Thanks,

Over the past few years 384 has delt with many situations on the bus, many which I don't wish repeating for the sake of RVA team unity. But, here's what I've found.

-Clean up is key. Do a spot check of the bus and make kids throw off trash at every stop.
-We had a "lights out" policy at midnight, basically, no bus lighting, no movies, no loud stuff, but kids could still watch movies on laptops and play games.
-Food, we were told to eat beforehand, and then we did breakfast in the morning. This was for a 10 hour trip. I'd set up a lunch & dinner stop too, snacks can only go so far. ;)
-It's sometimes mandatory to stop every few hours to let the driver take a pee/drink/cig break. Use this time to let the kids run around, get somehting to drink, and just stretch the legs.
-Don't be affraid to have parents "switch" seats with bad kids to break up loud groups.
-Generally, we had movies that both the parents and kids wanted to see, although we wern't allowed Disney movies for some odd reason. I'd recomend TV shows myself, since they tend to work better on the road. Get someone who has the DVD sets of Family Guy, The Simpsons, etc.

Oh, make sure to agree on everything before hand, such as movies and things. Pack more entertainment than you'll need, people like movies, just not the whole bloody trip ;)

Dan Petrovic 10-04-2006 14:57

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
We haven't been on an 18 hour bus trip but Telephone can be pretty entertaining for a while.

If you haven't played it's best at a dinner table with a ton of people. One person whisperes something to the person next to him, and then that person passes on the message but changes one thing.

We did this at a restaurant after one of our competitions and we eventually had 4 or 5 messages running around the table at once.

JaneYoung 10-04-2006 15:27

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Our team dietary needs/preferences are diverse and complicated during travel. We make it work with a combination of
Miss Information's suggestions
Rick Tyler's Scout system
and placing some of the responsibility on the person that has special needs.

If a traveling team member has to eat every 2 hours, then they have to make arrangements/provide the snacks/food that will keep them healthy until we stop for the next meal.
So it works. Even though we are from Texas, barbecue is not at the top of our list for places to eat at - we try to find restaurants or areas that provide a large variety to select from. When our parents provide sandwiches and breakfast foods, they are careful to fit the team's dietary needs and are way cool for doing so. It gets us through.

Side note: we like the bus. The team grows very close during this special time together - baked beans or no.

:)

Eugenia Gabrielov 10-04-2006 15:51

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Speaking as somebody who has fairly rigid dietary requirements - please, please have at least some choice.

Also, I don't think anybody has mentioned this...

but if you can, avoid places with lots of smoke. I know in some states smoking in restaurants is entirely illegal. This is not the case for every state. No matter what your opinion is on smoke in public places, please understand that it is a painful thing to deal with (the smell) on a crowded bus.

Rick TYler 10-04-2006 15:52

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by MissInformation
No, it's not that simple. Not when you have students who don't eat certain things for religious reasons, or do you want them to get the impression that their opinion doesn't matter? Or students who cannot eat pizza because they are lactose intolerant? Almost every town has a fast food section, and if you stop at a place like that, there's a good chance everyone has their needs met without making anyone feel strange or bad because of their difference.

"Picky eaters" <> "food restrictions due to religious convictions or medical neccesity." Please don't demonize me by changing the argument you originally made to a different one. It's a shabby rhetorical trick, and one that I don't expect to find on CD.

JamesBrown 10-04-2006 16:02

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick TYler
"Picky eaters" <> "food restrictions due to religious convictions or medical neccesity." Please don't demonize me by changing the argument you originally made to a different one. It's a shabby rhetorical trick, and one that I don't expect to find on CD.

I don't believe that she was trying to make you look bad or trick you in any way, Heidi is right the easiest thing to do is to stop at a place with alot of choices, on our team we have students with food allergies, a student who is a vegetarian for medical reasons, a student who is a vegetarian by choice and others who are just picky eaters. I believe that Heidi was just generalizing by saying picky eaters and was just pointing out that dislike of food was not the only reason to follow her idea.

MissInformation 10-04-2006 16:24

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick TYler
"Picky eaters" <> "food restrictions due to religious convictions or medical neccesity." Please don't demonize me by changing the argument you originally made to a different one. It's a shabby rhetorical trick, and one that I don't expect to find on CD.

I classified it as picky eaters because I honestly refer to all of our people with food restrictions as "picky" eaters (including myself as I cannot eat pork or beef), partially because I don't want them to feel odd about their restrictions and because it's just easier to refer to it that way. I only went into detail when you accused me of being a mentor who was focused on unimportant details, because I think all roles on a team and all details are important the only difference being priority of importance (such as building of robot having priority over making team buttons). I was not trying to demonize you and as a matter of fact, I did not intend my first post to be an argument, just a suggestion, and my second post was a clarification, not an argument. In other words, I am not arguing with you. You do have a valid point, you cannot make everyone happy, but that doesn't mean I can't try to make as many happy as possible.

So, back to you Andrew, if your team knows ahead of time they are going to be stopping at a pizza place, there should be no problem because they know ahead of time and can prepare for anything (I certainly did not mean to imply your idea was bad). Our team tends to just drive along until the head chaperon decides it's time to find a place to eat and tells the bus driver to stop. In this case, I still highly recommend trying to find a mixture of fast food places.

Heidi

Morgan Gillespie 10-04-2006 16:33

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Having done 27 hour car trips from NJ to Texas several times (6) and a 17 hour NJ to FL four times with my family (7People (Includes 1 friend)(we go non stop)) I deal with long car trips, easiest thing to do is bring a blanket, pillow and whatever you need to get comfortable. Bring a lot of snacks just for you, do not plan to share much. Bring chargers, back up chargers and back up batteries, bring busy work, like school work. Now one thing to remember, TALK AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE, with no talk there is little chance of arguments and when you hit hour 20 and someone honestly believes that Kirk only had 3 fin... anyway just ignore people, if they get on your nerves complain to an adult. Honestly it may be the weenie way out but it works. Another tip, BUY SOMETHING NEW, I don’t care what it is, a new game, a new CD, a new movie, or battle bots from the dollar store, just buy something new. With something new you have a much lower chance of getting bored then with something old because it has that new feeling. Watch special features on movies, even watch em with commentary. Another tip, get as much rest as possible and before this trip starts wear the most comfortable thing you have, I don’t care if it is neon green, wear it!

lukevanoort 10-04-2006 16:43

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
I don't know about Dave's baked beans suggestion... I imagine its great for peace and quiet but team unity? Unless you happen to be a team of skunks... As for entertainment, I'd suggest handing out cutouts of Dave, Woodie, Dean, Andy Baker, and so on's heads as well as a few magazines and glue sticks. The winner makes the funniest "photoedit."

VEN 10-04-2006 16:48

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
here's an idea, everyone bring a laptop, download track mania nations onto it (free 260mb racing game) and that should keep us occupied :D you'd be amazed how fun that game is considering its free

i think my team is traveling with 1305 Ice Cubed

RoboMom 10-04-2006 17:15

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
My 16 year old just returned last night from a band trip to Chicago. 15 hours. Each way. He recommends "Dodgeball" and "Anchorman." (Personally I would second the "Apollo 13" recommendation) (I remember being on a trip where the team was reduced to watching Ashley and Mary Kate movies due to the lack of advance planning...) I sent him with a warehouse box of prezels in bags. He actually returned with most of them saying "they didn't like prezels." His pillow and blanket were in great demand. He had a blast and promised that he would write the teacher an apology note for....
oh never mind.

VEN 10-04-2006 17:25

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
I got a laugh out of full metal jacket but that's around 2000 swear words too much...it's one of those movies you watch once and yeah...dodgeball was a fun movie

kaszeta 10-04-2006 17:30

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Perkins
To whomever said, give respect, get respect...I couldn't agree more. To the NEM's and parents who run teams, if you find bus trips or whatnot to be intolerable because of attitudes or emotions, try giving your kids some freedom, you'd be suprised how well it works.

If at all possible, I think this is the way to go.

Since I've had to also be a chaperone (in addition to being a mentor) several times for Team 95. I explain that I have exactly two rules, and they have served me well:
  • Don't be stupid
  • Be nice to each other

Yeah, I've had a few times where I've had to point out that the students were breaking one of these, but in general it works out fine, and the students don't feel like anyone is locking them up.

Between this, and relying on the fact that the students have just as much time invested in the robot and success as the teachers/parents/mentors and don't want to screw it up, this has worked out quite well.

Koko Ed 10-04-2006 17:34

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
C'mon you guys you're all inventors. You guys should be making a portable cryogenic sleep chambers for those long bus trips! You got two weeks before you have to go. Get cracking!

Not2B 10-04-2006 19:18

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
I have only had to endure a few bus rides... But movies help out alot.

Just remember, If you put in "The Right Stuff" and the 80's band "The New Kids on the Block" show up, you got the wrong one.

By the way, the students on my team decided, on their own free will, to watch all 6 star wars movies in a row when Episode III came out. Yes... after school on Friday they went to someone's house and watched I and II, then went the the theater and watched III, came back to the person's house and watched IV, V, and VI, then had waffles for breakfast.

IF you do watch all 6, the recommended order, according to most of 862, is to watch 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6. Why?
4 - Oh nice. A space movie.
5 - Wow... this is also nic.... WHAT!?! DARTH VADER IS LUKE'S FATHER - WHAT ARE YOU DOING, LUCAS? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??? TELL ME NOW!
1 - It's a kid.
2- Uh oh... I see where this is going
3 - Dude! Anikan just flipped out. OK, I see how it happened. That stupid old dude is mean. Thanks for explaining, Lucas.
6 - Yeah - Stupid Old Sith guy is going to get his. HA! It's all full circle. And Ewoks. They would make a good Christmas special...

Also, not very proud of this, but our bus is split male/female like this. Males anywhere on the bus. Female section is where the 2 of them sit.

sanddrag 10-04-2006 19:26

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
I think karaeoke on the bus would be a grand idea.

VEN 10-04-2006 19:49

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
lol true that...except I won't be putting anyone to sleep with MY voice :D

Kim Masi 10-04-2006 19:58

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottM
It doesn't look like it's been mentioned yet, I'd highly recommend "Apollo 13".

Scott


best. movie. ever.

its all about the tom hanks.

JamesBrown 10-04-2006 23:31

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by kaszeta
If at all possible, I think this is the way to go.

Since I've had to also be a chaperone (in addition to being a mentor) several times for Team 95. I explain that I have exactly two rules, and they have served me well:
  • Don't be stupid
  • Be nice to each other

Yeah, I've had a few times where I've had to point out that the students were breaking one of these, but in general it works out fine, and the students don't feel like anyone is locking them up.

Between this, and relying on the fact that the students have just as much time invested in the robot and success as the teachers/parents/mentors and don't want to screw it up, this has worked out quite well.


I also agree with you. There are alot of things that can happen on a bus (or any other time on a trip) that would cause much more trouble then they are worth. I understand the reasoning behind separating team members. However I have always supported the idea of giving every one some freedom. 99% of the people who share seats on the way to Atlanta wont even think about doing anything in appropriate. It would be quite unfortunate if the other 1 percent ruined it for every one else. My advice would be to allow students to choose any seat the want. Mentors and Parents should be aware of what is going on, if a problem comes up then address it privately. I know on my team many of the girls are closer to the guys then they are to the other girls, this is typical of HS age kids, I would say that segregation is not necessary and may be detrimental, however this should be addressed on a team by team basis and it will come down to the maturity level of the students and will reflect the trust that they have earned.

Drawman 10-04-2006 23:43

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Just watch Forrest Gump like...6 times

=)

Greg Marra 10-04-2006 23:46

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Drawman
Just watch Forrest Gump like...6 times

=)

At least once. That is the classic long-bus-ride movie.

KenWittlief 11-04-2006 00:10

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
get the video kids to take all of Tom Hanks other movies (besides Gump) and paste them all together, with a voice over: instant Forrest Gump part 2.

[Gump]: since I was a gazzillionaire, and a war hero, wouldnt you know it, I got to go to the moon on apollo 13. But not Leutenant Dan, he went to MARS!

that should be good for about 12 hours!

vic burg 11-04-2006 16:46

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
I am a student but, I hope this can help. We, Team 108, shared a bus ride up to the Palmetto Regional with Team 1251 both ways. Us students pretty much just completely had fun. A lot of people slept, since it was 13 hours on the way up, and it was basically, an all day thing. And yes, gameboys, iPods, CD Players and the such were technically an essential. I really don't think that same gender seating is necessary because normally, the students are too bored to be thinking of doing anything. Even if anyone did/does, they will hear about it from the other students and teachers/coaches/mentors since the bus is only so big and whatever happens, virtually everyone knows about. Robotics students tend to have high maturity levels so, Andrew, you really needn't worry much. Yes, spread out the chaperone's and you should be set. But, find out, before the trip is 3 hours into it, if the VHS/DVD player works. Otherwise, things may be a bit crazy. (Ours didn't and we all complained but, we got over it, and even bought the supplies to fix it. ) Having gone on multiple school trips via bus, whether only a few or many hours, on the way back, if you are driving overnight, or if either way is overnight, you can basically be guaranteed that all students at any given point (maybe 1 or 2 won't), will be asleep. Hope you have a good, fun, and safe trip!!!!

MissInformation 11-04-2006 17:13

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Dave's baked beans comment made me think of something really important that almost no one remembers... If the bus has a bathroom, buy a can of Lysol or some other air cleaner or neutralizer because someone is bound to use that bathroom and it's a bit overwhelming for the people who have to sit near the bathroom. On our trip to Atlanta last year we pulled over at a grocery store so that we could purchase said item.

Wayne C. 11-04-2006 18:39

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Best suggestion-

dont

WC

Kim Masi 11-04-2006 18:50

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Drawman
Just watch Forrest Gump like...6 times

=)

the tom hanks quote still stands. its all about the tom hanks.

the terminal is very good too. and PG. everyone will enjoy it.

dubious elise 11-04-2006 19:26

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
After reading this thread, I guess all I can say is that I am all the more grateful that our teachers, parents, and mentors trust the judgement of our students.

Our rule of thumb is "Whatever you do, don't annoy [head teacher]"

For students that may be all thumbs, the alternate rule is "Whatever you do, don't annoy [head teacher]"

This annoyance policy is quite effective, since no one quite knows what will cause annoyance. As far as consequences go, well... let's just say that we never make the same mistake twice - though we may become more creative in our endeavors :)

With the school year rapidly drawing to a close, I would not be surprised to see students whip out their textbooks and term papers - especially on long hauls via road. Since we have many students on our team enrolled in AP classes (mostly Calculus AB and BC), we often study and work on practice tests together. From my experience, there is awfully little mischief that can be caused in such severely limited space.

VEN 11-04-2006 20:04

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
lol the thing with our team...its fun for all to annoy the head teacher :D even for him

MattK 11-04-2006 20:29

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Eugenia Gabrielov
A female and male section is probably unnecessary. You as a mentor know who your trouble makers are - most students won't really misbehave, they'll just want to sleep or chat casually.

I agree, if they are not old enough to be responsible on a bus ride they are definitely not responsible enough to go to Atlanta.

What exactly is the motivation behind separating the males and females?

Andrew Schuetze 11-04-2006 21:16

Re: Suggestions for 18 hour bus trip
 
This is by far the most replies to any of my posts on C.D. :)
Maybe some missed that seperating girls and boys was only during the lights out time midnight to 7 AM.

Plain and simple, I trust my team but teenagers make ill advised choices at a moments notice. I will have 32 students ranging from 9th grade to 12th grade and feel that I must provide resonable assurances to parents and school district administrators that I am being prudent.

I think my basic plan will work and did pick up some good tips such as the scheduled bathroom/stretch break just prior to lights out to facilitate the transition to gender based seating. I also liked the idea of renting a movie trilogy or complete season of a TV show. This will date me but I can watch MASH everyday two or three times in a row and never get tired of the humor. I did find the power inverter idea to run a lan party or game system interesting but I don't think I can swing that set up with the week and a half left before we depart.

Thanks for all the suggestions and we'll be seeing you in Atlanta. We will be the team with purple and yellow tie-dyes. :cool:

APS


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 14:22.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © Chief Delphi