School Kids & School buses, LAZINESS is now ENFORCED?

[dontwalkhand]

I was on a one lane road in South Chandler, in a No Passing Zone, so I wasn't legally allowed to pass the school bus. When the school bus lights flash, I and about 10 other cars behind me stop.

Here is the problem I am having, the school bus at around 7AM in the morning makes stops every 500 feet or so, puts the stop sign out, flash red lights, and then lets kids SLOWLY find their seat on the bus, and then move on to the next group of kids 500 feet away.

I called the school district and complained about consolidating the bus stops, because it is RIDICULOUS that the bus had to stop TEN times in ONE BLOCK, STOPPING CARS, and causing cars to BACK UP. One could have easily made this one, or two bus stops MAX. The school district came back to me stating that it was "Health concerns"....So now kids are taught to be lazy to walk to a bus stop? Valley Metro bus stops can be 1/4 mile apart, and light rail stations are every 1 mile....and I can get to those just fine, so don't tell me a healthy High School kid can't walk 1/4th a mile to a school bus stop. Something tells me it is just something to gain more tickets and revenue when people start to get angry and pass the bus illegally. How the hell could something like this get overlooked? Not only is it a waste of gas in the cars behind it, but I am sure it is putting a lot of wear and tear on the school bus itself too.

What can really be done about it now? The school district refuses to budge in how they create stops, and I drive down this road quite often at 7AM. So Why not just use another road you ask? The road one mile to the right of this one cuts off mid way, and the road one mile to the left of this one is under construction.

They tell me "engineers" place bus stops on the map, but something tells me, it is just placing bus stops where they think its convenient, and then thinking nothing of the traffic build up its causing every morning.

 

[ucfgrad93]

How old are the school kids? If the road is as busy as you describe and the kids are young I can see why they don't want them walking down the road. If it bothers you that much, I would suggest leaving a few minutes earlier so you beat the bus and are not stuck behind it.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

how old are the kids getting on the bus?

Health and safety conserns is not so much the walking part but the part but the risk of being hit by a car walking to the bus stop or being kidnapped by someone waiting for the bus.

 

[dontwalkhand]

How old are the school kids? If the road is as busy as you describe and the kids are young I can see why they don't want them walking down the road. If it bothers you that much, I would suggest leaving a few minutes earlier so you beat the bus and are not stuck behind it.

High School! If it were elementary I wouldn't be complaining

 

[iJohnHenry]

High School! If it were elementary I wouldn't be complaining

They obviously like their teenagers to be fat, lazy and stupid.

And leave earlier. Have a muffin and coffee at work, and save the anguish.

 

[stickybuns]

If the stops were farther apart, you'd see parents driving their kids to the bus stop! At least when the stops are at 1/4 mile intervals, the kids are more likely to walk the distance.


ETA: Sorry, misread your post regarding the distance. 500 feet is silly. Wouldn't that be stopping outside each kid's house?

 

[Demosthenes X]

500 ft. is absurd. When I was in high school, the bus stop was a 25 minute walk away. Yes, my parents would drive me to the bus stop (though in retrospect, I wish they'd made me walk - it would have been good for me! Hindsight...).

Did you call the school district? I would start writing letters, and encourage others to do the same. You might also talk to parents on the PTA and try and get them on your side. If enough people start complaining, I think things might change...

 

[noodlemanc]

why dont they just make a fairly wide gravel shoulder for the bus to pull over on, allowing cars to continue driving normaly? that way it wont affect u if the kids r fat lazy *****.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

500 ft. is absurd. When I was in high school, the bus stop was a 25 minute walk away. Yes, my parents would drive me to the bus stop (though in retrospect, I wish they'd made me walk - it would have been good for me! Hindsight...).

Did you call the school district? I would start writing letters, and encourage others to do the same. You might also talk to parents on the PTA and try and get them on your side. If enough people start complaining, I think things might change...

25 min walk would put your bus stops well over a mile apart. By my guess they would be 3-4 miles between stops which is rather insane. (assuming a 15 min mile walking pace which should be very doable) That is rather insane. Bus stops should be at most 1 mile apart on the route.

As I pointed out a huge question is the age of the kids getting on the bus which greatly effects how often the bus stops. For the lower grades (k-4 5ish) you will see the stops are much closer together and often times at the kids house. When the kids hit Jr High and High school it tends to move to the more logical layout. At least that is what I have noticed in where I have watch buses. Big time in my neiborhood. The first round of buses for the younger grades has a lot more stops. For Jr and High school the stops tend to fall at the corners of streets which makes sense. Now they will still do a stop in front of someone's house providing that kid would be the only person at the corner stop any how and the bus does not have to make any extra turns. Now depending on where your house is located it could end up the house is pretty close to 2-3 stops but then again my house is on the main street dead center between 2 street corners where the bus is making turns any how so it was nature stopping points. Plus it was/is impossible to get stuck behind the bus for both of them.

 

[wordoflife]

In my neighborhood, different school busses pick up students from each subdivision of my community, even if they are all going to go to the same school. I assume that is so the same thing that is happening to you doesn't happen to us.

 

[Demosthenes X]

25 min walk would put your bus stops well over a mile apart. By my guess they would be 3-4 miles between stops which is rather insane. (assuming a 15 min mile walking pace which should be very doable) That is rather insane. Bus stops should be at most 1 mile apart on the route.

As I pointed out a huge question is the age of the kids getting on the bus which greatly effects how often the bus stops. For the lower grades (k-4 5ish) you will see the stops are much closer together and often times at the kids house. When the kids hit Jr High and High school it tends to move to the more logical layout. At least that is what I have noticed in where I have watch buses. Big time in my neiborhood. The first round of buses for the younger grades has a lot more stops. For Jr and High school the stops tend to fall at the corners of streets which makes sense. Now they will still do a stop in front of someone's house providing that kid would be the only person at the corner stop any how and the bus does not have to make any extra turns. Now depending on where your house is located it could end up the house is pretty close to 2-3 stops but then again my house is on the main street dead center between 2 street corners where the bus is making turns any how so it was nature stopping points. Plus it was/is impossible to get stuck behind the bus for both of them.

Yeah, I should have specified. I went to a private school, so the bus stops weren't as logical as the local high school's would have been. My school was K-12, and the bus route going home could actually change dramatically based on who was actually on the bus that day. So all in all, not the best example to go on!

They'd also only extend the signs/flashing lights if they knew someone was crossing the street. My regular stop never required anyone to cross, so the bus would simply pull over with no need to hold up traffic.

The closest bus stop for the local high school was still a 10 - 15 minute walk, though. Certainly no stops every 500 feet for anyone in our area!

 

[.Andy]

I was on a one lane road in South Chandler, in a No Passing Zone, so I wasn't legally allowed to pass the school bus. When the school bus lights flash, I and about 10 other cars behind me stop.

Here is the problem I am having, the school bus at around 7AM in the morning makes stops every 500 feet or so, puts the stop sign out, flash red lights, and then lets kids SLOWLY find their seat on the bus, and then move on to the next group of kids 500 feet away.

I called the school district and complained about consolidating the bus stops, because it is RIDICULOUS that the bus had to stop TEN times in ONE BLOCK, STOPPING CARS, and causing cars to BACK UP. One could have easily made this one, or two bus stops MAX. The school district came back to me stating that it was "Health concerns"....So now kids are taught to be lazy to walk to a bus stop? Valley Metro bus stops can be 1/4 mile apart, and light rail stations are every 1 mile....and I can get to those just fine, so don't tell me a healthy High School kid can't walk 1/4th a mile to a school bus stop. Something tells me it is just something to gain more tickets and revenue when people start to get angry and pass the bus illegally. How the hell could something like this get overlooked? Not only is it a waste of gas in the cars behind it, but I am sure it is putting a lot of wear and tear on the school bus itself too.

What can really be done about it now? The school district refuses to budge in how they create stops, and I drive down this road quite often at 7AM. So Why not just use another road you ask? The road one mile to the right of this one cuts off mid way, and the road one mile to the left of this one is under construction.

They tell me "engineers" place bus stops on the map, but something tells me, it is just placing bus stops where they think its convenient, and then thinking nothing of the traffic build up its causing every morning.

Not only did the school bus take up your time on the road you also let it get under your skin so much you voluntarily gave away your own time posting about it on the internet. You lost out twice.

I think some things in life really aren't worth getting riled up about. Personally things on the road fall into this category for me - in the scheme of things they aren't that abhorrent. If it's busy at a certain time I'll try other routes, other times (earlier and go to a cafe), other ways (train or bus and play an iOS game or ride my bicycle or motorbike), or download some music or a podcast to listen to on the way. Life's too short.

 

[dontwalkhand]

Not only did the school bus take up your time on the road you also let it get under your skin so much you voluntarily gave away your own time posting about it on the internet. You lost out twice.

I think some things in life really aren't worth getting riled up about. Personally things on the road fall into this category for me - in the scheme of things they aren't that abhorrent. If it's busy at a certain time I'll try other routes, other times (earlier and go to a cafe), other ways (train or bus and play an iOS game or ride my bicycle or motorbike), or download some music or a podcast to listen to on the way. Life's too short.

It's not the traffic part that bugged me as much as the reasoning, the reasoning for the district doing this, rather than thinking logically and consolidating the bus stops. Are kids in high school just too lazy to walk?

 

[UlsterApple]

Here in the UK we have the same thing; school buses on country roads now appear to collect children from the bottom of their own individual driveways, and I've observed buses stopping four times in one hundred yards to collect different children, who don't seem able to walk to their neighbours' driveway for collection. It's the same with parents who collect their kids - they all want to crowd right into the school entrance rather than have their children walk fifty feet to a car parked at the roadside. I usually try to avoid being anywhere near a road or a school at these times.

 

[.Andy]

It's not the traffic part that bugged me as much as the reasoning, the reasoning for the district doing this, rather than thinking logically and consolidating the bus stops. Are kids in high school just too lazy to walk?

Kids are just the same as they have ever been. The same as when we were kids. And just as when we were kids they are an easy target outlet for the frustrations of adults.

 

[PhoenixMac]

Like said earlier, just wake up a little earlier and get there before the bus does, no sense in getting all riled up over something as little as a school bus stopping, there are bigger battles to fight.

 

[iJohnHenry]

Not only did the school bus take up your time on the road you, also let it get under your skin, so much you voluntarily gave away your own time posting about it on the internet.

You lost out twice.

Helpful post.

How about more stops = more fuel + more emissions?

How does that grab you.

If no one complained about abject stupidity where would it all end?

I wish our school bus drivers would optionally extend the stop-signs/front guard, but I suspect it is "policy", and fear of screwing-up.

 

[0000757]

Wow, on the bus home from school, It stops at the intersection well far away from my house. I have to do a long walk to get home.

It takes roughly 6-9 minutes. Not terrible, but not convenient

 

[senseless]

I sympathize. If you get behind a school bus or a Buick, you're going to be late for work.

 

[Hastings101]

They probably have a district-wide rule that requires them to do this for all students. I doubt they'll amend it specifically for one section of the bus route or an age group.

Also, it might help them in a situation where a child goes missing and there's a chance the school might be liable. At least this way they can't be blamed for not keeping an eye on students on their way to and from the buses.

 

[Tomorrow]

OP, it sounds like leaving the house 2 minutes earlier would solve your problem.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Out of curiosity, does the neighborhood have sidewalks? It has been my experience that many American neighborhoods outside of major cities don't have sidewalks. This could be the basis for declaring it a safety issue.

 

[mrsir2009]

Wow, on the bus home from school, It stops at the intersection well far away from my house. I have to do a long walk to get home.

Image


It takes roughly 6-9 minutes. Not terrible, but not convenient

Do you live at a top secret base?

 

[iJohnHenry]

Do you live at a top secret base?

Mom and Dad are in the Witness Protection program.

 

[mrsir2009]

Mom and Dad are in the Witness Protection program.

...Or he's an outlaw. A bandit. A highwayman