Anonymous
05/13/2023 22:08
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
If you've gotten a bus ticket, consider it a donation credit, and every time you think about making a donation to a PTA or school fundraiser, deduct from that credit
Anonymous
05/13/2023 16:40
Subject: Re:School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Anonymous wrote:
Sorry to resurrect this one more time but my husband and I have gotten two of these tickets in the last two months, and we had never received one before. Has anyone else gotten more of these lately? Are they ramping it up? Or just coincidence. And has anything come of the efforts to scrutinize this?
In both cases, as many others have stated, we were several lanes away on the opposite side of the road and drove by within a couple seconds of the stop sign going out. Slamming on the brakes could have caused an accident. We paid the first one, since it was the first time, but getting the second one right after it really peaked my suspicion and I found this thread.
The answers saying "it's simple, just don't pass a school bus" are frustrating - this is a very specific complaint in which stopping could have caused an accident, and the school bus was very far away. And $250 is a lot of money! And it's now $500 for us.
They have not ramped up the program. They are on all the buses and have been for a couple years now.
Try to stop for the yellow lights, and don't try to guess when the lights turn red.
Not judging. It's only by sheer luck I haven't gotten one. But I focus on the yellow lights. That provides more time to stop. It's better to stop or slow when you don't need to than to get a ticket (or worse hit a kid).
Anonymous
05/13/2023 12:57
Subject: Re:School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Sorry to resurrect this one more time but my husband and I have gotten two of these tickets in the last two months, and we had never received one before. Has anyone else gotten more of these lately? Are they ramping it up? Or just coincidence. And has anything come of the efforts to scrutinize this?
In both cases, as many others have stated, we were several lanes away on the opposite side of the road and drove by within a couple seconds of the stop sign going out. Slamming on the brakes could have caused an accident. We paid the first one, since it was the first time, but getting the second one right after it really peaked my suspicion and I found this thread.
The answers saying "it's simple, just don't pass a school bus" are frustrating - this is a very specific complaint in which stopping could have caused an accident, and the school bus was very far away. And $250 is a lot of money! And it's now $500 for us.
Anonymous
01/28/2023 15:44
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You mean to tell me they can’t sell bonds to pay for the cameras then pay the bonds off with the proceeds of the tickets? With the number of citations they’re issuing it wouldn’t take long. How does someone negotiate a deal where they just collect free money?
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2019/11/school-bus-camera-contract-under-review-in-montgomery-county/
The revenue from those citations would go to the vendor in exchange for installation of the cameras “at no cost” to the county.
Omg this is worse than bocce!
The FBI never sent the owners of bocce to prison. They did do that with the bus camera company.
Pretty funny, right?
Anonymous
01/28/2023 12:51
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Anonymous wrote:You mean to tell me they can’t sell bonds to pay for the cameras then pay the bonds off with the proceeds of the tickets? With the number of citations they’re issuing it wouldn’t take long. How does someone negotiate a deal where they just collect free money?
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2019/11/school-bus-camera-contract-under-review-in-montgomery-county/
The revenue from those citations would go to the vendor in exchange for installation of the cameras “at no cost” to the county.
Omg this is worse than bocce!
Anonymous
01/28/2023 11:33
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Oddly, the only people who ever complain about this are people who have been nailed. Stop breaking the law and driving past school buses with their red lights flashing. Then you won't have any problems. And be glad it was the camera that caught you and not a cop, because then the fine is $600 and 3 points.
No Trumper, that's not who complains about this. The people complaining are called the FBI and they arrested the CEO of the company and sent him to prison.
The other people complaining about this are the 20% of the people who get fake citations. They get sent a citation that isn't a violation and they have the choice of taking a day off from work to sit around District Court or paying a fake fine. They complain too. A lot.
+1. I received a citation when driving on the opposite side of the road from the bus ON A DIVIDED HIGHWAY - not a violation. The video showed 5-6 other cars doing the same thing not violating the law. My bet is they all got tickets. But when the option is to pay the ticket or take half a day out off work to fight it, people pay it.
+1
That’s how Bus Patrol America makes their money. It is a for profit business to make easy cash from drivers.
Anonymous
01/28/2023 02:04
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Oddly, the only people who ever complain about this are people who have been nailed. Stop breaking the law and driving past school buses with their red lights flashing. Then you won't have any problems. And be glad it was the camera that caught you and not a cop, because then the fine is $600 and 3 points.
No Trumper, that's not who complains about this. The people complaining are called the FBI and they arrested the CEO of the company and sent him to prison.
The other people complaining about this are the 20% of the people who get fake citations. They get sent a citation that isn't a violation and they have the choice of taking a day off from work to sit around District Court or paying a fake fine. They complain too. A lot.
+1. I received a citation when driving on the opposite side of the road from the bus ON A DIVIDED HIGHWAY - not a violation. The video showed 5-6 other cars doing the same thing not violating the law. My bet is they all got tickets. But when the option is to pay the ticket or take half a day out off work to fight it, people pay it.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 15:42
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
I have had one ticket in my life - I got a ticket last year for passing a stopped school bus that was on the opposite side of Montrose Road - a very wide and boulevarded road with trees planted in the median. Truthfully, I didn't even notice the bus because it was separated from me by lanes of traffic and a grassy median and a row of trees. It seemed really questionable to me but DH paid it before I had a chance to challenge it. But I thought that was super stretching it.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 15:19
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's completely a scam.
Trying getting a ticket across a six lane highway (WTH are kids gettign dropped off across the street on a six lane highway, right before the ONRAMP to I270 where there are literally NO HOMES) while it's snowing, and you're in lane 6 in the opposite direction. Oh yes, so F'in EASY to see. And $275 in fines. Why is there a bus stop there at all? And it's SNOWING. And I"m supposed to rotate my head back and forth constantly 180 degrees while driving, paying attention to what's happening six lanes over from me in the opposite direction where, in common sense, there should be no bus stop.
Then come to find out the revenue is going to the camera installer.
Infuriating.
Data released on how much money is being made off of certain locations
https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2023/01/breaking-senator-ben-kramer-produces.html?m=1
School buses are pretty easy to spot if you're paying even slight attention; in case you missed it: they're tall, bright yellow, and have flashing lights.
Maybe it's all tesla autopilot's fault.
I keep seeing MCDOT and MCPD in the linked report. Nothing about MCPS beyond driving the buses.
Actually they aren’t when the are 6 lanes over behind a truck.
How many teslas in Silver Spring by CASA HQ? Thousands of citations there.
The entire report is about MCPS. It’s their contract and their bus stops and their students that deserve
safe bus stops.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 15:15
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's completely a scam.
Trying getting a ticket across a six lane highway (WTH are kids gettign dropped off across the street on a six lane highway, right before the ONRAMP to I270 where there are literally NO HOMES) while it's snowing, and you're in lane 6 in the opposite direction. Oh yes, so F'in EASY to see. And $275 in fines. Why is there a bus stop there at all? And it's SNOWING. And I"m supposed to rotate my head back and forth constantly 180 degrees while driving, paying attention to what's happening six lanes over from me in the opposite direction where, in common sense, there should be no bus stop.
Then come to find out the revenue is going to the camera installer.
Infuriating.
Data released on how much money is being made off of certain locations
https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2023/01/breaking-senator-ben-kramer-produces.html?m=1
School buses are pretty easy to spot if you're paying even slight attention; in case you missed it: they're tall, bright yellow, and have flashing lights.
Maybe it's all tesla autopilot's fault.
I keep seeing MCDOT and MCPD in the linked report. Nothing about MCPS beyond driving the buses.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 14:19
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Anonymous wrote:It's completely a scam.
Trying getting a ticket across a six lane highway (WTH are kids gettign dropped off across the street on a six lane highway, right before the ONRAMP to I270 where there are literally NO HOMES) while it's snowing, and you're in lane 6 in the opposite direction. Oh yes, so F'in EASY to see. And $275 in fines. Why is there a bus stop there at all? And it's SNOWING. And I"m supposed to rotate my head back and forth constantly 180 degrees while driving, paying attention to what's happening six lanes over from me in the opposite direction where, in common sense, there should be no bus stop.
Then come to find out the revenue is going to the camera installer.
Infuriating.
Data released on how much money is being made off of certain locations
https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2023/01/breaking-senator-ben-kramer-produces.html?m=1
Anonymous
07/16/2022 19:57
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You mean to tell me they can’t sell bonds to pay for the cameras then pay the bonds off with the proceeds of the tickets? With the number of citations they’re issuing it wouldn’t take long. How does someone negotiate a deal where they just collect free money?
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2019/11/school-bus-camera-contract-under-review-in-montgomery-county/
The revenue from those citations would go to the vendor in exchange for installation of the cameras “at no cost” to the county.
Or maybe just stop when the bus stops and flashed their lights when children are getting on and off. Did that ever occur to you or is that just tooo strenuous for you..
Or maybe just don’t pay money to scammmmmers who send out tickets to cars that aren’t moving.
Anonymous
07/16/2022 17:03
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Anonymous wrote:You mean to tell me they can’t sell bonds to pay for the cameras then pay the bonds off with the proceeds of the tickets? With the number of citations they’re issuing it wouldn’t take long. How does someone negotiate a deal where they just collect free money?
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2019/11/school-bus-camera-contract-under-review-in-montgomery-county/
The revenue from those citations would go to the vendor in exchange for installation of the cameras “at no cost” to the county.
Or maybe just stop when the bus stops and flashed their lights when children are getting on and off. Did that ever occur to you or is that just tooo strenuous for you..
Anonymous
07/15/2022 19:09
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Appeal. It’s a rather easy and quick procedure. Last time I went, 50% had their fine dropped to $100, the rest ended with no fine. Not one paid $250.
Anonymous
07/15/2022 17:25
Subject: School bus tickets seem like a scam that scream corruption
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Oddly, the only people who ever complain about this are people who have been nailed. Stop breaking the law and driving past school buses with their red lights flashing. Then you won't have any problems. And be glad it was the camera that caught you and not a cop, because then the fine is $600 and 3 points.
No Trumper, that's not who complains about this. The people complaining are called the FBI and they arrested the CEO of the company and sent him to prison.
The other people complaining about this are the 20% of the people who get fake citations. They get sent a citation that isn't a violation and they have the choice of taking a day off from work to sit around District Court or paying a fake fine. They complain too. A lot.
Nobody gets a “fake” citation. We’ve been through this before. Find the other thread. The video is reviewed four times, by the vendor and the police. A quarter of offenses are thrown out. You never see a ticket.
Maybe the people who look at these don’t know the traffic laws or get bored and don’t look closely but a lot of incorrect citations get sent. Like the other poster said people don’t want to use a vacation day to go to court to defend.
It doesn’t make kids safer. It raises money - mostly for the vendor.