PLEASE READ: iPod danger, school bus and such

[miss missy]

I just wanted to pop in here and mention this, as I never thought of it myself or heard of it...

Today, my DD (14) almost got hit by a car getting off the bus- right in front on my house. I am still trying to gather what happened exactly, but I can only tell you that she got off, was in front of the bus walking to cross to our house. The bus door was on the opposite of the street, so she has to walk in front of the bus, cross the other half of the street where traffic goes the other way. Our drive way is right there. This is a small rural side street. For some unknown reason a pickup decided to pass the bus at this same time. Not sure why he would- the stop sign comes out and who passes a school bus with the stop sign out??? Anyway- the bus driver honked the horn, my DD stopped right there, just before stepping out from in front of the bus, and the truck zoomed by. There is more that happened after. We are getting the info on that for sure! But in short ,this commotion (horn and yelling) woke me from my sleep (I work night and sleep days) and I ran to the door in a daze, my DD was just at the door and said oh my gosh, he almost ran me over!
I saw the guy was out of his truck and yelling at the bus driver, his car was in the street in front of the bus. He then got into his truck and backed it up to the front of the bus and blocked the bus full of kids The bus driver got on her walkie talkie thing. Then she moved the bus around the truck and parked it to the side best she could- AND stayed in the bus. I heard him say I am waiting here until the police show up. A neighbor went up to the bus driver and said he was behind the truck and pointed to where he lives, next to us. The police came, not sure who called, but the officer talked to the truck driver, then the bus driver, then the bus left and he talked to the truck driver again and they both left. No one asked us what happened. I was in a daze and not in any condition to run out there. Plus the guy was screaming, I wasn't getting into danger. I figured I would tell DH and have him deal with it- which he is on it.

After such a close call today I realized this... my DD LOVES her iPod when on the bus. She doesn't wear it until she in on the bus, but I have seen her come off it with it on. If she had that on today, she wouldn't of heard the horn, wouldn't of stopped, and...

So please keep in mind with your kids and yourself, not just around buses, but I bet there are many times this can happen, parking lots at store, in and out of friends driveways. Please point out to your kids, that wearing these things can be dangerous if they wear them in places like that.

I just wanted to open your eye and share this, since I never thought of it before, not like this.

 

[okeydokey]

Can I suggest that you call the police dept and offer a report from DDs point of view. Passing a parked bus with the flag out is against the law. The driver should have been cited.

 

[freckles and boo]

I am so glad your child is safe. This happens in front of my house about once every two weeks or so. The red lights are flashing and the stop sign is out, but for some reason people can't be bothered to pay attention and stop. I live on residential street and these people are my neighbors. Fortunately the bus door opens at the end of my driveway and my child is more or less handed to me (she is autistic). Even so, it scares me. The driver does the best she can to report irresponsible drivers, but with a busload of kids she can't do much.

 

[Robmom]

I'm sorry that happened. I'm glad nothing happened to your DD. I don't understand why the driver was yelling at the bus driver. He clearly was in the wrong. I'll mention this to my DD because she always has her ipod on too.

 

[CF'er]

I was wondering why the driver wasn't cited for passing the bus while it's lights were on. That is against the law.

My kids would have to cross a fairly busy cut-through road but the bus lets them off so they step into our driveway.

 

[schmitty]

Glad you kids is ok but you should always walk behind stopped cars incase something like this happens and tell your kid not to listen to the mp3 player so loud. Have them put it at a volume that they can still hear the environment.

 

[CraftyMouse]

Glad you kids is ok but you should always walk behind stopped cars incase something like this happens and tell your kid not to listen to the mp3 player so loud. Have them put it at a volume that they can still hear the environment.

From what I read I think the girl was walking in front of the bus, not in front of cars, which is the correct procedure. Cars are supposed to stop so that the kids can have a clear path if they need to cross to the other side of the street but apparently this truck driver did not do that.

 

[sha_lyn]

OP...how scary. At least the guy stopped. when DS was little the neighbors and I called the cops several times on people blowing right through the bus stop. It got so bad that eventually they moved the stop to the back entrance into our neighborhood

Glad you kids is ok but you should always walk behind stopped cars incase something like this happens and tell your kid not to listen to the mp3 player so loud. Have them put it at a volume that they can still hear the environment.
__________________

Sorry but no, children should never ever walk behind the school bus when getting off or on the bus.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Deaf people cross streets all the time without injury. What happened to "look both ways before crossing"?

I have seen bus drivers around here do the craziest things. Like sit on the side of the road with no stop signal, for a long while, then all of a sudden pop the stop sign out without any regard for current traffic conditions.

they do not get rocket scientists applying for the bus driver positions.

Mikeeee

 

[JR6ooo4]

Glad you kids is ok but you should always walk behind stopped cars incase something like this happens and tell your kid not to listen to the mp3 player so loud. Have them put it at a volume that they can still hear the environment.

if you walk in front and the driver starts to go you will be hit at about 3 MPH. if you walk behind the last stopped car and the next car traveling does not stop you are pinned/smashed between two vehicles.

Mikeeee

 

[goofy4tink]

Glad you kids is ok but you should always walk behind stopped cars incase something like this happens and tell your kid not to listen to the mp3 player so loud. Have them put it at a volume that they can still hear the environment.

Generally speaking the kids walk to the front of the bus, wait for the driver to signal them it's okay to cross and then they walk in front of the bus. The cars, heading toward the bus, but from the opposite direction, should be stopped, allowing the kids to cross. The cars behind the bus shouldn't be moving until the red lights, and signage on bus, stop.
My dd had a similar experience. Our street is pretty busy and our driveway is just past a huge corner that has limited sightlines. We had a 'bus stop ahead' sign put up years ago. So...the bus dropped my dd, then about 12, off. She waited until the driver gave her the go ahead and cross wave. Dd looked both ways and crossed. Just as she got to the end of the driveway, a car came screaming down the road! It flew around that corner, evidently didn't expect to see cars stopped ahead of them, slammed on the brakes, swerved around the two cars stopped for my dd's bus (coming from opposite direction of the bus) and missed the front of the bus by about a foot and came to a stop in our driveway!!! That car missed my dd by about 3 yards!! The bus driver went nuts. She reported it to the police but that car didn't stay put long enough for anyone to get a license plate number!!!!
Man...I sure wish people would slow down and expect the unexpected, especially when schools are releasing at the end of the day.

 

[RitaE]

The children are supposed to walk in front of the bus.

Most school buses now have those arms that go out in front of the bus - which requires the children to walk far enough in front that the bus driver can always see them.

I have to ask however, just how loud does your daughter listen to her iPOD that she wouldn't be able to hear a car horn? That would have to be awfully loud, and not good for her ears.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I'm so glad your daughter is okay. That truck driver is an idiot and pulled an illegal move. I hope the officer at least cited him.

Our friend's son was killed about two years ago because he had long hair that obstructed his view and he was listening to his ipod when he crossed the street. He was with two friends who tried to grab his shirt to pull him back, but it was too late. He was hit by a car. One of the friends did CPR for 8 minutes until the ambulance got there, but Andrew had massive head injuries and couldn't be helped. The friends are still struggling with it. Andrew's family is still just crushed, of course. It has changed the lives of so many people.

Thank God this happened to your daughter now, so she knows what could have happened. I hope she's learned her lesson about ipods and traffic.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Deaf people cross streets all the time without injury. What happened to "look both ways before crossing"?

I have seen bus drivers around here do the craziest things. Like sit on the side of the road with no stop signal, for a long while, then all of a sudden pop the stop sign out without any regard for current traffic conditions.

they do not get rocket scientists applying for the bus driver positions.

Mikeeee

I would imagine deaf people are more aware of it. It's easy to get lost in your world when you're a) a teen, and b) listening to your ipod.

 

[JR6ooo4]

I would imagine deaf people are more aware of it. It's easy to get lost in your world when you're a) a teen, and b) listening to your ipod.

I guess it boils down to how much you value your own life. crossing a street is not "your own world".

Mikeeee

 

[Liberty Belle]

I guess it boils down to how much you value your own life. crossing a street is not "your own world".

Mikeeee

Well, of course not. People do make mistakes, though. And teenagers are knownn to have worse judgement than adults. I'm sure my friend's son valued his life.

 

[sha_lyn]

Well, of course not. People do make mistakes, though. And teenagers are known to have worse judgment than adults. I'm sure my friend's son valued his life.

ITA..... I can't believe that anyone would be so insensitive to imply that accidents like that happen because the injured/dead didn't value their own life.

 

[okeydokey]

I guess it boils down to how much you value your own life. crossing a street is not "your own world".

Mikeeee

You should feel some sense of safety crossing in front of a school bus with the arms down and the red light blinking. The truck driver was completely in the wrong here, not the pedestrian. Yes, we should all be aware of our surroundings, but let's not blame the victim.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Well, of course not. People do make mistakes, though. And teenagers are knownn to have worse judgement than adults. I'm sure my friend's son valued his life.

ITA..... I can't believe that anyone would be so insensitive to imply that accidents like that happen because the injured/dead didn't value their own life.

You should feel some sense of safety crossing in front of a school bus with the arms down and the red light blinking. The truck driver was completely in the wrong here, not the pedestrian. Yes, we should all be aware of our surroundings, but let's not blame the victim.

When I cross a one way street I look both ways. Can I assume no car is traveling the wrong direction? Sure. Is it irresponsible to step into a street without looking? 100% yes.

I am not without sympathy. I am also the person most responsible for protecting my own life. Not a red sign on a bus.

Mikeeee

 

[Liberty Belle]

When I cross a one way street I look both ways. Can I assume no car is traveling the wrong direction? Sure. Is it irresponsible to step into a street without looking? 100% yes.

I am not without sympathy. I am also the person most responsible for protecting my own life. Not a red sign on a bus.

Mikeeee

No one is arguing that you shouldn't take responsibility and look both ways before crossing a street. I don't understand why you are arguing this here. Humans make mistakes.