To the Editor:

I do not necessarily agree with the person assigning blame to the mother of the 7-year-old boy without possibly being able to know all of the family circumstances and facts (“Parent Making Mistake,” “Bus Driver Not to Blame,” Sound Off online only, April 11).

That being said, I have to say, my, how times have changed.

I remember when I was riding the school bus as an elementary student back in the 1970s.

Our bus driver, was a World War II veteran, whom I will call “Clark”. Wonderful man. During holidays such as Halloween and Christmas, Clark would at his own personal expense, lavishly and creatively decorate the bus for the kids, and provide them with candy and treats. I was the last person dropped off on his route. After the last of the kids was dropped off before me, I would gravitate to the front seat right behind Clark, and listen intently as he would tell me stories of his days during the war, about his wife, his kids and grandkids, his business he owned outside of school, food, anything, really.

During those days, there was always a particular group of the same three or four troublemaking kids (and they all usually sat in the very back seats of the bus). If these kids would start getting into it, and disrupting the rest of the bus riders, Clark would pull off to the side of the road, slam on the brakes, march to the back of the bus, literally grab the trouble makers by their ears, two at a time, and drag them to the front seats of the bus. You could guarantee after one of these incidents, that the remainder of your bus ride was not only going to be trouble free, quiet, and safe for the remainder of the route that day, but you could literally hear a pin drop, and repeat offenses by that same kid or kids would be drastically reduced if not eliminated altogether.

Clark was never charged with any crime, or reprimanded by the school. Back then, it was considered that he was doing his job in keeping the kids safe, and the kids all liked and respected him. As I said, my, how times have changed.

Leland Farnsworth

Massena