Parents React After School Bus Leaves 4-Year-Old at Stop Alone!
A 4-year-old boy was left alone at a busy Manhattan intersection after his first day of school, and his family is now speaking out to prevent similar incidents. The boy was dropped off at 135th Street and Lenox Avenue, an area with numerous potential hazards for a young child. His family is upset, stating that clearer instructions from the school would have helped avoid the situation.
Nesha Moses, the boy’s mother, expressed her frustration. She pointed out that the drop-off instructions from HCZ Promise Academy 2 only specified the intersection without mentioning which corner or a precise address. This lack of detail left her unsure of where to wait for her son.
On the day of the incident, Moses was waiting at the southeast corner of the intersection, but the bus stopped just past the northwest corner. According to Moses, the bus driver allowed her son to get off after the boy pointed out two strangers as his parents. The bus driver did not verify the strangers’ identities, which Moses found unacceptable.
The strangers who ended up with the boy tried to keep him safe. The child reportedly tried to walk into the street towards a subway entrance because he was looking for his father, who works on MTA trains.
Fortunately, the boy’s book bag was left on the bus, and the driver eventually returned it to the school on East 112th Street. Moses felt it would have been more appropriate for the bus to return her child to the school rather than leaving him alone at the intersection.
In response to the incident, HCZ Promise Academy 2 released a statement expressing concern. The school stated that although they had no control over the situation, they are working to ensure that such incidents do not happen again. The statement emphasized their commitment to student safety.