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Turning in front of a school bus rules

Discussion in 'General Chat Forum' started by Home Sweet Home, Nov 30, 2011.

  1. Home Sweet Home

    Home Sweet Home New Member

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    Hopefully someone on here can help me with this. I fancy myself to be an exceptional driver and rule-follower, but I encountered a situation that left me feeling pretty awful. At 8:45am the other day, I was exiting Village Drive, at Claiborne, and needed to make a right. To my left, on Claiborne, was a school bus picking up children with it's lights and arm out. After stopping, I proceeded with my turn, on to Claiborne. When I came to the stoplight at Claiborne and Waxpool, a man in an SUV next to me felt the need to call me a stupid fat ***** who should be arrested. He then proceeded to get behind and follow me til turning on a road shortly before Gloucester, a good ways down Claiborne. After getting to my doctor's appointment, I tried to search for the law, but was unable to find my situation. Is what I did so obviously wrong, or was that guy just having a bad day? :huh:
     
  2. JLC

    JLC Member

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  3. razng2grtboys

    razng2grtboys New Member

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    Was the bus on the other side of Claiborne going the opposite direction or was the bus on the same side of Village Dr as you? It sounds like you did make an illegal turn at the intersection with the bus stopped there. A child could have been crossing Village Dr (in front of your vehicle).

    I definitely don't agree with the aggressive behavior of the man in the SUV. If he felt compelled to say something he could've stopped and politely let you know that you shouldn't have made that turn... Didn't the bus driver honk at you? They usually do in that situation.
     
  4. Villager

    Villager Ashburn Village Resident

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    I think people in that scenario are supposed to stop.
     
  5. Home Sweet Home

    Home Sweet Home New Member

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    Thank you for posting that link, I greatly appreciate it! It appears I was obviously wrong in what I did.

    The bus driver did not honk. I must say, I thought the SUV driver needed directions (which is why I rolled my window down) and instead of helping him, I was met with a disgusting barrage of insults. I agree the way he handled my mistake was inappropriate.

    Thank you for all of your input, this must have been one law/rule I simply wasn't familiar enough with.
     
  6. jwf

    jwf Well-Known Member

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    I have a beef with the bus drivers. When I was on Farmwell. I was in the situation in the other picture. A bus on a divided highway. Cars in the other lanes don't have to stop. That is unless a fellow bus driver going the opposite direction decides to stop his bus, put his red lights on and stop all traffic in all 4 lanes for no other reason than to just let his buddy's passengers board. So there we were. Stuck behind a bus that wasn't picking anyone up waiting on the bus across the divide to pick his people up.
     
  7. Zeratul

    Zeratul Well-Known Member

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    I would think that, technically, that bus driver was in violation of the law. I am just assuming, that a bus that turns on its flashers, for any reason other than to pick up kids, is violating the law.
     
  8. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    The law is a bit 'nebulous' in that area.

    What the law doesn't specify is if the rule about the 'median' or 'unpaved' area between the two sides of the road applies to another school bus.
    Either way, I don't mind having to stop for school buses in this particular case. I would rather that the kids remain safe and the extra 45 seconds of not moving isn't going to have any dire impacts on my day...
     
  9. Sasquatch519

    Sasquatch519 Member

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    Very interesting question. I'm assuming the bus was on the northbound side of Claiborne and very near the intersection with Village? If so, you probably should have stopped. However, if the bus was down near the intersection with Ridgeway, or even if it was back at the start of the right-turn lane from Claiborne to Village, I would have gone also.
     
  10. SarasMom

    SarasMom Member

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    I know that you don't have to stop for an oncoming bus when the road is divided by a median. I frequently come upon a bus that is stopped to pick up kids and it is right at an intersection of a divided 4 lane road. Since the bus has stopped where there is NO median and there is a painted crosswalk, do cars heading the other way have to stop? I have seen both happen. I have been several cars back and we all stop and other times the cars that would have been first to stop, continue going. Sometimes these cars get honked at, sometimes not. Oh, and I have never seen kids using the crosswalk - all kids are on the same side of the road waiting for the bus.
     
  11. JenCo

    JenCo New Member

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    Honestly, even bus drivers don't have a clear picture of this scenerio. First the interpretation of the law was that if any part of the bus (crossing arm included) "breaks the plane of an intersection" then all traffic stops. BUT honestly, stopping the other direction of traffic, separated by a median, is risky in itself. I think bus drivers can be ticketed either way, if they choose to stop traffic on the opposite side or if they don't. Depends on how the officer would interpret the law. Confusing? Yep:)

     
  12. Small Brancher

    Small Brancher Member

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    Had the same question the other day when I drove by a bus picking up kids at a T intersection where the bus was on the stem and I was on the cross section. The bus was about 50 feet down the road with its lights on. Frankly I did not even see the bus until I was in the intersection but it flashed its lights at me, so I guess I was meant to stop. But not really clear what the law is here.
     
  13. Home Sweet Home

    Home Sweet Home New Member

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    Reading that many of you would be/have been confused with regard to the rules in this situation makes me feel much better. Thank you all very much for posting your thoughts!
     
  14. Bear

    Bear Member

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    I was driving south On Chickacoan Trail approaching the 4-way stop at Vestals Gap. About 100 feet short of the intersection a bus facing North on Chickacoan Trail had its lights on and door open stopping for kids. I proceeded to take a right on to Vestals Gap without waiting for the bus to finish loading kids.

    Was this wrong?

    If it was I am sorry for the mistake, and will not do it again. But if someone pulled aside me, cussing me out, I would be very angry.

    Bear
     
  15. Home Sweet Home

    Home Sweet Home New Member

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    Yes, Bear, it would make you very angry! I was in such shock that the only thing I said back at the guy was, "You're calling me fat?" His cussing was completely unnecessary but I take solace in knowing that his life must be very sad and unhappy. :)
     

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