This is not a rant, but the result of confusion.
Several years ago I had a school bus approaching from the opposite direction with yellow lights flashing. I slowed down and as this continued for a great amount of time I eventually advanced thinking the bus driver was giving me time to pass before picking up her precious cargo. I totally misread her intentions because the yellow flashing lights turned to red about ten feet before I got to the bus, which left me inadequate time to react and come to a stop.
What ensued later was an angry father who caught up to me at stoplight. I explained that these bus drivers are indistinct in their messaging. I do not wish to run over children with my vehicle. That was over 10 years ago and I feel badly about it but also feel that the bus driver gave me conflicting signals
Fast forward to last week.
I saw a high school girl waiting and at 250 yards out an opposing yellow school bus already had yellow lights flashing. Should I hair trigger brake at the mere sight of a school bus?
Seriously, what are the rules? What is the protocol?! Do these little biddies who drive buses have any training or as much as a clue about the terror they inflict? Honestly I haven’t a clue how to react to school bus tyrants and their lack of consistency.
Is it just me? I need readers to weigh in.
(I won’t even bitch about the elimination of collection points and the need to stop at every driveway in the county.)
The lights when yellow are to tell you to stop safely. When vehicles from both directions stop, lights should be switched to red.
https://driversprep.com/can-you-pass-a-school-bus-flashing-yellow-lights/
The yellow lights on school buses are stupid and confusing. They used to only have red lights. I remember my bus driver switching on the red lights just before stopping. Why do they need yellow lights?
I’ve been similarly confused by the actions of the bus driver. Especially when they are dropping kids off, because you can’t see a group of kids that are waiting for the bus. Hell, they’ll roll a couple hundred yards with their yellow lights on. are you supposed to stop and wait for the bus to slowly roll past you? Part of the trouble is the difficulty in hiring well qualified school bus drivers. Nobody wants that job, so you’re not getting the cream of the crop from the available labor pool.
I ran into the county sheriff today at the Memorial Day ceremony and pressed him on this issue. He agreed that he needs to train these dimwits on safety protocol and proper messaging. It’s random at best. I felt slightly vindicated.
Yellow and slow roll. Proceed with caution. Red when stopped. And don’t yellow for a quarter mile before stopping. And don’t stop for 10 seconds with yellow then flip to red.
I’d have kept driving, maybe slowed down a bit, using the caution dictated by the yellow flashing lights, i.e. keep an eye out for kids headed for the bus, and, second, get as far away as possible from the chick who hit the breaks two and a half football fields away from the bus.
My school bus driver, BubbleGum Bartel, would wave cars on past if the kids were taking too long to board or get off. She was like that, called everybody “hon” too.
When the flashers are on you have to stop behind the bus after the bus stops. I wouldn’t pass a moving bus with the flashers on.
Maybe the solution is to take Uber everywhere and make it somebody else’s problem.
1. Get the bus number. Note it with location and time of day.
2. Report it to Transportation, in person if possible. The transportation department has to have a few sharp people working there to juggle all the routes, but you’re liable to get an idiot answering the phone.
3. Tell them the inconsistencies are putting kids at risk, and if you see it again you’re calling the TV station.
Trust me, that’ll fix it.
Emailing the superintendent or his office with the above also helps move things along.
I say it depends if the kids are Americans or muslims.
For generations we had yellow school buses with red lights. Yes, occasionally someone would make a mistake, but people knew what to do.
Then we imported MILLIONS of uneducated illegals with no formal driver education and handed them “provisional” drivers licenses with a wink of an eye…
What’s the gubmit solution? Add yellow lights (to already yellow buses) but don’t tell anybody what they mean.
How’s that working out?
When the lights turn yellow just slow down and get ready to stop when the turn red. Simple. The problem I have is, years ago the children used to congregate at one corner and the buss made certain stops. But some very protective people didn’t want their little darlings to walk to a corner in the cold. So now the fucking bus has to stop at every house. Try being behind them on a way to an appointment or work.
I remember well walking three miles in the snow, up hill, to school, and getting my ass kicked by a Christian Brother for being late. And then having to walk home three miles, up hill, in the fucking snow with a hurt ass and a headful of assholes like Shakespeare, Milton, the Caesars; poets like Walt Whitman, Verdi, Tennyson, total assholes all. Today Yellow School Busses bring your children safely from house to house to a propaganda mill ,but they do it safely. So you should be very proud..
They don’t teach your children They propagandize your children.
They teach them nothing
If I were cynical, I would theorize that the yellow lights were added along with hidden cameras in the grill. If the bus camera captures you running the bus’ yellow, the police mail you a hefty ticket for endangering chirren.
I’m surprised some broke city hasn’t already thought of this.
I always err on the side of self-preservation: cops and judges tend to get pissed at school bus violations. That said, I don’t want to run over any (ok, make that “most”) kids, but the ambiguity already pointed out is aggravating to me, too.
My solution would be to get rid of the flashing yellow lights (except for normal emergency flashers) and tell the bus drivers to turn on the red flashers a few seconds (5 maybe) before stopping. The traffic ordinance should say that it is a violation to pass a STOPPED school bus with the red lights flashing. It should ALSO be a violation for the bus driver to give insufficient time for drivers to stop.
My idea will never get implemented, of course, because it (a) makes sense, and (b) reduces govt revenue.
I’ve also got a personal story to tell about a school bus and flashing lights.
This happened a long, long time ago, over 60 years. Long enough ago that I was lying in the back section of the family station wagon: no kid seat, heck, no seat belts. My father was driving down the main drag of Long Beach Island, NJ, and there was a school bus in front of us. I happened to be watching, and saw that there were only two people aboard, the driver and another adult-sized passenger.
The school bus driver put on the left turn signal and got into the left turn (third) lane and stopped. There was oncoming traffic. My father, quite naturally, continued driving in the regular lane to pass the bus. Remember: I was paying attention for whatever reason. Just at the point where my dad couldn’t see the back of the school bus any more, but I could, the red flashers came on.
The bus was IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD TURNING LEFT. There were NO KIDS ON THE BUS.
Didn’t matter. Expensive ticket. Oh, yeah, did I mention that we were visiting Granny and our car had out of state plates? To appear in court would have meant a round trip from VA to the Jersey Frickin’ Shore.
Y’all know to beware of speed traps. Please, also beware of school bus traps.
I usually err on the side of caution and don’t pass a school bus flashing either yellow or red lights. Besides, I can use those few moments to toss my empties into the ditch and crack open another cold one.
I guess I’m only semi-responsible.
Im with you Al. I abide by the rules to the best of my ability. Perhaps adding yet another color of flashing lighrs to school buses would be helpful.
Purple. I have a hankering to stop somewhere in the next mile or so. Yellow. Yep. I’m going to stop in a half mile or less. Or 15 feet. If i’ve stopped for 10 seconds with my yellows on i am daring you to proceed with caution and i’ll nail you at the last second with flashing reds.
@grool – Yep, they already thought of this. That bus in NJ didn’t have a camera, but it did have on-board a witness to back up the cop’s lie.
In the height of the Busing students craze in the 70’s ..Our
daily Bus Driver Connie Blisset (I ended up going to High School
with Her Daughter Shaun) Out ran a Train and ducked under the
crossing guard as it hit the top of the bus..Horrible scraping
sound…and the Engineer blasting the horn as He tried to slow down a
mile of train..We cheered Her on…and thought it was the coolest
thing ever….Looking back now…I’m like holy ****!
I’m rather perplexed at the busses that have big red LED signs that come on and spell out the word “STOP” when the red lights come on. Seriously… if people don’t know whut a red light means, does anyone really think they’re gonna know how to read???
Sheeeesh!
@Moe tom MAY 27, 2019 AT 8:37 PM
“So now the fucking bus has to stop at every house. Try being behind them on a way to an appointment or work.”
Not only that, Tom, but every friggin’ one of the brats has to walk all the way to the back of the bus before sitting down.
Hey BFH, what is the rant that was less popular than rickets. Maybe we should revisit that one.
Here’s a good one. Most people in the Soviet State of Washington don’t know that you don’t have to stop if the road has a divider, or, has 5 lanes or more (like 4 + two-way left turn lane)*. Check your state statutes, rules may vary.
* And you’re in the oncoming lane. Duh.
Mine is a simple solution: Whenever humanly possible, I avoid driving during times that school children are being picked up or dropped off. Also, if I see a school bus stopped ahead of me, I turn and take an alternate route, regardless of what lights may be flashing. Saves time and aggravation.
Tony R – At least here in Michigan after letting off the kid they stopped you for they pull over and turn off the lights and let the vehicles behind pass before proceeding to next stop unless road conditions don’t allow. Sounds like they’re just arrogant dicks in your neck of woods.
Yeah J6. I was supposedly the author of some other rant. i will admit to the occasional rant but i am always right in my assertions.. But sometimes failing memory is not all that bad.
This one turned out well.
PHenry, I’ve been busy most of the last few days. I haven’t had a chance to stir anything up. Just trying to do my part to keep things moving.
How about fire off some chaff and a thermite flare to signal intent to stop
Nowadays? When the bus departs the school, you must pull over no matter where you are, and duck for cover until every kid on the bus has been delivered to his or her or its door.
If there is a gender-fluid child on the bus, you must also rub the top of your head three times, and sing the Star Spangled Banner – backwards, while turning your car ignitiion on and off rapidly.
What’s the confusion?
Here the rules include that you DON’T have to stop for a red-lighted bus on the opposite side of a divided hwy.
We have several 6 lane roads in Dallas with wide medians that are technically highways. Plenty of people stop way over here on our side of the road and I just roll right by them without a care in the world.
Edit: @Jimmy MAY 27, 2019 AT 9:19 PM
Oh NOW I see your post. Same here
No women commented, so the solution seems to be that everybody needs more pussy cuz women have half the money and all the pussy…
Willy – Careful there. New rules. Not all women have vaginas, remember?
Here in Texas they have robotic “STOP” signs that deploy… And Cameras. So if the “STOP” sign is out to any degree for any reason, and you slow roll… They have a close to retirement sergeant they’re holding on to because of a minor disability that would cost the department more to address via early disability retirement, vs. a desk job… That reviews the tapes and writes tickets…
I’m actually OK with this… Up to a point.
KR
If I remember my drivers ED from 1973 you were suppose to use your signals 150 feet before turning,so how hard would it be for the driver to turn on the red lights 100 feet before she stops.
As a side note if I remember right there was a study done some years ago that found that Men were drawn to yellow flashing lights and crashing into cop cars that had pulled people over, that is why they switched to blue and red.
Bus drivers here are a real pain in the ass. Don’t get me started. I feel your pain.
When I was a kid of about seven or eight, one of our little neighbor boys got off the bus with his sisters. Their house was on the right side of the bus (where the exit doors are near the driver). Since there were a number of kids getting off the bus, and Charlie was the first one off, he had time to run into his house, see that his mom wasn’t there, run back out (to the rear of the bus) and run behind the bus to cross the street to the neighbor where he thought his mom would be. At that point all the kids had gotten off and the car that was stopped (going in the opposite direction) had started moving again and hit Charlie as he was clearing the back of the bus and started to run across the street. It was awful. He wasn’t killed outright, but it really messed him up. And all the kids at the rear of the bus saw it all happen.
Kids are so quick and you just never know what they’re going to do next. I’ll change my route rather than get stuck behind a bus.
they should throw out tire spikes when they stop and reel them in when they go.
I was training a NG idiot in a mini-van with LARGE business lettering on it. This noodle kicks it into passing gear and streaks past a stopped school bus. I about shit pineapples right there on the spot. He was sofa king stupid generally but this took the cake.
I do wonder if payments to the school district from various funding sources increase by the number of stops? Safety is a big money angle. Something to consider and honestly I could see a few complicit bus drivers changing lengths of warning light times to prove that additional safety measures are needed because normal car drivers are not safety conscious enough. $$$$
Nothing would surprise me when it comes to a public school district. There is no honor amongst thieves. Never ever assume honesty when it comes to anything associated with a public school district.
Men without chests creating more.
A vexing problem that has most of the country tortured with sleepless nights.
Immigration,crime, ponderous government regulations and corruption all pale in comparison.
For the love of god and country we need to organize and put a stake through this beast!
PHenry
Just kidding of course!
School buses…the golden calves of our times. Not even sure why we have to provide transportation to school children but that’s another discussion entirely.
Around here, red lights mean slow down while passing the bus on the right.
Yellow lights mean to speed up while passing on the right.
The yellow flashing lights mean “hurry up and go as fast as you can”. You are then free to run over anyone that gets in your way.
If the libs were serious about global warming school buses would be the first item on the “get rid of it” list.
With Skype and every other technological advancement in the last 20 years it is time to modernize our education system so that there is no longer a need for a brick-n-mortar building.
School buses are an unnecessary drain on our economy and a complete abuse of the environment.
Discretion is the better part of valor.
Having almost been run down twice as a kid (exiting school busses) I try to avoid School Busses.
They’re aggravating, but it’s “fo da l’il chillens!”
izlamo delenda est …