107 of them!

I counted each one as they entered the bus. I tried to make it a game in my head like singing "ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall," but it wasn't the same. One hundred seven school kids on a bus is enough to make anyone voluntarily commit themself to a psychiatric ward for a seventy-two hour (or longer) evaluation!

The high school kids, by and large, are a good group. They board the bus, sit in a seat, sometimes they talk a bit too loudly, but they understand social constraints. I even saw one high schooler give up his seat for an elderly woman this afternoon -- without being asked to do so. (There is hope for the nation!)

Middle school kids are another story all-together.

I understand the age of hormonal-raging, but why does every noun, verb, adjective or preposition have to use the "F" word as the foundation? And why is everyone in a position of authority an "ass hole?" I don't get it.

And why can't they remain seated while the bus is in motion? Come on now ... it's like they all have mouse traps in their pants that go off every twenty seconds, spurring them to lunge from their seats and land two rows forward or aft.

Why do they have to have to raise their voices to decible levels that would break the ear drums of normal humanoids?

Why is the concept about ringing the "StopRequest" chime so hard to grasp? You simply ring the chime in advance of your stop -- the next stop. I have music majors in the making who ring the chime to the beat of their favorite rap tune and think it's acceptable to do so! It's almost enough to make me start using the "F" word!

I can only imagine if any extra-terrestrial being ever visited this planet, and were unfortunate enough to land in a middle school setting (specifically San Jose Middle School in Novato) that their report to the Mother Ship would be liberally peppered with the "F" word. Upon further study, they would conclude that we, as humans, are "F"-ing worthless!

Meanwhile I was interested to read about law enforcement tactics employed against protestors at the recent G-20 conference in Pittsburgh. Police fired sound cannons, emmitting shrill beeps which caused demonstrators to cover their ears. (The developer of this device was obviously a former middle school teacher.}

The police followed the auditory barrage with tear gas canisters and stun grenades, exploding with pyrotechnical flashes of light. (The patent holder on this device is again, obviously a former chemistry teacher from the East Bay.)

God Bless America, God Bless School Bus Drivers, and God Bless our Teachers and Keep Them SAFE!