[Article] Teen gang put stop to school bus service

Victor

Teen gang put stop to school bus service
From:The Irish Independent
Saturday, 11th October, 2003

A BUS company has withdrawn its school service in Co Donegal after a teenage gang terrorised other pupils on board and the driver, prompting him to quit.

And the Lough Swilly bus company insisted yesterday it will not resume the school bus service in the north Inishowen peninsula between the villages of Ballyliffin and Clonmany and Carndonagh Community School until the out-of-control behaviour of the group of up to eight teenagers has been resolved.

Matters came to a head this week when the driver of the bus quit his job after the gang refused to stop opening the emergency exit door at the back of the bus while the vehicle was in motion.

But it was just the last straw in a litany of misdemeanours which have been taking place on the 60-pupil bus since the start of the school year.

In one terrifying incident last week, the hair of a young female student was set alight with a cigarette lighter. That matter is currently under garda investigation.

On another occasion, a young male student was stripped to his underwear by the gang on board.

Among the ongoing problems have been smoking, missile and water throwing, name calling, pushing and shoving and giving pupils 'wedgies'.

"It is the same few people who are wrecking it for everyone else. The other children are afraid to name them and we are left to pick up the consequences," said one mother yesterday.

A spokesperson for the Lough Swilly Bus company, which is contracted by Bus Eireann to provide the service, described the emergency door incident as the last straw.

"Every time the driver tried to restore law and order, the situation just got worse. Bus drivers have the responsibility for getting up to 60 children to and from school safely.

"They also have to watch out for smoking and bullying. This was proving impossible for the driver in this particular case and quite frankly the situation had become intolerable for him," said Conal Diver, passenger manager.

Mr Diver added that the company supported the actions of the driver and would not resume the route until it was safe to do so.

Anita Guidera

mike65

Needless to say when I say the topic line I asumed it was a horror story from the wilds of west Dublin...let me on and I'd issue a few slaps....

Mike.

Floater

Give the kids a "driving license" each. The license starts with 20 credit points. For each year of fault free behaviour they get another 5 credit points. Debit varying numbers of points for each misbehaviour event. Anyone with no points on their license has it confiscated and has to walk to school or get their parents to drive them until they earn enough credits to get into the black.

Works in France where dietary changes are being blamed for a large part of the problem. eg McDoinalds and high salt high sugar high colorant packaged foods. Leads to obesity too. Driving health service costs through the roof. Worse to come. Spoilt and fed the wrong stuff. Time to give the little darlings a bit of boot where it hurts.

Or better still sort out their food intake and stop spoiling them!

Failing that the only alternative is to handcuff and seatbelt them in en route. Which is hardly the solution.


Floater