The evacuation of thousands of people from the path of deadly Hurricane Ike in Texas last month has drawn mixed reviews from drivers and operators who took part in the operation.

Some said they were treated so poorly they have soured on getting involved in other large-scale rescue efforts in the state, while others said the operation went as well as they had expected.

"It was a catastrophe for the bus drivers and that just shouldnt have happened," said Bill Austin, owner of Dallas-based Buses by Bill, who responded to the call for help from state officials with eight coaches and drivers.

He said his drivers were fed very little, did not have toilet or shower facilities and were forced to sleep on their buses for most of the 10 days they were part of the evacuation effort that drew more than 1,000 commercial coaches and school buses from throughout the country.

Drivers from other carriers echoed the complaints, including one who said drivers were required to shut down their engines at night so they would conserve fuel, which meant they could not run their air conditioning systems while they slept.

Most disturbing, according to Austin, was that bus drivers were treated differently than others who were involved in the evacuation operation, including state troopers, medical personnel and state and federal officials. He said drivers on one occasion tried to enter a dining tent where other workers were eating, but were stopped by a sign that said they were not allowed inside.

"It is my opinion that esprit de corps could have been maintained during the effort by offering equal accommodations to all workers who were involved in the effort," he said.

"It is very disheartening for a driver who has only been allowed once during the day to travel into town to eat at a fast-food facility to observe other workers enjoying a fine meal served in a tent with a sign posted outside the tent which reads, No Bus Drivers."

Not all experiences bad

In contrast to the complaints, Jeff Polzien of Red Carpet Charters in Oklahoma City said he sent 15 buses and drivers to Texas and he believes the operation went well.

"I was pretty happy with the way it went," he said, adding that his only issue is that it usually takes the state two to three months to pay for the service. "I dont like it but I understand where theyre coming from."

There also were reports that the Salvation Army provided meals for some drivers, and shuttle service was occasionally available to some nearby towns.

Both Buses by Bill and Red Carpet had individual contracts with the state for the evacuation operation.

The Texas Governors Office of Emergency Management said it would not be able to respond to general questions about the evacuation procedures for several days. "Things are going on around the clock here on recovery and our emergency management people are focused on that and I cant pull them away," said spokeswoman Allison Castle.

How problems happened

All of the buses involved in the move initially were sent to a staging area in San Antonio three to four days before Ike was projected to reach the Texas Gulf Coast.

As the hurricane moved closer and shifted directions, state officials split up the buses and dispersed them to other areas closer to where weather forecasters thought the storm might hit.

It was at some of those close-by staging areas that most of the problems occurred.

Buses by Bill drivers Dwayne Holmgren, 61, and Jerry Scudder, 60, said they encountered most of their problems near Beeville, about 60 miles from Corpus Christ, where several hundred buses and drivers were sent.

They said initially only snacks were available to them, there were no toilet or shower facilities, and they were forced to sleep in their buses. "All that they had for us were pretzels and Oreo cookies," said Holmgren.

The following day, the drivers were allowed to make a trip into town to purchase food and later state workers brought in six portable toilets. Still, they were without shower facilities.

After another day, they were ordered to move closer to the city of Victoria to be closer to Houston. According to the drivers, living conditions there initially were about the same as they were in Beeville, but they improved when residents of the community stepped up and offered them food, a place to shower and some lodging.

"They took really good care of us there," said Scudder. "If it werent for them it would have been much worse."

More tribulations

After the storm passed through Galveston and Houston, they were moved to two different locations in Houston for more stand-by duty. Holmgren was sent out once to transport six evacuees from Galveston, while Scudder remainder in the parking lot the entire time.

"I was listening to the radio and kept hearing there were people out there crying for food and water and here I am sitting in the parking lot and they wouldnt let us take anything out to them," said Scudder.

No medical care either

During the 10-day ordeal, Holmgren was bitten by a spider and sought medical attention, but was turned away. "They told me that I was not an evacuee and they could not treat me," he said.

Since his return to Dallas he has received treatment but has an infection in his arm that will require additional medical care.

Scudder said he and others had several run-ins with National Guard personnel, including one in which he was denied permission to empty the toilet on his coach.

"It was hot and stinky on the bus and they made me stay on it," he said.

He said he finally told the Guardsmen that he was going to do it anyway and if they stood in front of his bus, they would find out just how serious he was about leaving. He then was allowed to drive away.

The entire experience soured Scudder enough that he doesnt want to take part in any future evacuation efforts. "I wont do it again unless I have a 50- caliber machine gun on top of my coach," he said.