1. The problem states: A minimum of 36 people, $p$, must ride in the bus. 2. To write an inequality for this situation, we need to express that the number of people $p$ is at least 36. 3. The phrase "a minimum of 36" means $p$ must be greater than or equal to 36. 4. The inequality symbol for "greater than or equal to" is $\geq$. 5. Therefore, the inequality is: $$p \geq 36$$ 6. This means the number of people $p$ can be 36 or more, satisfying the minimum requirement. Final answer: $$p \geq 36$$