Cop pulled me over for failing to stop for school bus

[Freejack2]

My understanding is if there is an opening in the median like that you have to stop. With the tall bushes if he had given you a ticket you might have been able to get off but I'm only guessing. For me I'll stop unless there is an unbroken concrete divider between the sides like on RT17 in NJ north of Paramus.

 

[Amplifier]

"You must also stop if the bus is loading or unloading children and the signal devices are not functioning properly."

Compare diagrams, the OP was dead on. See that and? He can take that to court an he will win.

 

[theGlove]

the real ticket should be given to the bus driver for stopping at an unsafe place

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Holy sh*t that diagram is sweet.

anyway I guess it's a hard call. He was probably bored, but he didn't give you a ticket which is great!

Ha. In Driver's Ed we were taught to honk the horn before passing another vehicle. In addition we were to inform the passengers "I am now going to pass another vehicle" so they wouldn't talk and distract the driver during this more dangerous time in driving.

Yeah, there are plenty of stupid laws/regulations/suggestions.

Yeah I've heard the "honk when passing". Total insane. If you are not aware of vehicles pulling up beside you and need a horn to alert you to the fact, stop driving!

dude, that's from horse-n-carriage days/model-T.

honk-honk. I'm passing ya at 25 Mph! Look out! Its coming right for us!

 

[Banana]

Good thing you weren't shot 120 times--You know how them cops are.

 

[sao123]

Originally posted by: Banana
Good thing you weren't shot 120 times--You know how them cops are.

"The state of California is trying to outlaw first-person shooter hand-gun video games. Apparently, kids are learning how to accurately shoot hand-guns with the use of these games. It's not the game's designers fault. It's a parenting problem. Whenever we have a problem, you try to tack a genuine solution to it that has nothing to do with the problem. It's a parenting problem. I've got an idea. Don't outlaw those video games, give them to the State Troopers of California, 'cause they're some of the worst shots I've ever seen in my life. These cops have a shoot-out with 3 brothers who get out of a white Suburban at POINT... BLANK... RANGE... Nobody gets hurt. There was a kid in Michigan three years ago that shot eight bullets and hit nine people. These two cops shot 22 bullets, and didn't even hit the fvcking Suburban."

-Ron White, redneck comic

 

[Thegonagle]

Bad news: I think the cop was right; the bus was unloading at an intersection where the kid(s) might want to cross the street at the crosswalk. (Yeah, they usually don't, but you never know.)

Good news: No ticket--how excellent is that? You got a warning, and now you know better next time. So quitch'er bitchin'.

EDIT:

About crosswalks: I don't know about every state, but in my state, if there is a sidewalk on both sides of the street, then there is automatically a crosswalk there, even if it's not painted. The only time it is not considered a crosswalk is if there is a sign that specifically says "no ped X-ing," (or the symbolic equivalent).

 

[Blazin Trav]

Cop is a moron.

 

[bracut80]

so did he pull over the other cars that were behind you that didn't stop?

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Thegonagle
Bad news: I think the cop was right; the bus was unloading at an intersection where the kid(s) might want to cross the street at the crosswalk. (Yeah, they usually don't, but you never know.)

If the light was green, those kids should NOT be crossing four lanes of traffic on a divided highway. Then again, kids are dumb...

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: jagec

If the light was green, those kids should NOT be crossing four lanes of traffic on a divided highway. Then again, kids are dumb...

That's why we stop for the stop arms. (I also had those exact words typed out as I was drafting my first post--changed before I posted, though.)

 

[shilala]

The cop was being a dick. A dick who does not know the laws he's supposed to enforce.
Awesome diagram deftron.

 

[Linflas]

Should be a slam dunk in court. Virginia law clearly states that you are not required to stop if you are on the other side of the median. Sounds like the cop was embarassed he slammed on his brakes to stop when he didn't have to.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: pulse8

Originally posted by: deftron

Originally posted by: pulse8
From your link:

"You do not have to stop, however, if you are traveling in the opposite direction on roadways separated by a physical barrier or unpaved median area."

Yeah. I know.

But the cop said "There was no median in front of the bus"

Yeah, there was an intersection!

I'd fight that if I were you.

That would be the smart thing to do. Since he did not get a ticket. He shuold at least find the cop and kick his ass.

 

[aphex]

Honestly i would fight it just to get clarification as well. Even after reading the DMV page, i still dunno if what you did was technically "illegal"

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: AaronB
Awesome diagram.

 

[Netopia]

GREAT diagram!

According to your post of the regulations and your picture of the diagram, I would say that you should be in the clear... and with four kids in school, I'm VERY aggressive towards people who show disregard to kids.... but your case simply isn't one of them!

Joe

 

[CTrain]

I don't know whos right or wrong but personally, I would have not stop.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: AaronB
Awesome diagram.

If only it were animated as well...

 

[m2kewl]

i once got caught right behind the bus with it's STOP sign out. that obese witch driver took her time puffing a cig right after unloading all the kiddies...even after the crossing guard gave all clear. so i passed the bus and she blasts the megaphone, "THERE IS A STOP SIGN! I'm calling the police!"

i'm thinking to myself, "so do it you fat $%^" and i see everyone just passing her, heh. drivers with an attitude = teh suck.

 

[Warthog912]

Originally posted by: AaronB
Awesome diagram.

scratch that-

Killer diagram.

 

[Otaking]

Are you the same guy that posted about an accident about a guy pulling out of a 7-eleven (or something) hitting a guy making his own left lane?

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: aphex
Honestly i would fight it just to get clarification as well. Even after reading the DMV page, i still dunno if what you did was technically "illegal"

Ugggh!

How many more times is "fight it" going to be posted?

There's nothing to fight.

 

[Jzero]

It's very iffy, but you didn't get a ticket, so no harm, no foul. I probably would not have stopped either, on account of similar laws in NJ and PA regarding divided highways.

However, PA's code does specifically say: The driver
of a vehicle approaching an intersection at which a school bus is stopped shall stop his vehicle at that
intersection until the flashing red signal lights are no longer actuated. which is probably the prevailing factor...

 

[zixxer]

Originally posted by: element
There was no median where there is a break in the median. That was an intersection. Yes you have to stop.