Short bus: Difference between revisions
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Although such smaller models of school buses are also used for [[magnet school]] programs, often transporting exceptionally [[Gifted education|talented and gifted students]], and for many other special purposes where the volume of riders is low, short buses have become associated in some urban slang usage with riders who have mental disabilities. |
Although such smaller models of school buses are also used for [[magnet school]] programs, often transporting exceptionally [[Gifted education|talented and gifted students]], and for many other special purposes where the volume of riders is low, short buses have become associated in some urban slang usage with riders who have mental disabilities. |
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Because of this second use of the buses, "taking the short bus" and other phrases to that effect have become pejorative [[slang]] terms used to imply that the subject is mentally challenged (or simply stupid). Some of these terms include but are not necessarily limited to the following: "retard carts," "syndrome trucks", "tard carts", "window lickers", "sped sleds", "sped-ex", "retard rockets", "the Magic School Bus", and "the magic wagon." Also the terms, "off the short bus" is used, as in, "Where'd they recruit you, off the short bus?" |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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Revision as of 13:52, 26 February 2009
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2008) |
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into School bus. (Discuss) Proposed since June 2008. |
A short bus is a school bus that is, as the name implies, shorter than a normal sized school bus. While larger school buses typically transport public school students on high density routes to elementary, middle and high schools, shorter buses are typically used for lower numbers of Special Education or Special Needs students who are typically educated in different facilities with resources to meet their needs. Such arrangements may serve children with learning disabilities like ADHD, Autism, Mental Retardation, or those who are physically impaired. [1] Some have automated wheelchair lifts to safely lift physically impaired passengers into the bus without the use of stairs.
Short school buses are generally the standard eight feet wide, but lengths vary. Many are roughly the same size as a van or minibus, and some are in fact built onto the modified chassis and/or body of a stock regular passenger van or truck by a bus manufacturer. A cutaway van chassis is the most common platform for such a conversion. [2]. Some larger capacity models of short buses are similar in construction to the more commonly used large school buses, but are only shorter in length.
Although such smaller models of school buses are also used for magnet school programs, often transporting exceptionally talented and gifted students, and for many other special purposes where the volume of riders is low, short buses have become associated in some urban slang usage with riders who have mental disabilities.
Because of this second use of the buses, "taking the short bus" and other phrases to that effect have become pejorative slang terms used to imply that the subject is mentally challenged (or simply stupid). Some of these terms include but are not necessarily limited to the following: "retard carts," "syndrome trucks", "tard carts", "window lickers", "sped sleds", "sped-ex", "retard rockets", "the Magic School Bus", and "the magic wagon." Also the terms, "off the short bus" is used, as in, "Where'd they recruit you, off the short bus?"
See also
References
- ^ http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=short%20bus
- ^ "Handbook For Purchasing a Small Transit Vehicle". Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Public Transportation. October 1998.