To offer some real advice: if there really were cars ahead of you passing the bus, just say you were moving with the flow of traffic and didn't realize the bus was unloading children. Be sincere in your apology (which should be easy given your attitude in this thread), and say you've learned from your mistake. A little humility goes a long way. You're definitely going to have to pay a fine, but it'll be okay. These things happen.
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I screwed up and it's driving me insane.
- Thread starter Calcium
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In my country we have lollipop ladies who leap out in front of your car waving giant lollipops at you:
I have a duvet cover made of the same material of this lollipop lady's trousers. I'm well looking forward to Xmas.
Don't sweat it too much, OP. You made a mistake, got a ticket and no-one died. Sure there'll be a lot of "what-if" scenarios going through your head, but hopefully this'll make you a more observant driver in the future which isn't a bad thing at all.
Is this true even in your rural areas? For instance I grew up 4.6 miles(7.4 km) from my elementary school. It doesn't really make sense for a 6 year old to be walking or biking that far on rural roads.
How do you handle kids that live miles away from the school? Does that just never happen? Certainly these lollipop people can't follow every kid home.
Not Spaceghost
Spaceghost
Pretty sure it's treated the same as running a stop sign.
fudgey_lumpkins
Member
Was there a divider in the road? Because if there was, you don't have to stop and can get the ticket thrown out.
diffusionx
Gold Member
When I was growing up I had to cross a relatively busy highway to get on the bus. People cut me off and ran the stop sign every single day. If the cops in my town had any brains they would have cleaned up.
Anyway, you made a mistake, pay the ticket or go to class or do what you have to do. It's not going to hurt you long-term.
Anyway, you made a mistake, pay the ticket or go to class or do what you have to do. It's not going to hurt you long-term.
Calcium
Banned
No. It's a 5 lane road, but no physical divider. I'm not looking to get out of it, I'm aware that I fucked up.
internetwolf
Banned
Now you know what not to do!
This is a good point. Same goes if the road has 4 lanes. On a 4 lane road or a road with a divider the school bus has to drop kids off on the correct side of the street so they don't have to cross, and therefore oncoming traffic doesn't have to stop. I assume the cop would know better than to give a ticket if this is the case, but you never know.
Awww shit son! You can get off!
Edit: well I guess it varies by state but here in Ohio you'd be in the clear. Don't resign to this "I'm aware I fucked up" mwntality. The law is the law, if you didn't break the law you shouldn't have to pay for it.
Not necessarily...it varies by state.
http://www.nasdpts.org/Operations/documents/State_Laws_Regarding_Passing_School_Buses.pdf
New York is one of the few states that still require you to stop on a divided road:
AbortedWalrusFetus
Member
Ha, I love this story dude. You done good.
Calcium
Banned
Nah, I'm in Tennessee. Both sides have to stop on either side unless a there is a physical gap between the roads.
Jason's Ultimatum
Member
OP says it's driving him insane.........into.......the zone......of danger? What's the other word, OP?
Too bad
My original advice stands though. Be humble in court and if you have a clean record they'll probably go light on you.
Calcium
Banned
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
Sounds like the chances of you doing any actual harm in the case of what you've done is incredibly remote, so don't beat yourself up over it.
Lol, i rode for 30 kilometers every single day from when I was 12 till 17.
Also, The Netherlands doesn't really have rural areas that are more than a bike ride away from civilization.
User 479360
Banned
It's too bad this happened. We all make mistakes, and thankfully nobody was hurt. Try to focus on that and just accept the penalty that comes with it.
Learn from it and don't let it happen again. Know that it will make you a better driver.
Here in Canada, they're more strict about this type of thing. I remember a friend did it and got caught, and another friend said she lost her license for a while plus had to pay a few thousand dollars. I can't 100% vouch for the validity, but he had just stopped dating her at the time and never lied to me.
This is what the government's site says:
f you don’t stop, you can be fined $400 to $2,000 and get six demerit points for a first offence. If you are convicted a second time within five years, the penalty is a fine of $1,000 to $4,000 and six demerit points. You could also go to jail for up to six months. School-bus drivers and other witnesses can report vehicles that have illegally passed a school bus. If you are the vehicle’s registered owner, these same fines, but not demerit points or jail time, may be applied to you.
We have them in Canada, too. It's a really smart idea, and every country should adopt it.
Learn from it and don't let it happen again. Know that it will make you a better driver.
Here in Canada, they're more strict about this type of thing. I remember a friend did it and got caught, and another friend said she lost her license for a while plus had to pay a few thousand dollars. I can't 100% vouch for the validity, but he had just stopped dating her at the time and never lied to me.
This is what the government's site says:
f you don’t stop, you can be fined $400 to $2,000 and get six demerit points for a first offence. If you are convicted a second time within five years, the penalty is a fine of $1,000 to $4,000 and six demerit points. You could also go to jail for up to six months. School-bus drivers and other witnesses can report vehicles that have illegally passed a school bus. If you are the vehicle’s registered owner, these same fines, but not demerit points or jail time, may be applied to you.
We have them in Canada, too. It's a really smart idea, and every country should adopt it.
You're not passing the bus so you should be fine in this case.Hrm... this is interesting. I've met this issue just the other day in a neighborhood street and I'm not sure if this is legal or not but I have to ask... with MSPAINT! I'm the car on the bottom right going right, the bus is offloading kids on that spot.
Skellig Gra
Member
Hrm... this is interesting. I've met this issue just the other day in a neighborhood street and I'm not sure if this is legal or not but I have to ask... with MSPAINT! I'm the car on the bottom right going right, the bus is offloading kids on that spot.
The bus is the biggest car on the top? That's legal.
Calcium
Banned
I think the issue is passing the front of the bus. I don't think you'd have to stop.
Whew. I'm just paranoid from reading this thread because I did this the other day and I still got dirty looks from those cars behind that bus. :\
Hrm... this is interesting. I've met this issue just the other day in a neighborhood street and I'm not sure if this is legal or not but I have to ask... with MSPAINT! I'm the car on the bottom right going right, the bus is offloading kids on that spot.
As long as the bus is 20ft away you're fine. I think it would be different if you were closer, even if you were going in the other direction.
bennywhatever
Member
Hrm... this is interesting. I've met this issue just the other day in a neighborhood street and I'm not sure if this is legal or not but I have to ask... with MSPAINT! I'm the car on the bottom right going right, the bus is offloading kids on that spot.
I don't think turning there would be breaking a law, but I'd still wait. It's only < 1 minute. I've seen kids running from a block away to make the bus, so I would be safe.
Just remember why this rule is there. It's to protect kids that may not be totally aware of how drivers' minds work.
Oh no, its the afternoon rush, the kids are being OFFloaded. Parents are there to pick them up and etc.
Actually, Philia, looks like you're in the clear: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/On-side-street-when-do-you-have-to-stop-for-813042.php
Thank you! I will be sure to save this in case one of those dumb parents try to report me. :|
From your descriptions in the first few posts, I think I felt exactly like that when I got into my first car accident(a fender bender), and similar when I got my first traffic ticket (for missing a stop sign I didn't notice on an empty street). (Actually those two are still the only infractions I've had driving, so I'm doing ok now I guess)
That horrible, 'how could I have been that dumb', 'cannot fix' kinda feeling. The constant mental replay, the stomach turning regret. For me, 100%, the problem was that I knew I no longer had a good record. I could no longer say I've never had a ticket or never caused a wreck. Sucks knowing there's nothing you can do to go back and make up for it, even though you feel bad about it and don't want to be that kind of person. It's a harsh reminder that you aren't invincible in your car. idk if that's how you actually felt, but the feeling you mentioned sounded similar to me.
First reply in this thread nails it exactly:
That horrible, 'how could I have been that dumb', 'cannot fix' kinda feeling. The constant mental replay, the stomach turning regret. For me, 100%, the problem was that I knew I no longer had a good record. I could no longer say I've never had a ticket or never caused a wreck. Sucks knowing there's nothing you can do to go back and make up for it, even though you feel bad about it and don't want to be that kind of person. It's a harsh reminder that you aren't invincible in your car. idk if that's how you actually felt, but the feeling you mentioned sounded similar to me.
First reply in this thread nails it exactly:
A mistake happened, just move on. Let it remind you to stay careful, but don't let it keep bothering you.
if he dies, he dies.
n64coder
Member
Usually when a bus is going to stop, it puts the flashing yellow lights on, slows down to a stop and then when it is at a full stop, the red lights come on and the stop sign goes out.
Were you not paying attention to the other side of the road? A yellow bus usually jumps out into your field of vision. I pay attention to see if it slows down and be prepared to stop.
A lot of times, a bus driver will observe cars coming from the other direction and if they're nearby, s/he won't put out the stop sign until they pass.
Calcium
Banned
I saw the bus as I was driving towards it, but it was stopped at the light so I just assumed all the cars on the other side still had a red light. I looked ahead of me and none of the other cars ahead of me were stopping so I just kept going. The sign must have popped out just as I was leaving the intersection and I didn't see it until it was too late.
I guess we don't really need it since we have lollipop ladies/lollipop men to help children cross safely all around most schools.
So you are scared that ig circumstances were different you may have ran over a kid?
Ok, so you learn from this momentary lapse and next time you see a bus you will be more aware. It's how humans work. Learn from your mistakes. Worrying about it now to any extant past that is unhealthy man
Ok, so you learn from this momentary lapse and next time you see a bus you will be more aware. It's how humans work. Learn from your mistakes. Worrying about it now to any extant past that is unhealthy man
I've passed them before when younger, a few times even, accidentally. It happens, you learn. I'm always ready to stop as soon as I see a school bus now. I'll basically wait until its moving to be sure most of the time. Penalties aren't as harsh here though. At least they weren't when I was young. Don't know now. Quebec.
way more
Member
Well, the idea gets more support in DUI threads.
paragonpro
Banned
Pay the ticket, dont do it again. I did something similar when I first got my license.
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