THIS MADNESS MUST STOP
A BUS driver is killed by a lump of concrete aimed at his cab from an overhead bridge.
A child is blinded by shards of glass after a brick is tossed through a bus window.
A pretty young woman is left horribly scarred after her bus is pelted by stones.
These incidents have not yet happened in Cumbernauld - but they are the kind of stories the News fears it will inevitably have to report unless the sick craze for stoning buses stops.
Last week the News revealed that First drivers serving commuters in Abronhill were literally in fear for their lives as vehicle after vehicle came under attack.
To protect their passengers and crews, First stopped services short of their destination, reasoning that it was better to make commuters suffer inconvenience than expose them to potential danger.
Last Thursday evening - the day after our paper appeared - three more buses in Abronhill had their windows smashed.
Services were again forced to terminate their journeys short of their final destination. As we reported last week MSP Cathie Craigie has discussed the issue with the police and First management and trade union representatives.
Nobody expects anyone to come up with a solution to vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
But action can be taken to stop this menace if schools, parents and responsible teenagers play their part. The culprits are presumably the children of Abronhill residents. How many parents know what their teenagers are getting up to?
The teenage grapevine will almost guarantee that young people in the area have a fair idea of who is involved.
It is the duty of civic-minded youngsters to convince their peers to call off these attacks - or to let the police or their teachers know who is responsible.
Don't be silenced by the twisted logic that says it is wrong to grass someone up. It is surely even worse to let someone be killed or maimed.
MIGHTY MITCH GIVES OUR MESSAGE EXTRA PUNCH . . .
PROFESSIONAL boxer Mitch Prince has a hard-hitting message for the vandals stoning buses in Cumber-nauld.
The lightweight, who fought in last year's Commonwealth Games, told them to follow his example and channel their energies into boxing.
He was appalled to read about the Abronhill situation in the News.
But in an interview with his local paper last year Mighty Mitch credited the sport with helping many youngsters to keep out of trouble by instilling a sense of discipline and responsibility. "We would love to see these guys at Broadwood Boxing Club," he said. "They need to find something meaningful to do with their lives if they don't want to end up in trouble with the law. I can't think of any better way than boxing."
Mitch, 23, turned up at the First bus depot in Carbrain this week to show busmen Brian Heron, David Hamilton and Paul Brady that he wants to do what he can to help make them feel safer at work.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Cumbernauld
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
