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The lesbian teens who were kicked off the Portland bus

by Thelma Jesselman | June 17, 2007 at 12:23 pm

3158 views | 0 Recommendations | 6 comments

I've been watching out for stories like this one.

Girls say driver kicked them off bus for kissing

My "nephew" Dwayne sent this to me today so I am creating a story here on Now Public about this.

Teen age girls should not be kissing on a bus or anywhere. Where do they think this is getting them? They may think they are "cool" but when they grow up they will have explaining to do. You can read this and then comment your Beliefs.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Two gay teen girls who say they were kicked off a TriMet bus for being affectionate with each other are considering lodging a complaint against the driver of the bus.

Maika Rich and Jocelyn O'Neal, both 14, admit they were kissing while on the No. 12 bus traveling on Barbur Boulevard at about 5 p.m. on June 8. They were headed to the Sexual Minority Youth Recreation Center.

This does not happen in Pahrump, believe me.

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Actual NewsGuy

flagged this story as Needs Improvement

at 12:33 on June 17th, 2007

Thelma Jesselman, I think your story has potential but needs some improvement.

First, you should use the "Opinions" category on stories like this. Yes, it is a legitimate news story, but you interject a lot of your own beliefs into it.

Second, you mention someone named "Dwayne" but do not really explain why he is germaine to the story.

Third, you make some claims about what I presume is your neighborhood, Parump, and the fact that girls do not engage in that sort of behavior there. This is something that is not provable, so you should leave it out.

Finally, I believe the photo you uploaded belongs to KATU, by the look of things. Would you please consider emailing them and asking for permission to use it.

Thelma Jesselman

at 12:43 on June 17th, 2007

Dear Mr. Guy,

You have COMPLETELY misunderstood this artical. This is not OPINIONS as you say, but it actually happened, or do you not believe KATU?

And for your information, I call Dwayne my nephew because when Marg was sick I took care of him a lot, so who cares if he is not my nephew by blood?

And for your final point about Pahrump (you spelled it wrong, buster) we do not have young girls kissing here. That I can guarantee.

pwalmsley

at 21:45 on June 17th, 2007

Thelma: BIG WHUP. Two young ladies were kissing. No one was, is, or will be hurt. How shocking to see two young people expressing a positive emotion!

And I'd double check your assuredness that your city lacks young women kissing each other: I found a Lesbian owned and operated store in Pahrump, NV called Blumoon:

"High Quality toys and products for adults. Lesbian owned and oriented, yet designed for the comfort of all. (Yes, the others get to play too!) Presented with a sense of humor, the 1200 items are easy to browse with informative descriptions and commentaries to help you Explore..Enhance..Enjoy!"

So there you go! It seems that there are enough Lesbians in Pahrump, NV to warrant a whole store. Interesting!

Also! Actual News Guy is completely correct in marking your story as "Needs Improvment": "Teen age girls should not be kissing on a bus or anywhere. Where do they think this is getting them? They may think they are "cool" but when they grow up they will have explaining to do." Those few lines are the definition of opinion. You are making statements based on your beliefs, not on fact.

babblingdweeb

at 07:16 on June 21st, 2007

Update to the story on Yahoo news today...the trasit authority apologized to the girls and their family.

PORTLAND, Ore. - A transit agency chief apologized Wednesday to two teenage girls who were kicked off a city bus for kissing each other.

The girls, both 14, said the driver called them "sickos" after a female passenger complained about their kiss. The driver then stopped the bus along the street and forced them off. "Removing the girls from the bus was not consistent with our
policy," said TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen. "I want to reiterate that we welcome all riders on our system."