Buddy the Bus
Part one: The introduction
The aim of this section of footage is to hook the kids in, introduce a narrative, connect with the audience emotionally, elicit some ideas when thinking about bus safety, (how you might work out what good rules are and where to find the information).
The ideafor this part of the video is to firmly plant in the children’s minds the notion that safety rules are made for a very good reason.
The characters are Buddy the Bus and Lucy (a little girl in Year three).
The setting: sitting to the side of a covered bus shelter, somewhere in Canberra.
Buddy skidsinto the bus stop in an upbeat, enthusiastic frame of mind, whistling an upbeat tune. He stops, and comes across a little girl sobbing, sitting to the side of the shelter.
Buddy: Hey there, what’s your name (in a friendly but cautious voice)? Were you wanting to get onto the bus?
Lucy: (softly crying) Hello I’m Lucy and I’m in year three at the Safety Bay Primary School. Well….yes…I’d love to get on, but that’s my problem. I don’t have my bus safety licence yet and I’m worried I won’t ever get it. Who….who are you?
Buddy: (Puffing out his chest.) Shucks…you don’t know me? Why, I’m only THE Action bus in charge of all safety on the buses, for all of the boys and girls in schools throughout the ACT. I’m very surprised you haven’t heard of me. I’m Buddy The ACTION Bus for safety.
So, Lucy. Tell me about this “bus licence” you mentioned. What’s that? Are you going to drive the buses? Aren’t you a little too young for that?
Lucy: (Drying her eyes, smiling, and giggling a little.) Not that kind of licence, silly. (Giggles). We have all kinds of licences at our school; we have to earn them to get all kinds of special privileges. Like last year, I got my “pen licence”, because I could do really good running writing. Then I got to use a pen instead of just a pencil. That felt real good. But now (big sigh), I don’t know where to start. I don’t think I’ll EVER get my bus safety licence. And so I won’t get to have fun with all the other kids. They always have fun when they go on the buses. I have to wait for my mum and she’salways reallybusy…
Buddy: Well Lucy what do you have to do to get this bus safety licence? Maybe I could help you?
Lucy: Umm…I have to learn what the bus safety rules are. And I have to be able to explain them to my teacher, clearly. And then she’s going to ask some questions to make sure I understand them. (Sighing)And I think there’re lots of them. HeapsI’m not sure. (Big sigh) Now I just don’t know where to start.
Buddy: Well, Lucy. You’re in a bit of luck here.(upbeat tone) Remember I was saying that I was Buddy – the ACTION bus for safety?
I’m just the guy you need right now and I’m going to make sure you get that bus safety licence. Would you like that?
Lucy says in an excited voice: Oh…yes please Buddy. If you could help me to get it, then I could ride on the buses with all the other kids. Can you tell me them the rules I mean.Please?
Buddy: Well, Lucy. I could do that (considering, stroking his chin) but you wouldn’t understand them properly if I just told them to you.
I’m going to get YOU to work them out all by yourself. That way, you will know the rules and you’ll remember them because you worked themout all by yourself!
Lucy: (Sounding sad and upset…): But I can’t. I don’t know how to.
Buddy: Now that’s where you are wrong. What you’ve got to do is to go back to school and start some research. Do you know what research is, Lucy?
Lucy: Shaking her head. Nuh ah.
Buddy: Research is when you find things out. It’s like being a bit of a detective.
You have to snoop around and look in all kinds of places, until you find what you are looking for. You have to talk to people, you have to read some stuff, you might even have to watch some special films called “documentaries” – and most of all, you have to ask lots of questions.
Lucy: (slowly says).What sort of questions?
Buddy: Well, questions like“What are rules?” and “Why do we need them in the first place?” things like that. Do you get what I mean?
Lucy: (sounding happy) Oh, that sounds like fun, Buddy. I think I’d enjoy that. I like to find things out…and I like asking questions.
Buddy: Great. Lucy you CAN do the research and you know what? I’ll bet you can find out what bus safety rules we should have and why!
Lucy: You know what, Buddy. I think you’re right. I CAN do this. But how will I know if I got the rules right when I have finished?
Buddy: Well Lucy, that’s when I will tell you the real rules. The ones you need to remember always. They’re the ones that will lead you to getting that bus safety licence and have you on the buses straight away!
Why don’t you go back to school tomorrow and get a group of detectives together amongst your friends and start investigating straight away.
Lucy: (excitedly) Yes, Buddy. I’ll get onto it straight away. You are right. I am so glad I met you!
Buddy: Aw! (Shyly – going beetroot red) – You know it’s my job to help little kids like you. (Hesitatingly) …and I am good at it.So, Lucy, just get back to me next week, and you can tell me how well you did with your research? We can see if you and your friends can work out what the correct rules are that will help you get your bus licence?
Lucy:(sounding excited)It’s a deal, Buddy!( air punch) See you here next week –and I’ll try my best to have the right answers! Thanks Buddy – you’re my hero!
Buddy: No worries Lucy – gotta dash – got to meet my bus schedule, – see you
Lucy: See you next week!
(Buddy takes off, brakes suddenly and backs right up again to Lucy)
Buddy: By the way don’t forget that there are rules for inside the bus and some for the outside too. Just a little hint to get you started. (He winks)Good luck Lucy!
Buddy takes off at speed with puffs of smoke following, as he disappears into the distance.
Lucy waves goodbye to Buddy, (enthusiastically), as he disappears in a whirlwind.
End of part one.
BUDDY THE BUS SCRIPT
Part two
Setting: The bus stop
Actors: Lucy, Buddy and some friends.
Vision: Lucy looking down the street hoping Buddy will arrive.
Lucy (talking to her friends): I can’t wait for you to meet my friend, Buddy.
Friends: Yeah, he sounds so cool.
Audio plays of a bus coming along.
Lucy: (Excitedly) here he comes!
(Buddy zips along to stop right next to them and of brakes)
Buddy: Hi kids. Hi Lucy (big grin) How are you? I noticed you stepped back from the kerb when I pulled up. Was that on purpose?
Kids: (excitedly) Hi Buddy...hi buddy.
Lucy: (sounding excited)Yep! We did our research, Buddy and we’re already practicing the rules!I think I’m going to get my licence after all…, Buddy. Thanks to you. (She grins widely)
Buddy: Ok, Lucy. That’s great news –I knew you could do it. Let’s see how well you did? I’m going to give you the rules and you can check them against all the ones you found. Did your friends help you?
Lucy: (sounding excited) they sure did. That’s why they’re here to find out if we got it all right.
Buddy pulls down a screen along the side of the bus. He starts the film rolling which the slowly scrolls through and displays the six rules.Rules for outside the bus appear on screen.
Buddy: First the outside rules.
Rule number one:Stand back from the kerb as the bus approaches.
Rule number two:Enter the bus carefully, in a single file, and without rushing.
Rule number three:When you’re off the bus, wait for it to leave before crossing the road, so you have a good view of the traffic before you cross.
Buddy: And now the inside rules.
Rule number one:Find a seat and sit down quickly. Only stand if there are no seats.
Rule number two:Move to the back of the bus leaving room for others and hold on tightly to a strap or rail.
Rule number three:Place your bags under a seat and never obstruct the aisle.
The film ends and thekids start to cheer.
Kids: Yay we did it....Hooray! (Cheering)
Buddy: You did really well to get all those right. All of you. Was it hard?
Lucy: Well once we started to do the detective work, I mean “research” it got easier and easier.
Once we got into it, there was just so much information and then it all came together and we worked out why we actually needed the rules in the first place.
I thought it was cool. I really enjoyed it.
Buddy: I thought you would. Once you know why we have rules, it’s so easy to remember them, isn’t it?
Lucy: (sounding happy) Yep. I know I will get my licence after all the work I did.
Buddy: I know you will too and you’ll be on the bus in no time.
Got to go, I’ve got a timetable to keep!See you on the buses.
Don’t forget boys and girls, always remember to follow the six rules when you catch the bus!
Buddy whizzesoff into the distance once more with puffs of smoke rising behind him.