Let the kids clean up buses

I like your survey about the parents helping repair the buses, but wouldn’t it be better to have the kids that ride them be the ones to fix them? They take the bus because their parents don’t have a car, don’t have the time, or don’t want to take them to school. These kids don’t have respect for anything, and need to get some punishment. Since it would be difficult to single them out, all of them should have to fix them.

While they’re at it, why not have Crime Stoppers offer kids a little reward for turning in their pals who tear up the seats? I understand the outrage over the condition of the bus seats, but this really should not have been a shock to anyone who drives them. The damage didn’t happen overnight, and maybe the drivers should face the music for allowing the damage to go unreported for so long. They should have to inspect the bus at the end of every day. That way they can narrow down the suspects and give them their due punishments. Don’t the kids usually sit in the same part of the bus anyway? Why not assign a bus monitor to accompany the driver to ensure that the kids do not damage the bus? If the monitor fails to keep the seats intact, or fails to report the damage that takes place on his shift, then they should be fired. You can also put cameras on the bus just like they do at hotels and bars. It would probably be cheaper than paying a salary, so why not?

None of this would be an issue if parents taught their kids respect. My kids would never do anything like this because I take care of them and teach them right from wrong. Maybe if some of our local parents spend less time in the poker parlor and more time with their families, this would not be an issue. Local parents unite! PSS is having trouble getting money to pay for teachers, and now they have to pay to fix the bus because of kids doing stupid things. We can do better than that.

Pepi Reyes
San Antonio