WWYD?--passing a school bus

[minkydog]

Ok, I know it's the end of the school year and all. But in the past 2 weeks FOUR people on my street have passed my DSs special needs school bus while it was stopped to pick him up. The first time, the driver didn't catch the tag and I didn't know the car. But the next times she did get the tag number and turned it in.

Besides the fact that I am irked that my neighbors would show this kind of disrespect, passing a school bus that is in process of loading students is a crime which carries a stiff fine. I really don't want my neighbors to be charged with a moving violation. This bus carries about 6 kids who have varying degrees of mental disabilities. The bus driver is just about livid over this. My neighbors are breaking the law!

Personally, I don't understand why my neighbors can't wait patiently while my son loads his bus--it takes about 5 minutes due to his slow, off-balance walk. But it's only 5 minutes! It's probably too late in the school year to do anything about it. School ends next Friday. But I'm thinking when school starts in August that I may make up flyers to distribute to all the neighbors with DSs picture on it , pick-up and drop-off times, and a plea to drive carefully so they don't get a ticket.

Would you take offense if you got a flyer like this? I don't want to cause trouble in the neighborhood. We don't know most of the people and I'm sure most of them don't know our son, either. I just want to make the neighbors more aware of this special needs bus AND give them the schedule so maybe if they're in such a hurry they can arrange to leave the neighborhood 5 minutes BEFORE the bus comes.

 

[happygirl]

If the stop sign is out then I would do something, If it wasn't then I would let it go

 

[The Mystery Machine]

People know they are breaking the law already and don't care. A flyer is not going to change that.

I would just get their plate number and give it to the driver for the police to take care of. It is a police matter.

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

Ok, I know it's the end of the school year and all. But in the past 2 weeks FOUR people on my street have passed my DSs special needs school bus while it was stopped to pick him up. The first time, the driver didn't catch the tag and I didn't know the car. But the next times she did get the tag number and turned it in.

Besides the fact that I am irked that my neighbors would show this kind of disrespect, passing a school bus that is in process of loading students is a crime which carries a stiff fine. I really don't want my neighbors to be charged with a moving violation. This bus carries about 6 kids who have varying degrees of mental disabilities. The bus driver is just about livid over this. My neighbors are breaking the law!

Personally, I don't understand why my neighbors can't wait patiently while my son loads his bus--it takes about 5 minutes due to his slow, off-balance walk. But it's only 5 minutes! It's probably too late in the school year to do anything about it. School ends next Friday. But I'm thinking when school starts in August that I may make up flyers to distribute to all the neighbors with DSs picture on it , pick-up and drop-off times, and a plea to drive carefully so they don't get a ticket.

Would you take offense if you got a flyer like this? I don't want to cause trouble in the neighborhood. We don't know most of the people and I'm sure most of them don't know our son, either. I just want to make the neighbors more aware of this special needs bus AND give them the schedule so maybe if they're in such a hurry they can arrange to leave the neighborhood 5 minutes BEFORE the bus comes.

Just a question - when the bus picks up / drops off - does the bus park in your driveway? My neighbors son gets on a special needs school bus every day - they pull into the driveway. Not only is it just safer, but it takes this whole problem away.

 

[luvmy3]

People know they are breaking the law already and don't care. A flyer is not going to change that.

I would just get their plate number and give it to the driver for the police to take care of. It is a police matter.

ITA. A flyer isn't going to change what they are doing but a ticket from the police probably will.

 

[minkydog]

Just a question - when the bus picks up / drops off - does the bus park in your driveway? My neighbors son gets on a special needs school bus every day - they pull into the driveway. Not only is it just safer, but it takes this whole problem away.

No, they don't park in the driveway. The bus parks at the end of the driveway in the street. Our school district mandates that the bus not be required to back up into the street. After bus pick-up they drive to the end of the street(very short distance) and make a circle in the culdesac before driving out of the neighborhood.

 

[minkydog]

People know they are breaking the law already and don't care. A flyer is not going to change that.

I would just get their plate number and give it to the driver for the police to take care of. It is a police matter.

ITA. A flyer isn't going to change what they are doing but a ticket from the police probably will.

I know you are right. If the neighbors have taken their driving tests, they know what the law is. I guess I'm too worried about what my neighbors will think. I think I'm trying too hard to protect them. Perhaps I need to let the chips fall where they may. (So why do I feel so bad about that )

 

[Becky2005]

Just a question - when the bus picks up / drops off - does the bus park in your driveway? My neighbors son gets on a special needs school bus every day - they pull into the driveway. Not only is it just safer, but it takes this whole problem away.

They may not be allowed to. It's kind of tricky, depending on the driveway, etc... I know my older DS goes to summer school so the bus picks him up/drop-off. One year I had to give them special permission to park in the driveway. One year I was told they don't do that because it can be more dangerous backing the bus out of a driveway. I think it all depends on why/what the bus is there for too. I've dealt with the bus in varying degrees for several years now (preschool & summer school). I've heard various rules from each year. I know they do change things as we live on a somewhat busy street & I know they have changed how the bus stops work due to that as the years have gone by.

I don't think there is anything you can do but turn the plate #'s in. The people passing know they aren't supposed to pass a school bus if their stop sign is out.

 

[luvmy3]

I know you are right. If the neighbors have taken their driving tests, they know what the law is. I guess I'm too worried about what my neighbors will think. I think I'm trying too hard to protect them. Perhaps I need to let the chips fall where they may. (So why do I feel so bad about that )

Don't worry about protecting your neighbors, they certainly aren't worried about protecting those kids that ride that bus. Turn them in, don't feel guilty and just know you are doing the right thing

 

[happygirl]

I know you are right. If the neighbors have taken their driving tests, they know what the law is. I guess I'm too worried about what my neighbors will think. I think I'm trying too hard to protect them. Perhaps I need to let the chips fall where they may. (So why do I feel so bad about that )

Actually it's not aganist the law if the stop sign isn't out

 

[Carly_Roach]

I'd check the littering laws and handbill posting ordinances in your neighborhood before posting or leaving any flyers. People may feel as though your "Make an exception for me and/or my family" flyer is being preachy. They could go from just being annoyed at being inconvenienced every single morning to flat-out furious that you're now telling them they're wrong for feeling anger at being forced to wait every single morning while your son's life becomes everyone else's center of the Universe.

Get the license plates, be vigilent about getting the license plates, and let the police handle it. If it happens as often as you say it does, one of two things will happen:

1). The continual price and points that your neighbors have to pay will become cost prohibitive as opposed to having to wait five minutes every morning.

2). The situation may change where the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few and the bus may have to pull into your driveway instead of blocking traffic on the roadway.

I have to be honest with you here: having to wait five minutes (which is a LONG time during the morning rush commute) is something I'd do for a train or a car accident. Having to wait five minutes every single morning because of a neighbor's issue would make me a bit angry after several months of it. Getting a flyer from that neighbor wouldn't increase my understanding of their situation - it would probably just make me angrier.

 

[TangaroaTiki]

Is your son crossing the street to get on the bus? If not, and the door of the bus is on the driveway-side - I would let it go.

Yes, 5-minutes is a long time to wait.

 

[luvmy3]

Actually it's not aganist the law if the stop sign isn't out

Doesn't the sign automatically come out when the door is opened? I always thought that you are to stop when the lights are flashing red.

 

[luvmy3]

I have to be honest with you here: having to wait five minutes (which is a LONG time during the morning rush commute) is something I'd do for a train or a car accident. Having to wait five minutes every single morning because of a neighbor's issue would make me a bit angry after several months of it. Getting a flyer from that neighbor wouldn't increase my understanding of their situation - it would probably just make me angrier.

But if it was something you knew was going to happen at the same time everyday wouldn't you just avoid it by leaving earlier or later? Why would you be angry because you had to wait for a stopped school bus, does it matter whether its one kid that takes 5 minutes or 10 kids that take 5 minutes? I just don't get the getting angry thing

 

[TwinsinCA]

is your son crossing the street to get on the bus? If not, and the door of the bus is on the driveway-side - i would let it go.

Yes, 5-minutes is a long time to wait.

ita.

 

[minkydog]

Actually it's not aganist the law if the stop sign isn't out

Is your son crossing the street to get on the bus? If not, and the door of the bus is on the driveway-side - I would let it go.

Yes, 5-minutes is a long time to wait.

Doesn't the sign automatically come out when the door is opened? I always thought that you are to stop when the lights are flashing red.

Yes, the sign is out. In fact, sometimes the driver will not open the door and flip out the sign until the car has passed. Of course, that is not illegal.

I don't see how 5minutes is a problem. If you know that the bus is going to be there EVERY MORNING at 8:30am wouldn't you just leave your house at 8:25 ?

 

[Becky2005]

Actually it's not aganist the law if the stop sign isn't out

I assumed the stop sign was out.

OK, I saw OP updated that it was out.

 

[happygirl]

If the sign is out, Then yes I would be turning people in. That is so dangerous.

 

[happygirl]

I would call the police and explain the situation. I bet the would send a police officer out and he would take care of it

 

[Carly_Roach]

But if it was something you knew was going to happen at the same time everyday wouldn't you just avoid it by leaving earlier or later? Why would you be angry because you had to wait for a stopped school bus, does it matter whether its one kid that takes 5 minutes or 10 kids that take 5 minutes? I just don't get the getting angry thing

I would (and do) avoid the times when I know the busses are going to be on the roads. That's easy. If I'm running late then I know the busses are going to make me later (not the best way to start a morning) and call ahead to the boss letting him know I'm running late.

HOWEVER, I am in my 40's and a fairly mature person. I accept what I can and deal with what I can't change. I'm a rarity. I also listen to the people around me and can sympathize with them when they say, "And to top it all off, that damn new neighbor made everyone five minutes later to work this morning while we all sat there watching her child make his daily promenade to the short bus this morning."

I know....not a nice thing to say, but you KNOW they're thinking it and a few are probably saying it to their co-workers. That's just how these people are.

The question was about sending a flyer around the neighborhood and gathering information about how people might react to it. I'm simply stating one way people may react to a flyer.

Bottom line: skip the flyer and let the police handle the law-breakers.