Instant Dose of Karma

[Nashida]

I take three different routes to work now, so if one looks a little hairy I have a back up plan.

I'm riding along on one of those routes when I notice cars slowing and stopping around the bend. I see two of those school-bus vans (you know - the soccer mom style ones with the School Bus bar on top?), one on each side of the road. In my lane there's a Honda van right behind the school van, and two cards behind that a state patrol car.

After about three minutes Honda van can't wait anymore and passes the school van on an already narrow road while its lights were still flashing. As soon as the school van turned its lights off the state car put its lights on and bagged the van at the next corner. The mom inside didn't look the least bit thrilled.

[notalwaysright]

Seriously, of all the road rules to break, that's one of the stupidest. I might go a touch over the speed limit at times, not that I'm proud of it, but I always stop for a school bus, end of story! Reminds me of the person who repeatedly went on the curb to avoid stopping for a bus. The driver recorded it.

And do you mean the short buses like this? The way you describe it, it sounds like a regular van with lights on it? I've never seen one of those before.

[Aragarthiel]

Locally, we have a lot of problems with people passing stopped school buses, so most of them are equipped with cameras now, and a lot of people get ticketed.

That reminds me of another school bus story...

[dbuzman]

Notalwaysright, The op probably meant minivans. Your link also just brings up the bus picture instead of a video.

[notalwaysright]

Notalwaysright, The op probably meant minivans. Your link also just brings up the bus picture instead of a video.

Fixed, hopefully. I guess we don't have school minivans around here.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Locally, we have a lot of problems with people passing stopped school buses, so most of them are equipped with cameras now, and a lot of people get ticketed.

That reminds me of another school bus story...

We have that problem in my area as well. Every school year there's several incidents that make the news about a child getting hit b/c somebody couldn't wait for a stopped school bus.

It's been such an issue and at least 6 children in my part of the state have been killed b/c of this crap. One incident involved a young boy trying to get on the bus right in front of his home and his mom saw an SUV fly around and hit her child.

Add to the fact that in NC it's a 4 point violation on your driver's license (and insurance points to boot) AND local LEO are on the lookout during the times of day when the buses are out and about (especially first two weeks of school) yet people still do this!!!

[Jetfire]

I use the city bus. Once a few years ago, we were doing a loop through the suburbs. My morning ride goes through there just as the school buses are doing a pickup, so it's normal to see the school bus on that loop.

One morning, we were going through, and I think my driver just had a brain fart. I do recall him waving to teh school bus driver... and continuing right through the bus's red lights. (Thankfully all the kids had already crossed and were just climbing on board). Most of us were just completely boggled by what had happened.

Once I got into work, I shot off an email to the Transit company and they replied, letting me know the driver realized what he had done moments afterward, and legitimately felt horrible afterward. He might've had a note made in his record, but probably not much else beyond that. (And to be honest, while driving through a school bus's reds is a Very Bad Thing, in this case it wasn't as bad as it could be).

The city transit company is only 8 runs/40-some buses and drivers, so the regulars know the drivers and such, and I know this isn't a regular occurance; just a badly timed brain fart. I am glad the manager I contacted did acknowledge it and explained what happened after.

[lvsssycat]

When I was a kid riding the bus to school, I saw another kid almost get hit by someone driving through the lights.
The bus driver literally dove down the stairs and pulled him back just in the nick of time. It was very scary.
I wrote the bus company about what the driver had done and she got a commendation from her company.
Her name was June and I will never forget her.

[justhere]

When I was a kid riding the bus to school, I saw another kid almost get hit by someone driving through the lights.
The bus driver literally dove down the stairs and pulled him back just in the nick of time. It was very scary.
I wrote the bus company about what the driver had done and she got a commendation from her company.
Her name was June and I will never forget her.

Once going to school, I saw a classmate hit by a car while crossing the street after being dropped of by the school bus. He was injured but survived. They also changed the bus route so that no students were crossing major streets anymore.