A Staten Island teenager has turned to social media to voice her request for free express bus rides to school, a plea that has gained significant traction online after her formal letter to City Hall went unanswered.
Daeun Kim, 17, who is preparing for her senior year at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, posted a video on Instagram on Thursday detailing her wish for the upcoming school year. Her message has since gone viral, accumulating over 97,000 likes.
Kim explained that the cost of daily express bus commutes for her and her brother to their Manhattan school has amounted to $18,270 over the past four years. While students receive OMNY cards for free public transit, express buses, which are the most convenient option for many Staten Island students, are not included.
"People bring up the free ferry, but for a lot of us, the ferry isn't close. It would mean a 30-minute drive or a 90-minute bus ride just to reach it, and then another subway after [the ferry] to go to the school," Kim stated in her video. She noted that the express bus route stops directly in front of her home.
According to Kim, choosing the ferry would extend her commute to three hours each way, compared to the current hour and a half via the express bus, which costs $7.25 per trip. She highlighted this as a "geographical disadvantage" compared to students in other boroughs. Her mother, an immigrant from Korea who worked as a nurse there, now works as a nail technician in Brooklyn, often putting in long hours to cover her children's educational expenses. Kim expressed a desire for her mother to no longer have to sacrifice weekends for her commute.
Kim, who aspires to study psychology at Cornell University and establish an art therapy foundation for immigrants, had previously sent a letter to City Hall in June. When it received no response, she decided to take her plea to Instagram.
The Mayor's Office had not immediately responded to requests for comment regarding Kim's appeal.