Would you stop for this school bus? Update Post #45

[LisaR]

For the past five weeks, I have been leaving my subdivision around the time that one of the school buses is picking up kids. I honestly don't know if I should stop.

We live in a gated community with an entrance gate and an exit gate. The bus picks up outside the entrance gate. There is a median that is larger than five feet (the law says you must stop if the median is under 5 ft wide).

Depending on the day, the bus driver might pull up so the entire bus is even with the median but more times than not, the driver pulls past the median leaving 1/4 to 1/2 the bus outside the median area. I hope that makes sense.

As I exit the gates, the bus would be on my left. There is about 6 feet of pavement before the median.

Over the course of the past five weeks, I have been flipped off, honked at and yelled at by people in my subdivision because I stop for the bus. I never thought I would feel peer pressure at my age.

Some cars do stop so I am not alone. DH leaves earlier and he encounters a different school bus a few days a week. He says he never stops and has never seen anyone else stop.

I have honestly considered pulling over and running up to the driver and asking her if I should stop but my 15 y/o would die since she knows people on the bus. As it is, she is ducking down while cars are beeping at us.

My reason for stopping is because the bus is rarely completely in the median area. WWYD? I have another 11 weeks of leaving at this same time in the morning so I would love to know what to do or who I could call to find out the answer.

 

[snykymom]

I always stop for school buses with their lights on.

That being said, in your situation, I'd leave home either 5 minutes earlier or 5 minutes later and avoid the whole issue!

 

[penn19]

Funny, I am in this same situation. I only encounter it once or twice a week though. I get ready to make a left into my subdivision (not that it matters actually) and I come upon a bus pulled in the right hand lane with its lights flashing. My dilemma though is it has one of those stop signs that come out of the side of the bus. But everytime, the sign isn't out, but the lights are flashing. It drives me nuts! I want to do the right thing. I asked my son, as normally he rides that bus unless he is at tutoring, to ask the driver if I should stop and he's like MOM!!!

 

[It'sWDW4me]

Yeah, I would be stopping, too. Maybe you could call the school district. I know that DS's middle school directory has a "transportation" number listed.

 

[LisaR]

I always stop for school buses with their lights on.

That being said, in your situation, I'd leave home either 5 minutes earlier or 5 minutes later and avoid the whole issue!

I wish it was that easy. Apparently school buses aren't always there at the exact time. We left about 7 minutes early this morning and that darn bus was just pulling up! I think the driver enjoys watching my discomfort.

 

[HelenePA]

Stop and wait for the driver to wave you by. If you dont stop he CAN write down your licence plate number and you'll be getting a visit from some nice people in blue I think its a pretty big fine.

 

[golfgal]

If I am picturing this right the bus stops on an east/west street near the entrance, you are going out a north/south street turning right? The kids are loading the bus on the same side of the street where you are coming out. The median is on the street YOU are on, but not on the street the bus is on, correct? I don't think you have to stop if you are turning right but you would have to stop if you are turning left.

 

[LisaR]

Stop and wait for the driver to wave you by. If you dont stop he CAN write down your licence plate number and you'll be getting a visit from some nice people in blue I think its a pretty big fine.

She has never waved me by which is just another reason why I assume I need to stop.

I will look for a bus number tomorrow morning and see if I can track down someone to solve this. I firmly believe I should stop but I seem to be in the minority in my subdivision.

 

[daughtersrus]

I'm not sure about the median issue but here, the law is that if a bus has the stop sign out, you may not pass the sign from either direction.

If the bus is stopped at an intersection, you proceed as long as you will not pass the sign.

For the OP, I would call the non-emergency number for your police department. They should be familiar with the street that you're talking about and ask them.

 

[LisaR]

If I am picturing this right the bus stops on an east/west street near the entrance, you are going out a north/south street turning right? The kids are loading the bus on the same side of the street where you are coming out. The median is on the street YOU are on, but not on the street the bus is on, correct? I don't think you have to stop if you are turning right but you would have to stop if you are turning left.

No, it is just like a normal road with one lane for cars going west (entering the sub) and one lane for cars going east (leaving the sub).

The bus comes in the west lane and stops just before the gate. The bus sits in that west bound lane so any cars behind him (coming into the sub) wouldn't have a choice but to stop because the bus is in the only lane available for cars going west.

I am in the only lane going east (leaving the sub). There are two gates and in between the two gates there is a big, brick marque that says the name of our subdivision. From that marque to the median, there is about 6 to 8 feet. It is barely enough room for the bus driver. After the kids load, th bus swings to the left, backs up and swing some more to the left until they can maneuver the bus around to the east bound lane.

Between the two lanes and after that 6 ft of turn around pavement, there is the median. When the bus pulls into that west bound lane to pick up kids, sometimes the entire bus is in that median area. When I see that, I go. Most of the time, the driver pulls forward too much and half the bus is in the median but the front of the bus is a few feet in front of the median.

Clear as mud, right?

 

[LisaR]

I'm not sure about the median issue but here, the law is that if a bus has the stop sign out, you may not pass the sign from either direction.

If the bus is stopped at an intersection, you proceed as long as you will not pass the sign.

For the OP, I would call the non-emergency number for your police department. They should be familiar with the street that you're talking about and ask them.

I will have to look into the stop sign issue. The lights are always on but I am 99% sure the stop signs are not out. I know for a fact that they were not out today but I can't be sure about the other times.

 

[DVCLiz]

Hope you get a good answer, OP.

I have a different situation. In my state, if a street has two lanes in each direction AND a turning lane in the middle, you are not required to stop if the bus is on the other side of the street - even if it has its stop sign out. The kids will not come on the other side of the street, in other words - they are loading from the edge of the street opposite. This is a NC law and it's not new - it's been several years now.

I can't tell you how many people STILL stop even though they are on the opposite side of the road. Fine, I get that it "feels" like you should stop but I know when I breeze past in one of the lanes and cars are stoppped in the other I get dirty looks, etc. I'm sure someone has written down my license number and called but since I'M the one obeying the law they are probably told that on the phone.

It drives me crazy but if I am not stopped behind someone else I always go - I want to obey the law, not make up my own rules based on what I "feel" I should do.

 

[happygirl]

Yes, I would stop

 

[mhsjax]

Where I live, if there is a divided road with a raised median, you don't have to stop. Now if the bus pulls up a little past it, I am not sure that I would stop, but probably slow down.

I think I would do what another pp suggested and call the non emergency number for your local law enforcement and see what they say, since they are the ones that write the tickets.

 

[golfgal]

No, it is just like a normal road with one lane for cars going west (entering the sub) and one lane for cars going east (leaving the sub).

The bus comes in the west lane and stops just before the gate. The bus sits in that west bound lane so any cars behind him (coming into the sub) wouldn't have a choice but to stop because the bus is in the only lane available for cars going west.

I am in the only lane going east (leaving the sub). There are two gates and in between the two gates there is a big, brick marque that says the name of our subdivision. From that marque to the median, there is about 6 to 8 feet. It is barely enough room for the bus driver. After the kids load, th bus swings to the left, backs up and swing some more to the left until they can maneuver the bus around to the east bound lane.

Between the two lanes and after that 6 ft of turn around pavement, there is the median. When the bus pulls into that west bound lane to pick up kids, sometimes the entire bus is in that median area. When I see that, I go. Most of the time, the driver pulls forward too much and half the bus is in the median but the front of the bus is a few feet in front of the median.

Clear as mud, right?

I NEED PICTURES

 

[Glynis]

I would definitely stop! I stop for any bus when they have their lights flashing and the stop sign out. My brother was hit and nearly killed by a car that ignored them and went by the bus. It was really scary, and cemented my belief that everyone should stop for a school bus!

 

[Kathi OD]

When in doubt, stop for the school bus. So what if your neighbors don't like it. I'd hate to be the one who hits an unseen child because someone else was in a hurry.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

If the bus is flashing it's red lights you definitely need to stop and wait. If it is flashing it's yellow/orange lights you can pass them if there is room. At least that is how it works here.

 

[bettymae1121]

It's been a long time since driver's ed, but I'm pretty sure if it's a divided highway you don't have to stop for a school bus. I know for sure you don't have to stop for emergency vehicals on a divided highway (except for intersections of course) and I'm fairly sure it's the same for stopped busses.

That said, each state has different rules and in your case I'd call the school or the non-emergency police number and see if someone could clarify it. Meanwhile, when in doubt, stop!

 

[luvmy3]

So you an the bus are on the same street, but going in different directions and seperated by a Median? And each direction is only one lane?
If thats what you are describing then I would stop too, even if the law says I could pass. Within a subdivision I would treat it like there was no median.
The only time I pass is when I am on 4 to 6 lane road (divided highway) that is seperated by a median since its allowed by law and I don't believe the kids are allowed to cross those kinds of streets, so if they lived on the other side, there would be a bus stop there.