What School Busing Felt Like

I completely agree with Patt Morrison’s conclusion that six hours a day in a classroom to which a child has been bused cannot make up for the lack of an involved parent and a home atmosphere in which that child can study and thrive (“Bitter Memories of the Busing Years,” SoCal P.O.V., Sept. 28).

The column also reminded me of a time when my husband and I accompanied a group of schoolchildren on a field trip and had to ride on one of the buses that were used daily to transport children many miles from their neighborhoods. We brought along newspapers and a couple of books to help pass the time. However, the bus engine was so noisy and the ride so bouncy that we found it impossible to read or even talk. Our teeth were literally chattering.

It was the most uncomfortable ride we had ever experienced. And to think that those schoolchildren had to endure that torture twice a day, supposedly for their own good. How cruel!

Arlene Svilich

Long Beach