Passing a school bus ticket

amother

OP ↓

Mon, Oct 21 2024, 1:47 pm

I got a ticket for passing a bus. It's expensive, $250. Watching the video of the incident I see that I was in a parallel lane of the bus. The bus has 2 stop signs that popped out, 1 on the back and 1 in the front.

I was passing the back stop sign as it was coming out. I did pass the front stop sign basically the moment it came out.

It's pretty clear from the video that the only way I could have stopped is had I slammed on the breaks and even then I'm still not sure I wouldn't have screeched past the front sign.

It's basically similar to a scenario where there's no yellow light. Imagine a light turns from green straight to red. Lot's of people who are within 15 feet of the light will not have time to slam on the breaks.

Does this make sense. Has anyone fought a ticket under these circumstances?

amother

Cantaloupe

Mon, Oct 21 2024, 2:21 pm

In general when driving behind/next to a school bus in a residential area you do have to be more careful/aware. I’m sure the bus was slowed or stopped as you were passing, that could have alerted you to what was happening. You can definitely try to fight it but I don’t think you will win… I hope for your sake you can get out of it, $250 is not pocket change for most people.

amother

Stonewash ↓

Mon, Oct 21 2024, 4:12 pm

amother OP wrote:

Busses generally flash yellow lights before opening the stop signs. Yellow light means to slow down so you shouldn't have to make a short stop when the stop sign opens.
It's almost impossible to fight a bus stop sign. (As it should be.)

amother

Waterlily ↓

Mon, Oct 21 2024, 4:27 pm

1. A school bus has yellow blinking lights to warn drivers

2. Even not seeing that- the school bus was slowing down to a stop. Was that not an indication?

Sorry, this is not a ticket you can win

amother

Foxglove ↓

Mon, Oct 21 2024, 7:14 pm

Hi,

I just got one. Have zero memory of passing a bus. I am an excellent driver and would NEVER not stop for a bus.

It's a huge scam. Look it up. There is a case in court now in Nassau county. Do not plead guilty. Send it back via certified mail because the 3rd part vendor often lies and sends people late fees on top of the huge ticket.

P.s. plenty of these tickets were thrown out and you can win it.

amother

↑ Foxglove ↓

Mon, Oct 21 2024, 7:18 pm

amother Moonstone wrote:

Sorry but that’s a big deal you could have hot kids coming off the bus.

The camera does not show kids were going on or off the bus as that is not legal to record. It is a SCAM. People are getting these baloney tickets left and right.

amother

↑ Foxglove

Mon, Oct 21 2024, 7:19 pm

amother Foxglove wrote:

Pps. Hug away. Before you do, google it.

amother

Raspberry ↓

Mon, Oct 21 2024, 7:19 pm

If there were kids coming out of the bus would you have been able to stop or you would have just ran them over? I'm having trouble understanding how you drove past both the back and the front stop signs and there's no way you could have stopped for it. Were you speeding?

amother

↑ Stonewash

Mon, Oct 21 2024, 7:20 pm

amother Foxglove wrote:

The camera does not show kids were going on or off the bus as that is not legal to record. It is a SCAM. People are getting these baloney tickets left and right.

It is not a scam. People need to take stopping for a bus more seriously. I'm so glad that cameras were installed on busses. I see so many cars on a daily basis short stopping at the last second or passing a bus stop sign.

amother

Acacia

Mon, Oct 21 2024, 7:23 pm

amother Moonstone wrote:

Sorry but that’s a big deal you could have hit kids coming off the bus.

No, that would have been impossible. The stop sign opens simultaneously with the door. She passed the front stop sign before the door was fully open so a kid couldn't have come out before she passed.

amother

Emerald

Mon, Oct 21 2024, 8:05 pm

Omg I just got a ticket as well. I'm a very careful driver and also would never pass a flashing bus.
I was very surprised, didn't remember anything at all.

I've watched the video, I see that the bus had turned into the next street before stopping. Meaning, suppose I was on the Avenue, the kid crossed the street. Not in front of me at all. Is that even a stop sign for me at all? I most likely didn't even see it.

amother

Bisque

Mon, Oct 21 2024, 9:56 pm

Since you know you are guilty, but want to avoid the fine, I would try the apologetic route and fight the fine by pointing out your perfect (till today) driving record. You were shocked to see that you did what you did, of course you know it is wrong. You feel terrible and have taken upon yourself to be way more cognizant and careful around school buses. You are certain this was a one-off and not typical of your driving. Safety is number one priority. (and the like).

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Oct 22 2024, 7:33 am

amother Bisque wrote:

What part of my op indicates that I know I'm guilty?

For those saying that the bus had flashing yellow lights.....This is a camera ticket. Nobody has any idea whether there were flashing yellow lights or not.

As I explained the only thing seen on the video is that the bus stop sign begins to go out as I'm in the parallel lane a few feet behind it. It would be similar to a street light turning from green directly to red. Inevitably many will be to close to the light when it switched to red.

From the video it is very clear that I was too close to the bus to stop. Yes, it's a scam.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Oct 22 2024, 7:36 am

amother Waterlily wrote:

1. A school bus has yellow blinking lights to warn drivers

2. Even not seeing that- the school bus was slowing down to a stop. Was that not an indication?

Sorry, this is not a ticket you can win

This is a camera ticket. There's no yellow lights to be seen.

It's all about whether I should have slammed on the brakes to avoid passing the stop sign.

amother

Snowdrop

Tue, Oct 22 2024, 8:48 am

Molly Weasley wrote:

It's quite common for bus drivers to use their yellow flashers while driving in town.

In Brooklyn at least this is very true.
Yellow lights on bus mean nothing. Many buses drive around with them constantly.
And for all you jumping down ops throat - RELAX!
The sign was coming out as she passed. If she was going the speed limit she couldn't have possibly stopped in time. She wants necessarily speeding or doing anything wrong. I've had it happen to me too. Bus stops and puts out sign and I have to make a short stop and even then can't necessarily stop in time.
Most buses don't open the door until sign is fully out and driver checks for cars.
Op, send in the footage and hopefully you can get off. Maybe do it through a lawyer.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Oct 22 2024, 10:01 am

amother Raspberry wrote:

As I explained I was only a few feet behind the bus one line over. I was fully passed the bus by the time the bus door opened and let the kid out.

So unless a kid would be jumping out the window, what you describe wouldn't be an issue.