Wow, schoolbusses haven't changed in 30 years. Rode the bus for the first time yesterday in about that many years because my boy was riding it home from school for the very first time. The only thing different from the bus I rode was that there are now seatbelts on all the seats, and since this was the "short bus," there were tie-downs for wheelchairs. It was a pretty fun ride actually. Great view of the city as we rode through it, driver is very nice, and my boy got a kick out of it (although he won't admit that to his mom).
Now, more about that short bus thing. I never thought of that term before, but now it sounds like a racial slur. Maybe it's on my mind because that new show Glee had a "short bus" joke last week--along with another "special ed kids" joke. I don't think the writers of Glee, or folks generally who make such jokes are malicious or intentionally hurtful. But, those "jokes" are ignorant and insensitive. I guess I was ignorant before joining the disability community through my son. I don't know that I ever made short bus jokes, but I know I lacked the sensitivity and understanding that my boy--and everyone--deserves.
Well, ultimately, the short bus is pretty damn cool and a much more sane place than the "long bus" that I rode as a kid. If everyone just rode it just once, they'd realize that there's nothing funny about those jokes.
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