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Mean bus driver banned him from sitting with friends for chewing gum — so he found a garden substitute that made her regret the punishment

While the previous bus driver was adored by students, the replacement earned the opposite reaction with her behavior.
PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO
(L ) A kid chewing gum ; (R) A school bus driver looks annoyed (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by (L) Andersen Ross Photography Inc ; (R) Drazen Zigic)
(L ) A kid chewing gum ; (R) A school bus driver looks annoyed (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by (L) Andersen Ross Photography Inc ; (R) Drazen Zigic)

Some people find a way to be mean, even if it's to kids. When Reddit user (u/Sdring1) was in high school, his nice school bus driver was replaced with a mean woman who separated him from sitting with friends for chewing gum. However, his one garden vegetable trick made her instantly regret the punishment. Sharing the hilarious story on Reddit on July 31, 2025, the storyteller revealed how he stood his ground to defend himself against the bullying bus driver.

Recalling a story from 2009 during high school, the Reddit user revealed that his kind bus driver was replaced with a mean woman who made a big deal over petty things. The storyteller, who used to chew gum and share it with his friends, was caught doing it by the driver and was separated from his friends. Hating to sit alone in the front, he grabbed a few pungent-smelling chives from his parents' garden and chewed them like gum. He breathed through his mouth on his way to school. While initially she asked him not to eat whatever he was chewing, she soon complained about him to the administrator for "maliciously trying to annoy" her. However, the student told them, "You can't tell me what I can or cannot eat."

Bus driver ready to work, smiling positively. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by kali9)
Bus driver ready to work. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by kali9)

Although he was sent for detention, the administration told her that they couldn't punish him for his dietary choices. He was soon sent back to sit with his friends. The user's action was a consequence of her behavior. He also revealed that when the previous bus driver moved to a different route, he disliked the new bus driver. When an individual treats others with kindness, they often receive the same treatment in return. When the kind bus driver was in charge, she was loved by all the students for her kindness. However, the replacement driver wasn't, and it was mainly due to the way she treated students.

Children sticking their faces to the school bus window. Representative Image Source: Getty | Thomas Barwick
Children sticking their faces to the school bus window. (Representative Image Source: Getty | Thomas Barwick)

Being older doesn’t always mean acting wiser, as some adults still make immature choices. In another story, a fourth grader was bullied by his math teacher and his classmate. He was often called a "devil" by his religious teacher, who favored his bully, despite repeated complaints. Even though she was aware of the conflict and knew the two students did not get along, she ignored his concerns and often made him sit with his bully to teach him to solve his problems. 

Teenager sitting and eating lots of chewing gum. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by ctoonbro studio)
Teenager sitting and eating lots of chewing gum. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by ctoonbro studio)

One day, when his bully picked a fight with the user, he fought back, but the teacher yet again called him a devil. He then decided to use her own words against her. He gathered a list of online psychic, tarot-reading, and medium services and signed her up for all these websites using her school email ID. He also gave wrong answers to his bully during tests and watched his grades fall, while his teacher spiraled. The student revealed that he never got caught, but watching his bully and math teacher have a meltdown over their consequences made him happy. 

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