School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got one of these in the mail this week. What happens if you just ignore the letter and decide just not to pay the fine? And how does the appeal process work? Is there a real risk that you would end up paying more than $250 after a court appearance?

In my case, I was driving on a pretty wide two-lane road that has a lane in the middle where drivers can't go. It's certainly not the type of road where anyone would cross in the middle. The bus was driving on the opposite side from me, and it put out its stop sign a split-second before I passed it.

So my case isn't as sympathetic as the posters who were on a six-lane highway, but the average driver wouldn't have noticed the bus on the opposite side of the road.

It is worth appealing?

Thank you!

If it was an actual divided road - one with a curbed median - appeal. If it wasn't, you messed up so pay up.

You can’t mess up if the bus didn’t put on its yellow flashing lights 100 feet in advance. The bus camera company doesn’t track that information. None of these citations comply with Maryland law. The system was not developed for Maryland. It is a Texas system that was shut down when the FBI arrested the president and 6 others for bribes and fraud.
The mcps director of transportation who has been fired set up this deal with one of the bus camera officers now in jail.
The deal is a scam.

Appeal and tell the judge the citation doesn’t track distance and doesn’t establish if bus gave 100 foot warning with yellow flashing lights.

The bus camera company hired a mcps administrator and a Montgomery county police office to keep their in with mcps and the police.
Both violated conflict provisions to take those jobs.

The law doesn't give the 100' thing as an exception for the car driver. It's a regulation for bus drivers.

https://govt.westlaw.com/mdc/Document/N6CEEE6E0817A11E9A4B1C23A99BDCD11?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)
Vehicles required to stop upon meeting or overtaking school vehicle operating flashing red lights
(a) If a school vehicle has stopped on a roadway and is operating the alternately flashing red lights specified in § 22-228 of this article, the driver of any other vehicle meeting or overtaking the school vehicle shall stop at least 20 feet from the rear of the school vehicle, if approaching the school vehicle from its rear, or at least 20 feet from the front of the school vehicle, if approaching the school vehicle from its front.

Vehicles allowed to proceed when lights deactivated or motion of school vehicle resumed
(b) If a school vehicle has stopped on a roadway and is operating the alternately flashing red lights specified in § 22-228 of this article, the driver of any other vehicle meeting or overtaking the school vehicle may not proceed until the school vehicle resumes motion or the alternately flashing red lights are deactivated.
Vehicles on divided highways
(c) This section does not apply to the driver of a vehicle on a divided highway, if the school vehicle is on a different roadway.
Fines
(d) A person convicted of a violation of this section is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000.
Credits
Added by Acts 1977, c. 14, § 2, eff. July 1, 1977. Amended by Acts 1982, c. 26; Acts 1986, c. 472, § 1; Acts 1986, c. 474; Acts 1988, c. 199; Acts 1995, c. 496, § 1, eff. Aug. 15, 1995; Acts 1998, c. 360, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1998; Acts 1999, c. 524, § 1, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 2000, c. 332, § 1, eff. July 1, 2000; Acts 2004, c. 111, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2004; Acts 2011, c. 273, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2011; Acts 2017, c. 55, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2017; Acts 2017, c. 744, § 1, eff. July 1, 2017; Acts 2019, c. 429, § 1, eff. June 1, 2019.
Formerly Art. 66 ½, § 11-706.

Note it doesn't say "go ahead and pass a stopped bus with red lights flashing because the bus driver didn't put the amber/yellow lights on." But yu can try the judge.

Far better to put your phone away, pay attention, and be prepared to stop any time you see a school bus. If this is too much for you, stick to transit.

Where dies it say the bus driver can violate the law and scam drivers?

Seek help. School bus drivers are not trying to scam you.

Tell that to the FBI. They already convicted 6 people connected to this scam.

[Anonymous]

My son was scammed by the bus company because I'm the video the idiot bus driver didn't put the stop sign out until after the fact. I believe it was done on purpose and it needs to stop. Stealing from the innocent and it's not correct. Taking a day off of work to fight it is not an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son was scammed by the bus company because I'm the video the idiot bus driver didn't put the stop sign out until after the fact. I believe it was done on purpose and it needs to stop. Stealing from the innocent and it's not correct. Taking a day off of work to fight it is not an option.

Can you redact and post the video?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was scammed by the bus company because I'm the video the idiot bus driver didn't put the stop sign out until after the fact. I believe it was done on purpose and it needs to stop. Stealing from the innocent and it's not correct. Taking a day off of work to fight it is not an option.

Can you redact and post the video?

Now the thread on the arrest of Todd Watkins has been deleted. He was in court today pleading guilty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was scammed by the bus company because I'm the video the idiot bus driver didn't put the stop sign out until after the fact. I believe it was done on purpose and it needs to stop. Stealing from the innocent and it's not correct. Taking a day off of work to fight it is not an option.

Can you redact and post the video?

Now the thread on the arrest of Todd Watkins has been deleted. He was in court today pleading guilty.

Because there is already a thread about that here where you can discuss it. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1015465.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was scammed by the bus company because I'm the video the idiot bus driver didn't put the stop sign out until after the fact. I believe it was done on purpose and it needs to stop. Stealing from the innocent and it's not correct. Taking a day off of work to fight it is not an option.

Can you redact and post the video?

Now the thread on the arrest of Todd Watkins has been deleted. He was in court today pleading guilty.

Because there is already a thread about that here where you can discuss it. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1015465.page

Nothing there about criminal charges.
But mcps is very happy to delete threads about corruption.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was scammed by the bus company because I'm the video the idiot bus driver didn't put the stop sign out until after the fact. I believe it was done on purpose and it needs to stop. Stealing from the innocent and it's not correct. Taking a day off of work to fight it is not an option.

Can you redact and post the video?

Now the thread on the arrest of Todd Watkins has been deleted. He was in court today pleading guilty.

Because there is already a thread about that here where you can discuss it. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1015465.page

Nothing there about criminal charges.
But mcps is very happy to delete threads about corruption.

Your tin-foil hat is slipping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got one of these in the mail this week. What happens if you just ignore the letter and decide just not to pay the fine? And how does the appeal process work? Is there a real risk that you would end up paying more than $250 after a court appearance?

In my case, I was driving on a pretty wide two-lane road that has a lane in the middle where drivers can't go. It's certainly not the type of road where anyone would cross in the middle. The bus was driving on the opposite side from me, and it put out its stop sign a split-second before I passed it.

So my case isn't as sympathetic as the posters who were on a six-lane highway, but the average driver wouldn't have noticed the bus on the opposite side of the road.

It is worth appealing?

Thank you!

If it was an actual divided road - one with a curbed median - appeal. If it wasn't, you messed up so pay up.

You can’t mess up if the bus didn’t put on its yellow flashing lights 100 feet in advance. The bus camera company doesn’t track that information. None of these citations comply with Maryland law. The system was not developed for Maryland. It is a Texas system that was shut down when the FBI arrested the president and 6 others for bribes and fraud.
The mcps director of transportation who has been fired set up this deal with one of the bus camera officers now in jail.
The deal is a scam.

Appeal and tell the judge the citation doesn’t track distance and doesn’t establish if bus gave 100 foot warning with yellow flashing lights.

The bus camera company hired a mcps administrator and a Montgomery county police office to keep their in with mcps and the police.
Both violated conflict provisions to take those jobs.

The law doesn't give the 100' thing as an exception for the car driver. It's a regulation for bus drivers.

https://govt.westlaw.com/mdc/Document/N6CEEE6E0817A11E9A4B1C23A99BDCD11?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)
Vehicles required to stop upon meeting or overtaking school vehicle operating flashing red lights
(a) If a school vehicle has stopped on a roadway and is operating the alternately flashing red lights specified in § 22-228 of this article, the driver of any other vehicle meeting or overtaking the school vehicle shall stop at least 20 feet from the rear of the school vehicle, if approaching the school vehicle from its rear, or at least 20 feet from the front of the school vehicle, if approaching the school vehicle from its front.

Vehicles allowed to proceed when lights deactivated or motion of school vehicle resumed
(b) If a school vehicle has stopped on a roadway and is operating the alternately flashing red lights specified in § 22-228 of this article, the driver of any other vehicle meeting or overtaking the school vehicle may not proceed until the school vehicle resumes motion or the alternately flashing red lights are deactivated.
Vehicles on divided highways
(c) This section does not apply to the driver of a vehicle on a divided highway, if the school vehicle is on a different roadway.
Fines
(d) A person convicted of a violation of this section is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000.
Credits
Added by Acts 1977, c. 14, § 2, eff. July 1, 1977. Amended by Acts 1982, c. 26; Acts 1986, c. 472, § 1; Acts 1986, c. 474; Acts 1988, c. 199; Acts 1995, c. 496, § 1, eff. Aug. 15, 1995; Acts 1998, c. 360, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1998; Acts 1999, c. 524, § 1, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 2000, c. 332, § 1, eff. July 1, 2000; Acts 2004, c. 111, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2004; Acts 2011, c. 273, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2011; Acts 2017, c. 55, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2017; Acts 2017, c. 744, § 1, eff. July 1, 2017; Acts 2019, c. 429, § 1, eff. June 1, 2019.
Formerly Art. 66 ½, § 11-706.

Note it doesn't say "go ahead and pass a stopped bus with red lights flashing because the bus driver didn't put the amber/yellow lights on." But yu can try the judge.

Far better to put your phone away, pay attention, and be prepared to stop any time you see a school bus. If this is too much for you, stick to transit.

Note be bold test... if the bus didn't put the lights on in accordance with that statute, then there is no violation of this one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was scammed by the bus company because I'm the video the idiot bus driver didn't put the stop sign out until after the fact. I believe it was done on purpose and it needs to stop. Stealing from the innocent and it's not correct. Taking a day off of work to fight it is not an option.

Can you redact and post the video?

Now the thread on the arrest of Todd Watkins has been deleted. He was in court today pleading guilty.

Because there is already a thread about that here where you can discuss it. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1015465.page

Nothing there about criminal charges.
But mcps is very happy to delete threads about corruption.

Your tin-foil hat is slipping.

What does tin foil have to do with all the MCPS threads and comments that are deleted here? You know people get screenshots of this stuff, right?

[Anonymous]

What I don’t get is why you must stop for school buses but city buses don’t seem to have any issues whatsoever.

I’ve actually heard that making cars stop on both sides of the road actually increases car accidents. No kid should ever cross a street that more than an unlined residential steer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I don’t get is why you must stop for school buses but city buses don’t seem to have any issues whatsoever.

I’ve actually heard that making cars stop on both sides of the road actually increases car accidents. No kid should ever cross a street that more than an unlined residential steer.

Elrich didn't get his tax increase, so MCPS can't do all the extra routes you're asking for.

And do you have a source better than "I've actually heard"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I don’t get is why you must stop for school buses but city buses don’t seem to have any issues whatsoever.

I’ve actually heard that making cars stop on both sides of the road actually increases car accidents. No kid should ever cross a street that more than an unlined residential steer.

Elrich didn't get his tax increase, so MCPS can't do all the extra routes you're asking for.

And do you have a source better than "I've actually heard"?

Mcps got all the money they need to add routes. Maybe mcps administrators should stop embezzling money?

Go research school bus safety. Todd Watkins never did, but it’s easy to find the national standards for safe school bus stops. Watkins did not follow them.

And plenty of money laying around mcps transportation since they stopped paying for the electric school buses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I don’t get is why you must stop for school buses but city buses don’t seem to have any issues whatsoever.

I’ve actually heard that making cars stop on both sides of the road actually increases car accidents. No kid should ever cross a street that more than an unlined residential steer.

1. Because school buses transport children.

2. Public "city" buses do have issues, you just don't know about them. A lot of people who are hit and even killed are crossing to or from public bus stops.

[Anonymous]

This is the second time I received a ticket for "not stopping" although the first showed my Subaru clearly stopped. When I mentioned this, they denied mu Subaru was a Subaru. Then took the photo off the internet. Who is behind this? It is clearly a scam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the second time I received a ticket for "not stopping" although the first showed my Subaru clearly stopped. When I mentioned this, they denied mu Subaru was a Subaru. Then took the photo off the internet. Who is behind this? It is clearly a scam.

Next time stop farther away from the school bus. You were probably too close.