Got a $250 school bus ticket in MoCo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there is no median you have to stop...

I got one in Kensington despite being on the other side of a median with a CREEK running through the middle of it.

Do you think a middle schooler running couldn’t cross that? I’ve seen it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this new? I’ve lived here 25 years and this was the first time. I was on a 4 lane highway on the left most lane and the school bus was dropping off at some apartments on the right most lane. I didn’t even see it. It’s not like I was in some residential neighborhood.

Good! Too bad they didn't revoke you on the spot and tow your car

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there is no median you have to stop...

I got one in Kensington despite being on the other side of a median with a CREEK running through the middle of it.

Do you think a middle schooler running couldn’t cross that? I’ve seen it.

Sure, Jan.

[Anonymous]

Please pay the tickets and learn to be a better driver

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question because I don't know the answer....are you supposed to stop where there is a median, but there are breaks in the median? (I think no, but am not sure.) It's sometimes a little scary to stop on a road with 2-3 lanes in each direction, and a 40 mph speed limit--I hate when they have bus stops on streets like that. MCPS avoids it, but some of the private school buses stop on pretty busy streets, I've noticed.

Are you serious? You are scared to STOP your car on a road while you are encased in a two-ton steel protective cage? If you are scared to stop since the cars are going too fast maybe, just maybe, the kids getting off the bus are a little more scared to have cars whizzing by them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this new? I’ve lived here 25 years and this was the first time. I was on a 4 lane highway on the left most lane and the school bus was dropping off at some apartments on the right most lane. I didn’t even see it. It’s not like I was in some residential neighborhood.

A residential neighborhood is one where people reside. An apartment building is a large building with lots and lots of residents. Hence, you were in a residential neighborhood

[Anonymous]

We really need to make it more difficult for people to obtain a driver's license.

[Anonymous]

Unless you were there and witnessed the situation, it’s very easy to play backseat driver saying that you could have seen the bus in OP’s situation. Everyone is vilifying OP like the kids are out of the bus and crossing the street before the stop sign gate has opened. OP acknowledged the fault already and explaining the situation.

I received a ticket a few years ago and I was parallel with the bus when the flashing stop gate opened up. But since it had front and rear cameras, I was also ticketed. I tried to contest it and the officer explained that I have to stop when the lights are flashing, not when the sign swings out. It was the difference of .5 sec on the video that i had to see the lights and stop before I passed the bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless you were there and witnessed the situation, it’s very easy to play backseat driver saying that you could have seen the bus in OP’s situation. Everyone is vilifying OP like the kids are out of the bus and crossing the street before the stop sign gate has opened. OP acknowledged the fault already and explaining the situation.

I received a ticket a few years ago and I was parallel with the bus when the flashing stop gate opened up. But since it had front and rear cameras, I was also ticketed. I tried to contest it and the officer explained that I have to stop when the lights are flashing, not when the sign swings out. It was the difference of .5 sec on the video that i had to see the lights and stop before I passed the bus.

Stop making excuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless you were there and witnessed the situation, it’s very easy to play backseat driver saying that you could have seen the bus in OP’s situation. Everyone is vilifying OP like the kids are out of the bus and crossing the street before the stop sign gate has opened. OP acknowledged the fault already and explaining the situation.

I received a ticket a few years ago and I was parallel with the bus when the flashing stop gate opened up. But since it had front and rear cameras, I was also ticketed. I tried to contest it and the officer explained that I have to stop when the lights are flashing, not when the sign swings out. It was the difference of .5 sec on the video that i had to see the lights and stop before I passed the bus.

The bus camera could see the OP. It therefore seems likely that the OP could have seen the bus, had the OP been looking.

School buses are big and yellow. When you're driving and you see one, slow down and be prepared to stop. That's the best way to avoid getting a ticket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless you were there and witnessed the situation, it’s very easy to play backseat driver saying that you could have seen the bus in OP’s situation. Everyone is vilifying OP like the kids are out of the bus and crossing the street before the stop sign gate has opened. OP acknowledged the fault already and explaining the situation.

I received a ticket a few years ago and I was parallel with the bus when the flashing stop gate opened up. But since it had front and rear cameras, I was also ticketed. I tried to contest it and the officer explained that I have to stop when the lights are flashing, not when the sign swings out. It was the difference of .5 sec on the video that i had to see the lights and stop before I passed the bus.

Residential neighborhoods have speed limits of 25 or 30 mph. If you are driving within the speed limit, the amount of time when the yellow lights stop flashing to when they turn red and the arm swings out is plenty of time to stop. If you were caught on the camera passing the bus, that means that either you were speeding at least 10 mph over the speed limit or your ignored the yellow flashing lights thinking you could "beat" the red flashing lights or just ignored them completely.

You need to drive slower and pay more attention when you are driving in residential areas because there is plenty of time from when the yellow lights start to flash and when the bus stops and the arm comes out.

You and OP both deserved the tickets. Apparently, $250 is not enough of a disincentive for people to self-police themselves. Perhaps they need to raise the amount again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you were there and witnessed the situation, it’s very easy to play backseat driver saying that you could have seen the bus in OP’s situation. Everyone is vilifying OP like the kids are out of the bus and crossing the street before the stop sign gate has opened. OP acknowledged the fault already and explaining the situation.

I received a ticket a few years ago and I was parallel with the bus when the flashing stop gate opened up. But since it had front and rear cameras, I was also ticketed. I tried to contest it and the officer explained that I have to stop when the lights are flashing, not when the sign swings out. It was the difference of .5 sec on the video that i had to see the lights and stop before I passed the bus.

Residential neighborhoods have speed limits of 25 or 30 mph. If you are driving within the speed limit, the amount of time when the yellow lights stop flashing to when they turn red and the arm swings out is plenty of time to stop. If you were caught on the camera passing the bus, that means that either you were speeding at least 10 mph over the speed limit or your ignored the yellow flashing lights thinking you could "beat" the red flashing lights or just ignored them completely.

You need to drive slower and pay more attention when you are driving in residential areas because there is plenty of time from when the yellow lights start to flash and when the bus stops and the arm comes out.

You and OP both deserved the tickets. Apparently, $250 is not enough of a disincentive for people to self-police themselves. Perhaps they need to raise the amount again.

yellow lights start flashing...

[Anonymous]

This happened to me on what I *thought* was a divided road with a large grassy median...

...except that the spot where the bus was stopped and I passed it in the other direction had no median, because there was the beginning of an extra lane for turning! The entire rest of the road had a median!

So I paid the ticket. I agree that sometimes the bus is so far away it seems unfair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This happened to me on what I *thought* was a divided road with a large grassy median...

...except that the spot where the bus was stopped and I passed it in the other direction had no median, because there was the beginning of an extra lane for turning! The entire rest of the road had a median!

So I paid the ticket. I agree that sometimes the bus is so far away it seems unfair.

Me again. Of course, I'd rather have it unfair for the drivers than have it unfair for the kids!!!

[Anonymous]

What a moron! You deserve to pay more. You don't deserve a license!!