# In high school, why were guys and girls separated on buses for longer road trips? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 12, 2022, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723 "2022-04-12T15:06:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sta3535](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@sta3535](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sta3535)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/1 "2022-04-12T15:06:37Z")
Back in high school, guys and girls were always allowed to sit next to each other in class, on the school bus, in the cafeteria, etc. However, if there was a longer road trip out of state or a week long trip, then my high school would separate guys and girls from sitting next to each other on the bus. Even though I understand why they wanted to avoid the risk of “inappropriate behavior” it makes sense (in a way) why they would separate students (on the bus) by gender during longer road trips. Edit: I’m talking about bus rides only, not hotel rooms, which would obviously be separated by gender. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/2 "2022-04-12T15:08:35Z")
I believe this falls under the doctrine of “Don’t start none, won’t be none.” Longer field trips usually involved hotel stays. Something that _started_ on the bus … could potentially migrate to a hotel room – often difficult for chaperones to adequately monitor. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/3 "2022-04-12T15:18:36Z")
> [@sta3535](#): > > Even though I understand why they wanted to avoid the risk of “inappropriate behavior” it makes sense (in a way) why they would separate students (on the bus) by gender during longer road trips. I’m not following why that isn’t the answer to your question. They didn’t want the kids making out on the bus. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/4 "2022-04-12T15:23:31Z")
They didn’t do that to us. Looking at it from the outside, though, having been informed that they did it to you and your cohort in school, I can’t dissent with the interpretations posted thus far. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/5 "2022-04-12T15:23:44Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > They didn’t want the kids making out on the bus. Or, even more. Unlike riding the school bus, a bus ride as part of a class trip may be hours long, and may also occur when it’s dark out. The potential for a couple of horny teens trying to canoodle at the back of the bus increases exponentially. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/6 "2022-04-12T15:37:25Z")
Mechanical contraception. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/7 "2022-04-12T16:19:31Z")
I attended HS from 1976-1980. We weren’t segregated by gender on the bus on long trips. Heck we weren’t segregated by gender in 7-8th grade, and I actually saw “making out” on at least on of those trips. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/8 "2022-04-12T17:44:55Z")
I was in the school orchestra in the early '60s, with trips to Chicago, Ottawa, Boston and Vermont. In none of these trips were the buses segregated by gender. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/9 "2022-04-12T17:48:53Z")
What happens on the band bus, stays on the band bus. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/10 "2022-04-12T22:11:37Z")
Buses are also often less supervised than classrooms. ---
**Author:** ![Nyvaak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Nyvaak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nyvaak)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/11 "2022-04-12T22:20:58Z")
Definitely to prevent horny teens from starting - or finishing - something. A woman I dated and then remained friends with confirmed that her first child was conceived on a school bus. It would’ve been 25 to 30 years ago, in an area so rural her daily ride was more than an hour, and the mornings were very dark. It’s not the only example of sex on a bus that I’ve heard of. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/12 "2022-04-12T22:29:36Z")
I remember taking a long bus ride with boys and girls. Everybody was making out. It was like hedonism off in there. I have no idea what was going on with the supervision. And this was on a CHURCH bus! lol ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/13 "2022-04-12T22:32:55Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I attended HS from 1976-1980. We weren’t segregated by gender on the bus on long trips. Heck we weren’t segregated by gender in 7-8th grade, and I actually saw “making out” on at least on of those trips. I was born in 1980 and all though grade/high school we were never separated on the bus either. Some of those longer trips certainly involved kids making out (and this was a private catholic grade school). I’m guessing it was just something the OP’s school or teachers chose to do. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/14 "2022-04-12T22:43:10Z")
I was in the school Orchestra. We had a weekend music camp in March. It was hosted at a college 4 hours away. We sat wherever we wanted on the bus. We had rooms booked overnight. Everyone had a roommate. I think there was two or three chaperones. It’s been a long time ago. There probably was rules about girls and boys visiting rooms at the motel. My gf at the time didn’t play music. She was safely back at her parents. I had 2 cans of beer in my suitcase. Felt so grown-up watching tv and enjoying my beer. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/15 "2022-04-13T17:38:48Z")
This one time, at band camp… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/16 "2022-04-13T19:11:14Z")
I remember with my kids, on long bus trips there was a no blanket sharing rule. This is Michigan and on those early morning trips to Ford Field mid November or the spring break band trip to Disney the kids would want blankets to cuddle up and sack out. Chaperones we’re told about the one body one blanket rule. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/17 "2022-04-13T19:13:59Z")
> [@chela](#): > > I remember with my kids I assume you mean your students, not your own kids. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/18 "2022-04-13T19:59:43Z")
Not my students. I remember when my kids were in school they were told of the one body per blanket rule. I was also a chaperone on a few trips. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-high-school-why-were-guys-and-girls-separated-on-buses-for-longer-road-trips/962723/19 "2022-04-13T20:03:17Z")
I never went on a long bus ride with classmates other than band, and yeah, band busses were a mess (mid-90s). I always sat with boys but just because I was one of those girls whose friends were boys. There was no separating of genders and often there was intense joining of genders.