By Amy Batista, Special Writer
CRANBURY — Longtime Cranbury Board of Education bus driver Kaye Davison will be reaching the end of her road career at the end of this month.
Ms. Davison will complete her last bus run on June 18 and will officially retire on June 30 after 42 years driving for the district.
Ms. Davison became the Transportation Coordinator for the Transportation Department in 2003. She said that, technically, she has been coordinating all the routes since the Jamison transportation company took over in 1978.
She also heads the Child Awareness Program in addition to driving a bus, according to Ms. Davison.
One of the biggest things Ms. Davison looked forward to every September was to see how the kids on her bus would grow up and change over the year.
”It’s amazing to see how much they change, especially the eighth graders when they go to high school,” Ms. Davison said.
Ms. Davison said she never set out to make a career out of being a bus driver, but it just happened for her. She said she was asked to do it by Chris Christiansen who lived up the road from her years ago and she is still driving the bus today.
”He thought I would be a good driver and would I come drive for him (in September of 1969)and that’s how I started,” Ms. Davison.
The decision to retire was not any easy one for Ms. Davison. Her own children were behind her decision and motivated her to retire at the end.
”They thought it was time for me to retire. My husband wants to go to Florida in the winter time and I could never go and they decided it was time for me to retire,” Ms. Davison said. “I didn’t want to but as the year went along I did. Now I’m looking forward to it because I’m going to be a great-grandma.”.
Ms. Davison said she would now be able to spend her time when her great-grandchild is born sometime in the beginning of December.
She said taking care of the baby and is very much looking for to that.
Ms. Davison said that driving the late buses was one of the best times for her during her long career.
”When I drove the late buses you got to know the high school kids so well, and we just had such a great time with different things that we did.” Ms. Davison said. “When we went to Lawrence we would have so many different ways (to go) that I would come home and we would try them all to see which would be quicker. I think the best (part)is driving the high school kids.”
”They say ‘Good morning to you.’ ‘Good-bye to you.’ They tell you to ‘Have a good day.’ and you do the same to them. They are just very polite on a whole,” Ms. Davison said.
Ms. Davison said the traffic has increased over the years.
”When we went to Lawrence, it wasn’t so bad because there was so many different ways we could go and you kind of lived with the traffic,” Ms. Davison said. “When we went to Princeton, we were kind of tied to two ways getting in and out and it was just a constant battle especially with the late runs trying to get the kids back.”
Ms. Davison was well known for her rules on the bus, which included wearing seat belts, no fighting, and no cussing to name a few.
The front seat was reserved for her kindergartners and was referred to as the “kindergarten seat.”
Those who misbehaved were assigned a specific seat on the bus until further notice.
Some of her students, like Natalie McDowell, remember her and her famous sayings.
”Sit down on your bottoms! Or I will stop this bus,” said Ms. McDowell of Annapolis, Maryland.
Ms. Davison’s radio was also well known on the bus. One day a week, Ms. Davison would listen to her country music and then the rest of the week her students got to choice what they wanted to listen to except for any rap or hard rock.
Paul Lindenfield recalled a time on the bus.
”She let us listen to Howard (Stern),” said Mr. Lindenfield.
Her sayings not only made an impact on her students but also on her fellow co-workers like Sherry Caffrey who later became part of Ms. Davison’s family.
”You were to be early and not late,” said Ms. Caffrey of Monroe and noted that it was her saying. “I learned that from Kaye when I was 21 years. I has been 31 years and that will always stick in my mind.”
”Working with Kaye was like working with family. She was very kind and loving and caring, but you knew not to cross the line. Number one priority was tardiness. Family or not she will let you know,” Ms. Caffrey said. “We started as co-workers and ended up as family and she will continue to be there for me even though she is retiring.”
Others also shared stories of Ms. Davison during her career.
”Kaye is great,” said Mary Cox of Millstone. “She is honest and dependable. She is great friend, terrific human being give you the shirt off her back. She was a good person and a hard worker.”
Ms. Cox said that they worked together for more than 25 years, and during that time they “had a lot of good laughs.”
”Kaye is a true friend,” Ms. Cox said. “No matter what we did she looked out for your best interest.”
Ms. Cox described a time she got a new bus.
”One time I was driving a new school bus and the seat was up high and she made me a crown,” Ms. Cox said. “Anything you needed, she was there.”
”I’m gonna miss (my job) really bad because I love working with the kids,” Ms. Davison said with tears in her eyes. “There’s so many special things that I remember.”

