Get kids off the buses and onto bikes

The first lady, Mrs. Obama, has a special interest in and what appears to be an active program in combating child obesity. I applaud her efforts.

I am offering a suggestion to her that might help the cause. Do away with school busing. It certainly doesn’t add to the fitness of the youth of our nation. It probably makes the young people more lazy. Besides that, the buses pollute the air, cause traffic problems and are certainly expensive to operate.

The youth of our country should get back to walking to school or taking their bicycles. The younger children would need parental guidance to get to their schools, and the older students, particularly the junior and senior high age, should be left to get to school on their own.

I am a big advocate of physical fitness and believe that de-busing students could be a step in the right direction in Mrs. Obama’s plan.

Jerry Handlon

Schaumburg