Don’t want to rub this incident in any more than needed, but let’s think about it. What message does a parent send by renting a Ragin’ Uptown Bus to take teens to their high school prom? Lennon herself says the rental was “in order to provide a safe Prom Night.”
Now unpack that. Why do adults rent these buses for their own use? So they can drink and leave the driving to someone else. That is the only purpose. The bus companies have understandably slid into the lucrative prom shuttle biz with strict no alcohol policies, otherwise their liability insurance and ALE sweeps would murder them. But that does not erase the clear subtext kids get from parents: Go ahead and drink, honey. We’ve made it as safe as possible for you.
Were Lennon alone in this confusion there would be no purpose in pointing this out, but she is not. Many, many suburban parents do not fully comprehend the mixed messages they send with these elaborate transportation arrangements for proms.
Besides, water bottles? How did could a parent not stone cold know they would absolutely, positively be filled with vodka?
