2002-09-04 - 9:57 p.m.
RESIDUAL NEW YORKER
I was born in the Midwest and have spent much of my life in the Midwest. For the most part, I am thoroughly a Midwesterner in both the best sense and the worst. I also was born in the suburbs, raised in the suburbs, and have lived in the suburbs most of my life. In many ways, I am very much a suburban girl. But I spent several years in the east and seven or eight years living in New York City (or Brooklyn, the next closest thing). Apparently, that time has marked me more than I realized.
I live one block from a county bus route. The route goes up and down the street just a block away from where Kat�s high school is. Ninety-five percent of its route is in the suburbs although it does dip to one corner of the city. The bus is never full during the day. Seven or eight people on the bus is a crowded bus.
Kat takes the school bus to school. Sometimes, she stays after school for activities. Occasionally, I pick her up. More often, she walks over and takes the county bus home. The idea of taking the county bus home is a novelty to the kids at her school. Many of them aren�t allowed to take the county bus. Apparently, it�s considered dangerous.
I cannot figure out how this bus, this bus on which there have been no incidents in at least the last ten year, is dangerous. It�s not that it is a bus. While it is true that many children�s parents drive them to the high school (or they drive themselves in nicer cars than the teachers possess), many rode school buses to elementary school and some ride them to high school. Clearly, it is not merely that the bus is a bus that makes it dangerous.
Perhaps there is an aura that descends on all county buses. Perhaps it is the class of people who ride on the bus. Did you know that there are city people on there? Perhaps it is the idea that if your child figures out how to ride the bus, the child can go all over for very little money�if she�s willing to do a lot of bus transfers because almost everything interesting is at least two and sometimes three buses from here. Yet it can�t be the freedom because, after all, most of the kids in this neighborhood get cars when they learn to drive.
Perhaps it is simply the uncoolness or the un-upperclassness. Perhaps it is a snob appeal thing. Maybe it�s part of the protection contest that goes on. I�m more careful than you are. I distrust all things that are not within my clear circle of control. Whatever it is, it�s weird to me.
Must be the residual New Yorker in me.
LAST YEAR: Surviving Their Homework (Apparently the homework thing was getting to me last year at this time too.)
LAST FIVE ENTRIES:
Interfering With Education
The Discipline of Cleaning Ladies
Never Mind
I�ll Never Grow Up
Bear Mountain Perspective
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Copyright 2006 by Ellen |
