Got a camera ticket for passing a school bus (Silver Spring: buses, safety)

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by MisterShipWreck

In Texas - you must stop on a 4 lane highway unless there are islands in the the middle (grass or raised cement islands). 2 lanes - an island of some kind, and then 2 more lanes. THEN you can keep going.

Someone even asked about this on a local internet forum in the past week, in fact.

I would imagine that this is the same for you. Had the 4 lanes been divided, you'd probably would have been okay.

Man, they have cameras on the buses for that now where you live at?

Red Light cameras made their way down here for a while - and people threw enough of a fit that most places got rid of them here in TX

You have them in Texas too. Personally I'm against red light and speed cameras, because they are nothing but revenue generation. But school bus cameras I don't really have a problem with. I'm pretty sure I have never in my life passed a school bus with its lights on, even accidently. So they don't effect me one way or the other.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jbUZVwnBj8

[bonnielisabeth]

Originally Posted by kcmo

So I made an honest mistake. I passed a school bus with its stop sign out thinking it was legal to do so. (Montgomery County). I would personally never pass a school bus if I thought it was either unsafe or illegal to do.

I was always under the impression that you can continue driving if you are traveling opposite the bus on a street that was four lanes or wider. School districts will never allow kids cross a street like that and in most places I have lived, you don't have to stop on in this situation. Other cars on my side of the road continued driving too.

Normally, I would pay the ticket in a case like this and move on, but this ticket is for $250! That's quite a price to pay to learn a law. I think people should be ticketed when passing a school bus, but in this situation on a wide street, I think this is just another revenue generator.

I was just wondering if this is something that might be worth going to court over to get a lower fine. Is it even possible to get this reduced somehow?

Same thing happened to me. Where I lived before, it was legal to pass buses going the opposite direction and most buses did not let children out on such a large road. In Maryland, buses do let children out on the 4+ lane roads, and it is illegal not to stop on the opposite side unless there is a divider in the road (like concrete or grass).

How to I know? I did the same thing you did. Payed the $250 fine and now I know. The other day I watched 4 cars do the same thing on the same road. Half the 5 lane road has the physical divider and half does not. Don't think it would be worth going to court. I was shocked, but was definitely in the wrong.

It is a revenue generator from people who didn't grow up here. And, very dangerous for the students. A bunch were just run over on the sidewalk while waiting for a bus near Viers Mill Road. Every where else I have lived, the bus would pull over into the neighborhood or into the apartment complex, they must be on really tight time schedules here to stop on a major non-rural road.

[G1..]

and this is why, terrible !


https://abcnews.go.com/US/children-s...ry?id=58848002


Three children from the same family were killed and a fourth child was seriously injured Tuesday morning when they were struck by a pickup truck as they were about to board a school bus, police said.

Identical twin 6-year-old brothers, Xzavier and Mason Ingle, and their 9-year-old sister Alivia Stahl were killed in the incident on a rural road in Indiana, said Sgt. Tony Slocum, the public information officer for the Indiana State Police.

[missik999]

Originally Posted by kcmo

So I made an honest mistake. I passed a school bus with its stop sign out thinking it was legal to do so. (Montgomery County). I would personally never pass a school bus if I thought it was either unsafe or illegal to do.

I was always under the impression that you can continue driving if you are traveling opposite the bus on a street that was four lanes or wider. School districts will never allow kids cross a street like that and in most places I have lived, you don't have to stop on in this situation. Other cars on my side of the road continued driving too.

Normally, I would pay the ticket in a case like this and move on, but this ticket is for $250! That's quite a price to pay to learn a law. I think people should be ticketed when passing a school bus, but in this situation on a wide street, I think this is just another revenue generator.

I was just wondering if this is something that might be worth going to court over to get a lower fine. Is it even possible to get this reduced somehow?

Yesterday morning in Indiana there was a horrible tragedy when a driver failed to stop for a school bus with the stop sign out. She struck four children. Three children died at the scene and the fourth has critical injuries.

The three children who were killed are from the same family.

Two parents lost all their children yesterday because a driver failed to stop for a school bus. The other child (not from the same family) is fighting for his life.

There is a reason drivers are required to stop for school buses when the arm is out.

https://fox59.com/2018/10/30/24-year...ster-bus-stop/

[Turnerbro]

Originally Posted by kcmo

So I made an honest mistake. I passed a school bus with its stop sign out thinking it was legal to do so. (Montgomery County). I would personally never pass a school bus if I thought it was either unsafe or illegal to do.

I was always under the impression that you can continue driving if you are traveling opposite the bus on a street that was four lanes or wider. School districts will never allow kids cross a street like that and in most places I have lived, you don't have to stop on in this situation. Other cars on my side of the road continued driving too.

Normally, I would pay the ticket in a case like this and move on, but this ticket is for $250! That's quite a price to pay to learn a law. I think people should be ticketed when passing a school bus, but in this situation on a wide street, I think this is just another revenue generator.

I was just wondering if this is something that might be worth going to court over to get a lower fine. Is it even possible to get this reduced somehow?

That's only true if there's a median strip. Still that fine is quite hefty.

[Quick Enough]

Originally Posted by kcmo

So I made an honest mistake. I passed a school bus with its stop sign out thinking it was legal to do so. (Montgomery County). I would personally never pass a school bus if I thought it was either unsafe or illegal to do.

I was always under the impression that you can continue driving if you are traveling opposite the bus on a street that was four lanes or wider. School districts will never allow kids cross a street like that and in most places I have lived, you don't have to stop on in this situation. Other cars on my side of the road continued driving too.

Normally, I would pay the ticket in a case like this and move on, but this ticket is for $250! That's quite a price to pay to learn a law. I think people should be ticketed when passing a school bus, but in this situation on a wide street, I think this is just another revenue generator.

I was just wondering if this is something that might be worth going to court over to get a lower fine. Is it even possible to get this reduced somehow?

" I passed a school bus with its stop sign out thinking it was legal to do so. (Montgomery County)."

I don't know of ANY state where it is legal to do so.

Many place have buses equipped with pop up signs saying "STOP".

Didn't you have to take a test to get your drive's license?

The question is usually on it.

[PriscillaVanilla]

What did you think the stop sign meant? That you should keep going?

[njmom66]

Originally Posted by G1..

and this is why, terrible !


https://abcnews.go.com/US/children-s...ry?id=58848002


Three children from the same family were killed and a fourth child was seriously injured Tuesday morning when they were struck by a pickup truck as they were about to board a school bus, police said.

Identical twin 6-year-old brothers, Xzavier and Mason Ingle, and their 9-year-old sister Alivia Stahl were killed in the incident on a rural road in Indiana, said Sgt. Tony Slocum, the public information officer for the Indiana State Police.

I'm a bit stunned anyone would think it's ok to pass...And what a horrible horrible accident, my heart breaks for the families....


I think it's safe to say fines are going to go up for this type of thing, across the board. I personally don't have an issue with it. I have stopped whether there is a median or not. I'm in NJ, not exactly sure how the law is written, but that arm has a STOP on it, and hell, it's kids. I'm stopping. You behind me and don't like it? tough sh*t.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by bonnielisabeth

Same thing happened to me. Where I lived before, it was legal to pass buses going the opposite direction and most buses did not let children out on such a large road. In Maryland, buses do let children out on the 4+ lane roads, and it is illegal not to stop on the opposite side unless there is a divider in the road (like concrete or grass).

How to I know? I did the same thing you did. Payed the $250 fine and now I know. The other day I watched 4 cars do the same thing on the same road. Half the 5 lane road has the physical divider and half does not. Don't think it would be worth going to court. I was shocked, but was definitely in the wrong.

It is a revenue generator from people who didn't grow up here. And, very dangerous for the students. A bunch were just run over on the sidewalk while waiting for a bus near Viers Mill Road. Every where else I have lived, the bus would pull over into the neighborhood or into the apartment complex, they must be on really tight time schedules here to stop on a major non-rural road.

Thanks see, I'm not the only one. I paid the fine and watched the video. I was going like 15 miles per hour and stopped right past the bus in a que of traffic at a red light. In no way was I driving fast, trying to get away with passing the bus etc, or I would have stopped. I was five lanes away from the bus and there was absolutely no danger to anybody. Lesson learned. I hope the $250 actually goes to the schools...

[G1..]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Thanks see, I'm not the only one. I paid the fine and watched the video. I was going like 15 miles per hour and stopped right past the bus in a que of traffic at a red light. In no way was I driving fast, trying to get away with passing the bus etc, or I would have stopped. I was five lanes away from the bus and there was absolutely no danger to anybody. Lesson learned. I hope the $250 actually goes to the schools...

LOL, just stop.You can't spin it away.