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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    Default Cited for Passing a School Bus When Its Lights Were Not Flashing

    My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: New Hampshire

    I was cited for not stopping for a school bus. The bus in question was stopped at a traffic light in the left lane at a busy intersection (behind the officer's unmarked squad car who was first in line in the left lane at the signal light). The bus did not have its flashing yellow or red lights engaged nor its mechanical stop sign deployed, and there were no students disembarking. Also, I was following a line of traffic on the opposite side of the road -- no one else stopped and proceeded through the green light. After returning home with the citation, I looked up the Nashua school bus schedule. There is no scheduled stops between 3:21 and 4:07 in the vicinity of this intersection. I was at this intersection waiting at the traffic light at 3:45 and proceeded through once it turned green at approx 3:48.The officer made a swift u-turn and issued a citation with a time stamp of 3:57pm.

    I understand that a bus may arrive early or late at its designated stops, but this bus in the left turning lane behind the officer was waiting at the light along with everyone else at 3:48. I have checked and cross-checked every possible bus stop on this route and nothing matches up. The officer is clearly convinced that the bus behind him had flashing red lights. The bus scenario he witnessed through his rear view mirror was very different than what the oncoming traffic (of approx 6 cars) witnessed directly in front of them. However, the officer felt that there was no danger in pulling a fast 180 u-turn to pull me over.

    But, how do you defend such? In the past, I've seen drivers pass right through flashing red lights, children crossing, and bus drivers screaming, but this was definitely not one of those moments. Needless to say, I'm still dumbstruck by the events of that day. I've pleaded not guilty and awaiting my court date.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
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    38,867

    Default Re: Not Illegally) Passing a School Bus

    is the bus identified? I would start with speaking to the school admin about what bus would have been there at that time and if they would be letting kids on or off the bus.

  3. #3
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    Mar 2015
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    Default Re: Not Illegally) Passing a School Bus

    The bus ID# is A39 and I looked up its schedule and confirmed times with the District's transportation department. Its last stop is at 4:07pm at a street near the intersection where I was waiting at the traffic light. I was at this location between 3:48 and 3:57 (the time stamp of the citation is 3:57pm). There are many busses that swirl around this intersection, but only bus A39 stops to unload students at this location and its scheduled time is 4:07pm. During the time of my citation, bus A39 was enroute with 6 stops to make prior before its last stop.

  4. #4
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    Jan 2006
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    Default Re: Not Illegally) Passing a School Bus

    I said; contact the operator of the bus. Maybe there was a special run that day or something. The schedule says what is supposed to happen. That doesn't mean that is what happened or there wasn't some special use for the bus that day.

    In fact, I would suspect the driver would remember you if you had in fact driven past the bus while the reds were on.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    6

    Default Re: Not Illegally) Passing a School Bus

    Thanks for the help. I'm continuing my search on the bus operator. The district keeps handing that question off to someone else!

    I understand that the schedules are not the most reliable source; the transportation dept confirmed that A39 was on regular schedule that day with no reported delays or change in procedure.

    Thanks again.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    18,340

    Default Re: Not Illegally) Passing a School Bus

    The judge isn't going to accept what you say that other people told you.

    That's hearsay and inadmissible and the prosecutor will jump on that as soon as you try it.

    Assumptions, speculation, and what ifs aren't going to get you anywhere unless you get the bus driver into court.

    You might have to subpoena the schools records to identify the driver so you can then subpoena the driver.

  7. #7

    Default Re: Not Illegally) Passing a School Bus

    Quote Quoting rh1014
    View Post
    The bus ID# is A39 and I looked up its schedule and confirmed times with the District's transportation department. Its last stop is at 4:07pm at a street near the intersection where I was waiting at the traffic light. I was at this location between 3:48 and 3:57 (the time stamp of the citation is 3:57pm). There are many busses that swirl around this intersection, but only bus A39 stops to unload students at this location and its scheduled time is 4:07pm. During the time of my citation, bus A39 was enroute with 6 stops to make prior before its last stop.
    Schools have early dismissal Even 10 minutes sometimes), being in the front of the line or the back of the line at the school could make the difference between +/- 10 minutes, easily. Think about all those buses leaving the school, getting stuck at lights, waiting behind each other to make turns near the school. The kids at the first few stops, or stops in between could not be on the bus, which is common this time of the year with sports practice and "extra help" after school, letting the driver skip stops and B line to the stops for the present students. There could have been a field trip unloading in the area. ...buuuut you have nailed the bus number down... I've taken a field trip in the am with a drivers "regular bus," I'm not back in time for PM run of the driver who normally gets that bus, that driver gets a spare bus, when I get back I get sent out with other PM work in that bus that's scheduled to be on another run... Districts use routing software to calculate the time the bus will be at the stop, that's a good starting time but in no way accurate. Usually the driver updates the students and parents of the real time the bus will get there in the AM & PM, the scheduled time pretty much stays the same...

    Quote Quoting jk
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    In fact, I would suspect the driver would remember you if you had in fact driven past the bus while the reds were on.
    I've had so many drivers run my reds I wouldn't remember them shortly after unless it was unique or they were ones who did it deliberately almost every day. I do remember some idiot blowing through my reds when students were loading one morning, he was coming towards me, passed a couple of cars stopped in front of me, but didn't see the Nassau county Police car stopped right behind me. Uh oh, I bet he defecated himself when he saw the cop who pulled a turn and pulled the guy over.

    I don't get hoe people can be so dumb and selfish because they are running late that they could kill a kid who is not thinking right, see's the bus at the stop and darts into the road because they are afraid they will miss the bus. Just for the record, OP, I'm putting you in this category it sounds like you made a mistake if you did in fact run those red lights.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    6

    Default Re: Not Illegally) Passing a School Bus

    There's little advantage in tracking the bus times, its stops, etc. I thought about all the details of this situation, and I wanted to look into it for my own sake and understanding. It's impossible to defend yourself for this charge...I would need to gather all 4 drivers of the cars in front of me at the red light to confirm that they passed the same school bus as we all drove through the green light. But that will never happen.

    The bus and the cop were very visible as they waited at the light front and center. There were no signals of any kind that indicated we all need to stop. All 5 of us overtaking a school bus with a cop sitting right in front of it is as absurd as all of blowing through a red light one-after-the-other waving at the cop as we pass it. It's a ridiculous notion.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    18,340

    Default Re: Not Illegally) Passing a School Bus

    The driver might also remember the police car in front of him that day.

    You might have to subpoena the bus driver.

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