One Clear Dot

My daughter is enamored of the idea of riding a school bus. I hope to be able to drive her to school for as long as possible, to be honest. I have her application in at a couple of charter and fundamental schools and there would be no bus service if she is invited to attend one of those anyway.

I rode the school bus as a child. I rode it from the first day of kindergarten and through the rest of my public school career. I have less faith in the safety of the bus system these days, though. I have for a long time been skeptical about the safety of the bus stops and the routes kids take to walk to bus stops. That is due to the increase in freaks stalking children at bus stops. I cannot tell you how many times a child reported suspicious activity near bus stops in my old neighborhood, which was upper class and remote.

Now I also have doubts about the safety of children ON the busses. I see a lot of busses on my way to take my daughter to school. They often speed, run red lights, cut corners too fast, and change lanes recklessly. And more often they are getting into accidents that sometimes prove fatal to children.

Yesterday in Cottonwood, Minnesota four students were killed and many others injured after a school bus was hit by a van. The bus subsequently hit a truck and then tipped over on its side. Perhaps this is of no fault whatsoever of the bus driver, but the idea of putting my child on a bus and having no control over her safety is frightening for me.

Posted on February 20th, 2008 by onecleardot
Filed under: Education & Learning