TILTS: School bus text message alerts

I get text message alerts on my cell phone when my children's school is delayed or closed. I get an email when their lunch accounts run low. Is it too much to ask to get an alert when the school bus is nearing my house? I think not which is why bus stop text message alerts are today's technology I'd like to see (TILTS).

Every morning, I take my children to the bus stop at the same time. I always allow a few extra minutes since I never know whether the bus driver will be early, on time or late that day. I have no choice but to the play the "better safe than sorry" game.

I'll bet you I sit at the bus stop an average of 4 minutes each time I wait for the bus. And since I have a son in kindergarten, the rules state that I have to be at the bus stop at drop-off at the end of the school day as well. Now we're up to 8 minutes per school day of wait time. Given that there are 180 school days in a school year, that's 1,440 minutes or 24 hours per school year I spend waiting for the bus.

What would you do with an extra 24 hours?

Now who wouldn't want to have 24 hours of their time back? Use it to spend a few extra minutes at the breakfast table with your children. Use it to pack your children's lunch more carefully. Or just use it to sleep in later. All while peacefully assured you will get a text message alert on your cell phone as soon as the bus is 3 or 4 stops away from your house. Which, of course, leaves you the perfect amount of time to walk to the bus stop and meet the school bus just as it arrives at your stop.

Heaven.

Disclaimer: Technologies presented in the Technology I'd Like To See (TILTS) series are based on my original (and sometimes delirious) thoughts. I present them here to the public only because I can not afford to implement any of them myself. If you steal borrow one of my ideas and end up filthy rich because of it, please remember where you got the idea and throw a little love my way. Something like a BMW or a big fat check would do just fine.