Usually, the purpose of my column is to highlight and inform my readers about certain observations I’ve made. However, this particular topic simply escapes me; I cannot figure out why secondary and community college girls are attracted to van drivers and conductors. Let me say that van-men are people too. It is not that I think them unworthy of love, but can’t they leave these young girls alone?

My best friend and I had a pact in high school: if either of us dated a van-man, we had permission to get knocked in the head by the other. Perhaps it worked, because neither of us ever engaged in said activities, so I honestly can’t say I’m speaking from experience. However, there seems to be a strong appeal towards van drivers and conductors and I cannot understand why, though I have a few theories.

It is no mystery why older men prey on young girls. Quite frankly, grown men date teenage girls because they are easy to manipulate and lack self-esteem. Truthfully, most of these men are incapable of attracting women their age, as older women tend to see through their persona. Yes, I am placing the blame squarely on the men, as they are full grown adults who date minors. Under no circumstances is it justifiable to engage in sexual contact with a teenager, no matter how ‘man struck’ they may seem.

St Vincent has a unique omnibus market, whereby the vans have the liberty to customize their vehicles to attract more passengers. In other countries, such as Barbados, there are strict guidelines for omnibuses. The vans are the same colour, and the drivers and conductors must adhere to a clothing guideline. Conversely, in the St Vincent the allowance given to customization creates competition between the buses.

Vans regularly try to out-do each other with fresh paint jobs, new speakers and even free Wi-Fi. I suppose this is where the appeal comes from; these young girls want to have the driver or conductor from the hottest van as bragging rights. In their minds, they have achieved peak maturity, as they have attracted and ‘kept’ a grown man.

This mentality is completely ridiculous and seems to mainly affect girls in desperate need of attention, whether from their peers or parents. These men are like sharks to insecure young girls and they can sniff out low self-esteem a mile away. They know how to satiate these girls’ need for affection and exploit them sexually in return. Luckily, it seems to be a phase, as eventually these young ladies mature and learn their lesson; however, not all are so lucky. Some girls become pregnant with unclaimed children or compromise their education, sometimes both.

We must attack this trend from both angles if we want it to stop. It is time enough we stop blaming young girls for ‘seducing’ older men, as if grown men don’t regularly prey on minors. They are creeps and it is time we started treating them as such. We need to start protecting these girls and blame the ones truly responsible; the men.

Email questions and comments to shaffiectv@gmail.com