There must be something about school buses that makes people go insane. Maybe it’s the bright orange color that’s driving people mad. Whatever the case may be, people seem to do a lot of strange things around school buses.

In Gwinnett County, Georgia, a 65-year-old man was tired of school buses “speeding on his street” as he put it. So he decided to take matters into his own hands, and according to police, attacked a school bus that was transporting children. Needless to say, the man was arrested.

Meanwhile, in Arizona, an incident occurred that I think speaks volumes about what happens when technology and parental anxiety collide. It all started when a substitute school bus driver accidentally missed a turn while ferrying a group of elementary school children. The kids noticed and no doubt conditioned by parental fears, panicked. Those with cell phones started calling their parents. The driver eventually realized her mistake and turned into a parking lot to make a u-turn. But by this time, angry parents had started showing up. They blocked the bus in with their cars and sat in front of it, upset with the driver and demanding their kids.

Imagine the delima this creates for the driver: you’re new to the route, don’t know the kids, and only know you’re supposed to make drop offs at predetermined locations. Is it really wise to open the door and release a child to that irate woman that you don’t know that is shouting obscenities in front of your bus?

I know one’s sanity is the very first thing to go when you become a parent, but still, can we take it down a notch? How about we all step back and take a deep breath. This state of hyper-paranoia isn’t doing kids any good, and it’s really not keeping them safe either. When a missed turn results in a hostage crisis and an incident that drags the school board into it and makes the evening news, I think it’s safe to say we’ve taken things too far.