This makes me sick (and the results make me smile): Bullying the Bus Monitor

[SnyderShrugged]

This was brought to my attention by my Dad (a former school bus driver and transportation supervisor in their school system)

This disgusting video is of kids going so far over the top in harassing and literally bullying their bus monitor, that I thought it might have even been faked. Sadly, it wasnt.

That said, My heart is warmed at the outpouring of support that this lady has received internationally. A 25 yr old Toronto man made a facebook page and donation site to try to drum up funds to send her on vacation after this awful treatment. he was expecting a couple of thousand dollars at best, but was blown away that its already around $100k!!!

Here is the facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/KindnessForKaren

I just felt moved to share this at ES. It depresses me that our children can act this way (I am not so naive to feel that these same things didnt also occur when I was a kid as well )

[Dan T.]

The other good thing coming out of this is they are tracking the little ****heads down, and they will face consequences. One suggestion I agree with is to ban them from riding schoolbuses. That will give the parents plenty of time to teach some respect to the little ****s while driving those brats to and from school in the mornings and afternoons.

[pjfootballer]

We never had "bus monitors" because you know what? Our parents expected us to behave ourselves. Wow, what a concept. Actually being a good kid in public and doing what you are supposed to do.

[Hubbs]

I have to say, the entire concept of a "bus monitor" is probably flawed. There's no way a bus monitor is ever going to have any real power, and without that the only thing that will ever happen to a bus monitor is that video. The bus is the wild, wild West. You're just not going to control middle schoolers by putting some retired person in the middle of the situation and having her angrily shake her fist at the youth, because that's all she can do. That, to me, screams "recipe for disaster."

EDIT: I didn't watch the whole video, and seeing as it's 8 in the morning I apparently didn't realize that we could be talking about physical abuse here, and if that's the case then some kids deserve harsh punishment. I was strictly speaking about the name-calling, which has been part of every group of young teenagers in human history. Immature kids will be immature kids, but if violence is involved it's another story.

[Skin'Em84]

That's fine...Just give her a taser.

[Henry]

Good grief. What a bunch of little punks.

From an article about the video:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/video-school-bus-monitor-bullied-sparks-investigation-article-1.1099607

But most hurtful, Klein later said, was when the students called her “ugly” and joked that her family should kill themselves.

Klein, a widow, told ABC affiliate WHAM in Rochester that her oldest son committed suicide 10 years ago.

Nice.

[skinsmarydu]

I could only get to the "Twinkies up her butt" part, about 2 minutes. That's just sad.

Do these kids really have parents? Seriously, if mine woulda found out I did something like this, I wouldn't sit down for a week. But these little monsters have never known that feeling, obviously.

[SnyderShrugged]

I also have to question the value of "Bus Monitors" I never had them, and we always were disciplined (even harshly) on our busses. The drivers would even pull over some times.

[CrypticVillain]

This is bad. Unfortunately, it is much much worst here in DC. There are no school buses here so most of the kids ride the Metro bus with the general public. It's terrible on there.

[ixcuincle]

Kids these days have no respect for anyone, and it's a real damn shame

When I was growing up in middle school we'd never even think of doing something like that, to anyone older than us

EVER

Smh

[endzone_dave]

It should be easy to fix. Have a camera on all busses. When a kid acts like a jackass, make the parents drive the kids to school for a week. I bet that would clean up this crap. Plus then you don't need bus monitors.

[Popeman38]

If you are going to put a bus monitor on a bus full of kids, there needs to be a means by which the bus monitor can exert control (i.e. take down names of kids that are out of line and issue a reprimand - detention, suspension, and eventually bus riding privileges revoked). There also need to be CC recording of the bus that can be used to back-up what the monitor says.

Every one of these kids should be publicly humiliated. Every one of these kids parents also need to be publicly humiliated. You aren't doing your job if your child has no fear of acting like this on camera. If I had acted anywhere close to this, I would have been ruined. Ass beat, sports revoked, grounded, and most likely forced to apologize to the monitor on the bus in front of everyone.

I don't want to turn this into a generational thing, but when I was in school this **** would have been handled by the kids. It's one thing to be disrespectful to authority. It is a whole different ballgame when you are trying to one up one another in mean spirited insults.

[ixcuincle]

Man when I was in middle school we shut out mouth and listened to the oldies on the bus. And any time a kid got rowdy or belligerent, the bus driver would threaten to turn the bus back or show some kind of authority, and then the kid would shut up and sit down. I don't know why it's not like that anymore. I don't know why these kids just flat out lack respect for authority. It's a real shame that no one is raised to respect others anymore. Yes sir, no sir, what happened to those days? Now everyone talks back

[Duckus]

Kids these days have no respect for anyone, and it's a real damn shame

When I was growing up in middle school we'd never even think of doing something like that, to anyone older than us

EVER

Smh

It honestly wasn't that much different when we were young, we just didn't have Iphones and Youtube back then.

I remember several kids sort of like this from my middle school. We had a kid punch a bus driver in the face one year.

I don't think there is any place more horrible than middle school. I just don't understand how people can say such terrible things and not feel anything inside.

[Burgold]

For me, it isn't about fear. It's about decency. Kids shouldn't behave only because of fear of punishment, but because of an understanding of right and wrong and where the lines are that shouldn't be crossed. That's where these kids and their parents fail.

[SnyderShrugged]

For me, it isn't about fear. It's about decency. Kids shouldn't behave only because of fear of punishment, but because of an understanding of right and wrong and where the lines are that shouldn't be crossed. That's where these kids and their parents fail.

100% agree

[ixcuincle]

It honestly wasn't that much different when we were young, we just didn't have Iphones and Youtube back then.

I remember several kids sort of like this from my middle school. We had a kid punch a bus driver in the face one year.

I don't think there is any place more horrible than middle school. I just don't understand how people can say such terrible things and not feel anything inside.

I never saw any of that growing up, ever. I remember a kid getting belligerent, and then the bus driver drove the bus back to school. Can't remember what happened after that. The point is, none of that backtalking happened when I was growing up, at least not to the degree of more recent incidents.

I remember some of the kids insulting the driver's taste in music though. The driver was always playing Oldies, which is how I grew up listening to old Motown and the Beatles. And the kids always wanted pop music, and the bus driver would say no. And that was the end of that.

[Chew]

For me, it isn't about fear. It's about decency. Kids shouldn't behave only because of fear of punishment, but because of an understanding of right and wrong and where the lines are that shouldn't be crossed. That's where these kids and their parents fail.

Well said.

Picking on an old lady must make him feel like a man. Give me 30 seconds with that kid...

[Popeman38]

For me, it isn't about fear. It's about decency. Kids shouldn't behave only because of fear of punishment, but because of an understanding of right and wrong and where the lines are that shouldn't be crossed. That's where these kids and their parents fail.

I understand. But at 12, you don't necessarily understand what is decent and what is not. Their brains are not fully formed, and to them what is a rational decision seems insane to an adult. That is where fear comes in. If they make a rational decision (to them) that results in them being disciplined, the next time that situation presents itself, the fear of disappointing mom/dad and receiving punishment might be enough to nudge them over to the good side of the decision making process. Children need to have a healthy fear of parents (like people should have of animals - pull a dogs tail (not your pet) the first time, the nip on the wrist is a warning; next time, the bite lets you now to back off; the third time, blood is drawn and the kid knows better from that point forward). Punishing your children needs to involve a little pain (not physical, mind you) for them.

[China]

Well said.

Picking on an old lady must make him feel like a man. Give me 30 seconds with that kid...

Because picking on a kid would make you feel like a man?

[Hitman21ST]

For me, it isn't about fear. It's about decency. Kids shouldn't behave only because of fear of punishment, but because of an understanding of right and wrong and where the lines are that shouldn't be crossed. That's where these kids and their parents fail.

That they feel the need to make fun of an older lady at all is beyond me. Bullying anyone is despicable, but they don't have the decency to do it to someone their own age.

That, and no one steps in is ridiculous.

---------- Post added June-21st-2012 at 10:15 AM ----------

Because picking on a kid would make you feel like a man?

If they want to start stuff with adults, they opened the door to adults starting stuff with them. Nothing physical, of course, but pulling a little Marine Corps Drill Instructor on their ass wouldn't harm anything.

[#98QBKiller]

For me, it isn't about fear. It's about decency. Kids shouldn't behave only because of fear of punishment, but because of an understanding of right and wrong and where the lines are that shouldn't be crossed. That's where these kids and their parents fail.

While I agree with this, the school would have better luck putting an assistant football coach or someone similar who commands more authority than an elderly lady to monitor a bunch of ****heads. That is in no way excusing the kids behavior though. Each of them should be punished accordingly.

[Going Commando]

For me, it isn't about fear. It's about decency. Kids shouldn't behave only because of fear of punishment, but because of an understanding of right and wrong and where the lines are that shouldn't be crossed. That's where these kids and their parents fail.

They could use a little fear too. Actions have consequences in the real world. These kids deserved an utter beating.

---------- Post added June-21st-2012 at 11:13 AM ----------

These kids will never live what they did to this lady down. Good. Dumbasses.

[DM72]

www.nydailynews.com/news/national/video-school-bus-moniter-bullied-sparks-investigation-article-1.1099607?localLinksEnabled=false

Be prepared to get pissed. Most of us probably have elderly parents and couldn't imagine this happened to our moms. I don't care what anyone says,kids are FAR worse than they ever were. The disrespect these kids have for adults these days is unheard of.

[RonArtest15]

Didn't watch the vid, but I skimmed the article on CNN earlier. I'd feel SO ashamed if this was my son/daughter and they partook in this. I don't even want to see the video because I know I'll get heated. Poor lady deserves MUCH better. Kids will be kids, but the parents need to be held responsible for this. Where is the home training? Unbelievable. SMH.

*Off topic, but the stupidity of criminals and others who post incriminating vids/pics on youtube, twitter, facebook etc., are making life MUCH easier for police...