It's not clear why the school bus driver stopped, but she apparently did right at the top of a busy bridge.
One of the students on the bus took a photo, and in the upper right portion of the frame you can see what they say is the bus driver walking away from the bus.
"I don't know why she was frustrated, but she parked," said parent Roshanda Tate. "She stopped here."
Tate says her daughter told her the driver stopped at the top of a bridge and got out.
She continued, "And my daughter said, 'It's kind of dangerous to stop the bus on this bridge.' And she took the keys out, threw them at my daughter and said, 'Then you drive.'"
The girl took a photo of those keys.
Fort Bend ISD says there were 10-12 students on that bus, riding home from Baines Middle School. A spokesperson for the district says only that the driver "got upset" over something that occurred. They are not yet sure what caused that.
FBISD says drivers are told to contact a supervisor and request a replacement driver if they for some reason cannot continue their route. The district tells us that's what happened and that the driver stayed with the bus until another driver arrived. Still, parents are outraged.
Mother Latiffany Sauls said, "This street gets pretty busy and the cars drive fast!"
What would have happened, the parents ask, if the kids took the bus for a joy ride once they had the keys? Or what if they stepped off the bus? The door opened into traffic. What if someone got hurt?
Tate said, "We're not in the business of seeing anyone lose their jobs but she needs to lose her job behind this. This is absolutely unacceptable."
FBISD sent home a statement to parents saying in part, "The safety of our students is our highest priority. We regret this incident occurred and appropriate actions will be taken."
The driver has not been terminated. But district officials tell us that for now she won't again be driving one of their buses.
