Society is Screwed

[UserX]

I want to hear what happened to the little dickheads that did this.

Same thing happens to people who win the lottery. This is why you hire a lawyer and set up a blind trust in that situation. Don't think that would have helped her though, obviously.

[Binky]

"strangers asking for money" wtf is that bullshit?

I saw that and thought the same. There are people who just have no shame.

[TheTRiM]

where do I apply to be a bus monitor?

[Z06killinsbf]

"strangers asking for money" wtf is that bullshit?

[Downs]

Sounds like I need to go on that website and start an account for myself. Maybe some generous people will assist me with my flight school.


Sent from my iPhone

Life hasn't always been kind to Karen Klein.
She was a widow at 51.
She lost her son, Rusty, to suicide 10 years ago.
She had to take out a loan against her paid-off home to make ends meet.
Health problems have limited her hearing and, sometimes, her ability to walk.

Then, last month, a video of the school bus monitor being badgered by four seventh-graders went viral. For 10 minutes, the foul-mouthed boys peppered her with insults about her weight, hearing aids, economic status and worse.
"You don't have a family because they all killed themselves because they didn't want to be near you," one of the bullies said.

It's no wonder the 68-year-old still has a tough time accepting that thousands of good Samaritans are about to change her life forever.

"I didn't realize there were so many nice people out there in the world," Klein, who lives in upstate New York, told Yahoo News this week.

That's because a stranger's online campaign to fund a vacation for Klein also went viral. Instead of pledging the requested $5,000, donors have given nearly $700,000 to the drive, which ends at midnight Friday.

A half-million dollars was raised in the first four days, with pledges coming from 84 countries and every state in America.

"It doesn't seem like this is me that this is happening to," Klein said. "It's just unbelievable. I don't know when I'm going to come back to Earth."

The outpouring took place on Indiegogo.com, a website for online fundraising. The site combines Web payments and social media to enable anyone to raise money for anything.

"It's pretty remarkable," Indiegogo CEO Slava Rubin said of the bus monitor campaign.

The co-founder of the 5-year-old site attributed the campaign's success to the viral video, people fed up with bullies, and the technology to respond immediately. The boys had their bus privileges suspended and must attend an alternative school for one year.

"The world came together to act and say, 'Hey, this woman needs a vacation, and more importantly, this is our way of making a statement about bullying,'" he said.

More than 31,000 people have made pledges. The average donation was $21, but one person contributed $3,000.

"Are you kidding? For me? What did I do?" Klein told Yahoo News. "Why are these people going crazy like this for me?"

Klein will get the money, minus Indiegogo's 4 percent handling fee, next week.

"It's going to be an exciting day," Rubin said.

The amount raised is more than 40 times Klein's $15,506 annual salary as a bus monitor. She's been a bus driver and monitor in Greece, N.Y., for 23 years. Before that she worked as a banquet server and store clerk.

"Yeah, it's time to retire," said Klein, who reportedly will not have to pay taxes on the goodwill.

In retirement, she said she hopes to get involved in causes to prevent bullying and suicide. She'd also like to help special-needs children.
"I'm not a great speaker ... but I would like to try to do something," Klein said. "Kids write to me and tell me that they've been bullied. The kids that get bullied ... I hate it."

Strangers have written asking for money, but she knows she must pay her bills and take care of her family first. Two grandchildren are disabled and other family members are unemployed.

"Things have not been real good in the family," said Klein, who has three children and eight grandchildren. "It's going to go very fast. That's why I need to set some aside. And I don't feel like I'm going to be a different person because of the money. I'm just going to be me."

Besides money from the Indiegogo campaign, she's also received multiple trips and other gifts, including a blanket and pillow from USC's Davis School of Gerontology.

"That's the study of old people," Klein explained with a chuckle.

Cards and letters continue to arrive at her door daily.

"I kind of live in a little world of my own here," she said. "Opening up letter after letter after card after card of people saying how much they like me and what I did, it really boosts your morale."

And her spunk.

"Oh, I did make one big purchase," she said proudly. "A three-wheeled bike. It has a basket on the back, so I could even ride it to the store!"

Enjoy the ride, Karen Klein.

[Stephen]

I've done my fair share of bad shit to teachers, authority, friends, and family.. Over the last 10 years i have at least once tried to contact everyone i thought i instulted/taunted/treated like shit etc.. I even got ahold of a couple middle school teachers i gave hell (sounds about like those kids) to.. Not sure why i did it.. it was somewhere around 2007. I suppode i just felt like i owen them apology.. There are even a couple board members i gave a hard time to back in middle-school and they didnt deserve it.. wish i could change that too..

[Geor!]

Looks like it stalled/died around $650,000. The shithead kids are suspended for a year though.

[347Mike]

When I said half a mil by Friday I was just pulling a number out of my ass... I am really shocked it's at 430,000.....

That's a shit load of money..

[Sean88gt]

Yea, real funny.

You're just angry because you've been the target.

[Geor!]

Jesus. Has eclipsed $400k now.

[Geor!]

Yea, real funny.

Careful 'fore you turn into SEB.

[mikec]

Personally, I think they are hilarious.

Like I tell my kids...IF you react, you'll keep getting messed with, let it go.

Yea, real funny.

[mikec]

Ummm..... it was me? It wouldn't be so funny if you didn't get so mad.

Well, fuck you. It's chicken shit and you know it.

But thanks for being man enough to own up to it.