Stabbings appear to occur frequently with 14,000 people (on average) being stabbed in London each year.
According to the Department of health statistics, their latest results show that 38 victims of knife wounds are admitted to emergency services across the country every day.
On 24th October this year, a 15 year old boy was stabbed in Sutton, by the Rose Hill roundabout. It is said that he got into a fight with a number of men. He managed to make his way off the bus before he collapsed.
A few students which attend schools in Sutton and regularly travel on the 151 bus share their views on this event and how they feel continuing getting the bus to and from school:
Katie “I will definitely be more aware when I am on the bus, it brings it closer to home and it highlights the potential danger of being on the bus.
She also said that “the cause of stabbing was due to children watching too many violent computer or play station games and that their parents don’t enforce the age rating on the games”.
Isabel travels on the 151 after school “I feel quite scared because I have heard other events of stabbing like this and because it was in broad day light it makes me worry that this could happen to my brother or even to me.
"I would feel a lot safer travelling on the bus with my older sister or brother”.
Sam, feels “I think it’s one of those things which rarely happen but it does scare me”.
Jess “I feel worried because it could happen to me or anyone, you never know what’s going to happen. It makes me feel paranoid”.
Another passenger ‘David’ thinks the bus is the only option home for him as his parents are at work and the train doesn’t get to his house easily. “It makes me very aware of my surroundings and it will make me more vigilant when getting on the bus”.
They were also asked what they thought could prevent situations like this from occurring:
Helen “Years ago there was a bus conductor, moving amongst the passengers and as a figure of authority I think that the children on the buses would generally be better behaved. It would prevent teens swearing and it would prevent situations escalating”.
David “it would be good to get community police officers getting on and off the bus more”.
The effects on such an event on regular bus users are clearly ones of worry and fear. People feel that the solutions to these problems are parents controlling their children’s use of violent computer games and that they would feel much safer with a bus conductor or community police officer on the bus to help prevent this sort of situation from happening in the future.
Eloise Dennis
Sutton High School