[Christ]

Originally Posted by Thymeclock

Actually, anything to do with school buses is ultimately a political issue.

For those of you who might be too young to realize it, back in the late '60s the powers of authority decided that racial integration needed to be achieved through mandatory school busing. It was considered of such magnitude and high priority that school buses were given legal exemption from pollution controls.

Now it strikes me as odd that today, decades later, politically (environmentally?) correct parents put their kids on school buses that obviously reek of exhaust fumes, and no one notices - or cares. If you've ever had to ride in one (or even drive following one) you'd wonder how the kids stand it. But they only are the 'smallest pawns in the game of life', and they can't complain, can they?

The sacrosanct yellow school bus is the American version of a 'sacred cow' on wheels. And a big source of (legally permissible) air pollution.

That can't be entirely true... at least not anymore. Every district I've been to school in that I can actually remember, the bus ride was optional. Here in Troy, I lived approx 10 miles from the school. If I felt perky enough, I'd get up early and bike to school. Several times, I actually got up and walked to school. 10 miles of walking takes about 2.5 hours at a decent pace. At 5 AM, you're walking at a decent pace in PA's north east country. Or you're cold. Either way.