Sexism and Lonliness on the Bus

I dread catching the bus to school.  I’m am sick of seeing that fat, black lady’s face, covered in makeup, twisted into an arrogant smile, with large dark sunglasses hiding her eyes.

She watches our every move.  “Don’t sit there,” she says to one girl.  “Move to the back.”

But let me start at the beginning.

She was a new bus driver, and an annoying one at that.  We could deal with her radical arrivals:  She would come at 8:50 one day and 8:15 the next.  Not to mention her fast driving on the turns and over the bumps.  But it was okay.  She gradually improved.

But then she decided to torture us some more.  She had to see the back bottom window, despite the fact there was writing on it, and there was a larger window at the top.  No, she had to see the back, bottom window.  “Move your feet!” she’d yell at us every day.  “Your backpack’s in the way!”

Then she decided to call a principal.  She made a list of “grievances”, many of which were lies or just so ridiculous that no bus driver would think of.  Honestly, this was the best group of kids I’ve ever seen.  Believe me.  I’m a senior.  However, the usually reasonable principal believed her, and threatened us like a bunch of delinquents.

But that wasn’t all of it.

The next day,  she announced that all the girls were to sit on the back, while the others sat on the front.  If we did not oblige, she would assign us seats.  I cried uncontrollably.  I cried the next day and the next.  My mom (and others) called so many people.  I wrote some petitions (that got ripped up by jerks). My friend and I spoke to the same principal.  Nothing helped.   It has gone on for 5 months now.

One of the very few people I ever get to talk with is a boy.  I am a girl.  We’re not lovers (sometimes I can’t stand him, as he has listening problems), but I’m pretty darn miserable if I don’t get to talk to him.  We live far away from each other, so I don’t get to see him outside of school.  I don’t have many people to talk to.  So, being forced to move to the back of the bus.  I can’t relate to the girls back there.  They’re nice, but they aren’t good friends of mine.  I’m lonely every day now.  The anger and loneliness just builds up.

Not long ago, she was missing for a few days… a blissful few days.  Two nice bus drivers.  But she’s back.

My bus driver last year, was a fat, jovial black man who told jokes and gave us treats.  It’s a harsh comparison.

I understand she has her own problems, but is it really necessary to put it out on us?  How does enforcing a sexist rule make things better?  Sure, less feet are in the way, but less feet would be in the way anyway, after enduring so long of her useless rules.  I broke no rules.  I know this sounds silly, but she’s ruining my senior year, my last year to be with friends who will move even farther away.

Sorry I wasted your time.  It’s nothing to commit suicide over, just one of a hundred small problems, but I’m really sick of this.