Wi-Fi-Equipped School Bus Sedates Rowdy Teens With Their Favorite Opiate: The Internet

I hate it. Now the kids do not even socialize during the bus ride home.

When I rode the bus this would have been great, provided I had a laptop some 12 years ago. The route I rode had me first or second on the bus in the morning, and last or next to last off in the afternoon. The trip lasted an hour and a half and very few people even close to my grade rode, those I did know I didn't want to talk to nor they me.

The concern I would have with this is that a bus is not the most gentle of vehicles. The HDD in the laptops will definately begin showing signs of abuse with continued use. I guess the only people that have this will be the ones who's parents can afford to buy the solid state drives, like the trendy Macbook Air.

Looks like robots won't kill off humanity. Non-stop social networking will send us to our childless doom. :0

yay!! i hope my bus does this!! except for the pricing... oh well, i guess i won't be getting this on by bus any time soon.

That would never work here. Unless you were issued a laptop instead of a text book, every kid who had a laptop wouldn't have one by the end of the first day of school.

You did read the article, right? The school issued laptops instead of textbooks.

If they can afford to issue laptops, can they not afford to make sure seat belts are installed in these buses.

There aren't seatbelts on school buses anyway. Laptops provided by funding and a special deal with Apple. Duhh.

I just can't see this completely replacing 'Give the geek a wedgie' and other popular student pastimes.

There's free wifi on the buses over here in England where I live, It's a really really good & useful idea!!!

How are they supposed to stop the kids from looking at porn while on the bus? Either way, I tkink it's kind of sad that they can't even control the kids and need to give them internet

I like the idea of having Wifi on the school bus. I am the first one on the bus which means that last one off. Our bus ride is about an hour long, this would give me a lot of time to study for test or do homework. This idea could help students a lot and the school might see a great change in grades if the students use the opportunity right.

I believe that this is a great idea. Usually many buses are extremely rowdy, but putting this device in a school bus could seriously cause a major difference. While some students go on Facebook or play games others will be doing a bit of homework that could save time once they get home. Regardless, the whole point is that it will occupy the students on the bus causing a more stable environment for the driver and others that will like to enjoy a more peaceful ride home.

I believe that this is a great idea. Usually many buses are extremely rowdy, but putting this device in a school bus could seriously cause a major difference. While some students go on Facebook or play games others will be doing a bit of homework that could save time once they get home. Regardless, the whole point is that it will occupy the students on the bus causing a more stable environment for the driver and others that will like to enjoy a more peaceful ride home.

@SuperChefJ The advantage of the school providing Intrnet access is that they can control what sorts of sites can be accessed via the bus's router. For instance, some UTA buses (particularly the express bus I take in the mornings and afternoons) already feature wireless routers, and I've run into the (slightly overprotective IMHO) filtering software more than once. It lets everyone access useful sites while keeping them from accessing anything they shouldn't be looking at on a school bus.

AMP13, Actually there are lots of school buses with seatbelts. And the seatbelts could have just as easily been provided by funding and a special deal with seatbelt companies. Duhhh.

@nebulation I've never been on a school bus with seatbelts, nor do I know any student who would use one even if it were available.

@SuperChefJ Ummmm, probably the same way they stop kids from going on Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. You know, blocks and parental controls and such..

Just another way for kids to realize how spoiled they are.