I think the question the Ministry official asked him about what would happen if the kids start fighting is an important part of the equation. Society has gotte

I think the question the Ministry official asked him about what would happen if the kids start fighting is an important part of the equation. Society has gotten more legalistic. The bus driver or a random adult passenger doesn't have legally defined authority to discipline the author's kids, which means they don't have the authority at all. But basic human decency demands you intervene if you see little kids fighting or doing something dangerous (even if you'd just roll your eyes if it was a couple of drunk guys). This tension propagates through the system until somebody basically rules kids can't ride the bus unsupervised until they're old enough to be unsympathetic.