When you talk about school life, it’s not just books or uniforms or assembly. It’s the mornings, the rush and the panic to reach on time. And if you take the van, oh, the moment it shows up at the gate, you have to jump into it no matter what, even if you are still holding your shoes and socks.

Perhaps there are days when your mum is pushing a piece of sandwich into your mouth while you are searching for your missing file. Doesn’t matter, that chaos is happening right now and along comes the school van. Of course, the van driver is doing his thing, yelling and honking. And finally, as you rush to sit in the van, his eyes throw tiny lightning bolts at you for taking too long.

You may not have noticed him until now, but this article will make you see him closely. You’ll notice every van driver has their own quirks, their own way of driving and each one turns a simple ride into its own little adventure. Find out which one is yours!

If you ever took a school van, you already know — no two van drivers are ever the same. Some race, some relax, some shout while some stay silent. This piece explores the different van drivers who make school rides memorable

The Formula One uncle

He doesn’t believe the road is for normal driving. For him, it’s a racing track where he has to prove his racing skills.

He has one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the horn. In his mind, the calculations are going like, “Let me get ahead of this black car, overtake, brake, race, hold, this way or that?”

While kids in the van hold their breath, especially the younger ones, there are those super daring ones who enjoy it too much. They cheer him on and say, “Uncle, overtake karain!” and he actually takes it seriously.

No matter how many sudden jumps the van makes, he looks very calm, like nothing happened. And you sit there thinking maybe this is your last day on Earth, but somehow you always reach school, and later home, safely.

The relaxed uncle

This one is the opposite of a racing driver. He is slow. Like, really slow. Always calm.

You climb into the van and you just know you’ll either sleep or be late, or both. He drives like he has all the time in the world. Even if a donkey cart blocks the road, he just smiles and says, “Ho jata hai beta.” He takes no stress.

Half the van sleeps because his whole energy is so chill. Sometimes even teachers ask why you’re late and you just say, “Miss… van uncle…!” and they already know which driver you’re talking about.

The DJ uncle

This cool van uncle believes music is the most important thing in life. He plays everything at a volume nobody asked for or imagined. His van has more speakers than seats.

Early morning, while your eyes are still half-open, suddenly a loud remix jolts you fully alert! You wonder if it’s time for school or some mehndi function! Some kids love the music vibe, some hate it, but nobody can ignore it. You enter silently and come out with either a headache or a dance mood, depending on your day.

The shortcut master

The shortcut uncle knows every street that even Google Maps doesn’t know.

Suddenly, he takes a turn into some tiny, narrow lane and you’re like, “Uncle, are we lost?” but he says, “Nahi beta, shortcut hai.” But sometimes it’s not a shortcut. Sometimes it’s a long, confusing route, but he doesn’t accept defeat. He still calls it a shortcut.

The always angry one

This school van uncle, for some kids, is a nightmare. He is angry at petrol prices, bikers, cars, trees, even the weather and the driving of other drivers on the road. He hits the brakes like he’s punishing them.

Every five minutes, he shouts at kids, “Seedhey beitho, tumharey abbu ko bataoonga!”

You would never want to arrive late in his van, because then you will be the target of his angry lecture, making everyone late… and you deal with his anger till you reach school or your home.

The storyteller

Some van uncles just love to talk and tell stories. To me, they are the coolest ones, because they keep you entertained throughout your journey.

So as soon as you sit, he starts some long story — politics, cricket, neighbours, market rates, everything. By the time you reach school, you have too much information that you didn’t even ask for, but now you have it.

The mysteriously silent uncle

Hmm… this one is cool too, but mysteriously cool. He doesn’t talk. Doesn’t react. Just drives, silently.

You don’t even know what his voice sounds like. He just nods. But he has this strange skill of stopping the van exactly at your stop without you realising you have already reached.

However, there is one more variety of this silent van uncle. They are silent because their mouths are always full of that “paan-stuff”, making them incapable of speaking, so they keep their mouth shut.

The brake master

This uncle never slows down normally. He always waits till the exact second and then hits the brake.

Everyone jumps forward, bags fall, some kids bump their heads, but he doesn’t care. He just says, “Seat pakro, beta!”

The friendly one

This type of van uncle is the sweet one. He treats every child like his own.

He asks about your homework, your test, your lunch. He gives free advice and makes you feel like he is part of your family. Parents trust him so much they even ask how their child behaves. And he always has some little fatherly talk ready.

The daredevil

This type of van uncle is too daring to deal with, and you also need to have a strong heart to survive his dares.

If he sees a little space between two cars, he will try to go through it. Sometimes he makes it and looks very proud of himself. Sometimes he almost doesn’t and everyone screams. Even the drivers of other cars honk and glare at him. You don’t know whether to admire his skills or prepare for your life to flash before your eyes.

Whenever I think about van drivers, the ones who drove me to school or my friends’ vans, I realise there are so many different types of them.

For example, there’s the driver who only plays the radio on the news channel. No music, no entertainment, just serious updates like traffic, weather reports and political discussions.

Then there are those who think their van is still empty while the kids are squeezed into each other, and they say, “Bohut jaga hai beta! Abhi 10 aur bachey bitha doon!” And there are those who are always on the phone, one call ends, another starts.

These van drivers, with all their strange habits, funny moods and little dramas, are part of our routine and school life. They are there every single morning and every single afternoon. They watch us grow without either them or us realising it.

You remember the school, the subjects and the teachers, but you also remember the van uncle long after you enter college or university. And maybe you didn’t even think about them, but their presence matters. Respect them, smile at them, enjoy the memories, because they stay with you quietly, even as you grow older.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 24th, 2026