Our first attempts to ride the PCPT Buses for training started off with a few minor mishaps, but all-in-all, I feel they went very well! We started in June with our first groups and the first day, we walked up to Madison Avenue, where we were supposed to get our very first bus. As we were sitting there, our bus went right on by! We then walked back to AFIRE where I made a phone call and found out that we were sitting on the wrong side of the street!! We all laughed and then made lunches for everyone in the group of PB&J sandwiches, fruit cups and juice. We then set out the next day, sat on the right side of the street, and got our first bus. We then got off at the K-Mart and had to find our next bus that was heading to the Gulfview Square Mall. After getting off at the mall, we walked around and “window” shopped for awhile and then ate our lunch in the Food Court. We then returned back to AFIRE by getting one bus from the mall to the K-Mart, and then another bus from the K-Mart to our stop on the other side of the street, in front of the North Bay Hospital. Our second group also had to be changed to another day, so we had to make everyone in the group lunches. We then went the next day and this time, after getting off at the K-Mart, we just missed the bus that was going to the mall, so we had to wait at the K-Mart stop for about 20 minutes for the next bus. After getting to the mall, we didn’t have any time to “window” shop, so we went directly to the Food Court and enjoyed our lunch. We then returned the same way we came.

Everyone did a fantastic job with this training and seemed to really enjoy it! Each consumer had to show the driver their FL ID card and their PCPT Green Disability Card. They then had to place their $1.00 into one slot and their quarter into another slot and then their 1 day pass popped up from another slot! Our consumers then had to “slide” their new 1 day pass in an entirely different slot each time they got onto another bus! They all did a fantastic job with this and seemed to really enjoy themselves, as did staff!

Thank you,
Denise Haystrand
Teaching Director