I am writing in regard to the current use of the word ignorant, which for some reason has found its way into America's common slang. I don't want to point fingers, but what finally threw me over the top on this issue was Carissa Pleiss's article ("CATA buses running well, but local ridership down," Sept 23). In this article, a student is quoted as saying, "People will knock on the door and they'll just drive away. That is pretty ignorant." She is referring to an incident involving a bus driver.

Although this incident can be "aggravating" and the driver may be "rude," he is not ignorant. I would like to refresh the entire slang-wielding community of the proper definition of ignorant. It is easily found in any dictionary. Ignorant is an adjective that means lacking in education or knowledge. The proper usage can be seen in the sentence, "Ignorance of the law is not an excuse."

I am sorry to break it to all those popularizing this word in their slang, but ignorant does not mean one who is rude, obnoxious or discourteous. In this student's haste to call a public bus driver ignorant she has in fact made it clear that she, herself, is the ignorant one. I am sorry to preach about proper usage, but I feel that if you want to throw a term around, you may as well know what it means.