School Bus Question
09-25-08, 08:48 PM
#1
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School Bus Question
I just ran into this problem yesterday. My guess is, my action was incorrect and illegal, but I'm not 100% sure.
Starting from the sidewalk and moving towards the center, sidewalk - parking lane - bike lane - car lane - center stripe. School bus is in the car lane and I'm in the bike lane. School bus is followed by 2 cars and comes to a stop. Obviously, the cars stop. I roll up to the side of the bus slowly, no kids stepping out, so I slowly (like 5mph) move into the empty parking lane and roll past.
How wrong was I in doing this. I made quite sure no kids were getting off the bus, and no cars were in the parking lane. I passed slowly so as not to scare or hit anyone and I was not in the regular car lane. If the street had no bike lane and I was riding in the vehicle lane, I would have stopped, but I'm not sure what I am if I'm in a bike lane. If I was walking, I wouldn't have stopped.
Ideas?
Starting from the sidewalk and moving towards the center, sidewalk - parking lane - bike lane - car lane - center stripe. School bus is in the car lane and I'm in the bike lane. School bus is followed by 2 cars and comes to a stop. Obviously, the cars stop. I roll up to the side of the bus slowly, no kids stepping out, so I slowly (like 5mph) move into the empty parking lane and roll past.
How wrong was I in doing this. I made quite sure no kids were getting off the bus, and no cars were in the parking lane. I passed slowly so as not to scare or hit anyone and I was not in the regular car lane. If the street had no bike lane and I was riding in the vehicle lane, I would have stopped, but I'm not sure what I am if I'm in a bike lane. If I was walking, I wouldn't have stopped.
Ideas?
09-25-08, 09:03 PM
#2
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Why are you passing on the inside?
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Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
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Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
09-25-08, 09:05 PM
#3
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bike lane. bike lane is on the inside.
09-25-08, 09:07 PM
#4
L T X B O M P F A N S R
Whether it's illegal or not, I don't know, but I don't think you did anything wrong. Slowing down and making space between you and the bus, which you did, is common sense. Just slow down enough so that even if you did somehow hit a kid, there would be no real injury.
Passing a school bus on the left when it is stopped is a big no-no because you can't see if there are kids crossing the street in front of the bus. Things are much different on the right where you passed, and cars normally can't do that. On a bike however it can be safely done, as you did.
Passing a school bus on the left when it is stopped is a big no-no because you can't see if there are kids crossing the street in front of the bus. Things are much different on the right where you passed, and cars normally can't do that. On a bike however it can be safely done, as you did.
09-25-08, 09:09 PM
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[Long]
If you wouldn't do it in a car, i.e., passing on the inside, driving on the pavement, driving the against the flow of traffic, running red lights/stop signs, driving without appropriate lighting, etc., then you probably shouldn't be doing it on a bicycle
[short]
That's no excuse - don't pass on the inside.
If you wouldn't do it in a car, i.e., passing on the inside, driving on the pavement, driving the against the flow of traffic, running red lights/stop signs, driving without appropriate lighting, etc., then you probably shouldn't be doing it on a bicycle
[short]
That's no excuse - don't pass on the inside.
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shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
09-25-08, 09:13 PM
#6
L T X B O M P F A N S R
[Long]
If you wouldn't do it in a car, i.e., passing on the inside, driving on the pavement, driving the against the flow of traffic, running red lights/stop signs, driving without appropriate lighting, etc., then you probably shouldn't be doing it on a bicycle
[short]
That's no excuse - don't pass on the inside.
If you wouldn't do it in a car, i.e., passing on the inside, driving on the pavement, driving the against the flow of traffic, running red lights/stop signs, driving without appropriate lighting, etc., then you probably shouldn't be doing it on a bicycle
[short]
That's no excuse - don't pass on the inside.
If it's safe, go for it.
09-25-08, 09:14 PM
#7
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[Long]
If you wouldn't do it in a car, i.e., passing on the inside, driving on the pavement, driving the against the flow of traffic, running red lights/stop signs, driving without appropriate lighting, etc., then you probably shouldn't be doing it on a bicycle
[short]
That's no excuse - don't pass on the inside.
If you wouldn't do it in a car, i.e., passing on the inside, driving on the pavement, driving the against the flow of traffic, running red lights/stop signs, driving without appropriate lighting, etc., then you probably shouldn't be doing it on a bicycle
[short]
That's no excuse - don't pass on the inside.
09-25-08, 09:17 PM
#8
L T X B O M P F A N S R
Well, it would be pretty silly to exit a clear bike lane to pass a car on the left, wouldn't it? Might as well not even have a bike lane in that case.
The school bus scenario is a bit different, but it seems to me like you used reasonable caution in that situation.
The school bus scenario is a bit different, but it seems to me like you used reasonable caution in that situation.
09-25-08, 09:19 PM
#9
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There are very few things I leave an active bike lane for, debris or objects, and making a left turn. It appears as though cars don't see me when I'm in the bike lane, and I'm not sure I'd want to test whether they see me when I'm directly in their path.
09-25-08, 09:23 PM
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I just ran into this problem yesterday. My guess is, my action was incorrect and illegal, but I'm not 100% sure.
Starting from the sidewalk and moving towards the center, sidewalk - parking lane - bike lane - car lane - center stripe. School bus is in the car lane and I'm in the bike lane. School bus is followed by 2 cars and comes to a stop. Obviously, the cars stop. I roll up to the side of the bus slowly, no kids stepping out, so I slowly (like 5mph) move into the empty parking lane and roll past.
How wrong was I in doing this. I made quite sure no kids were getting off the bus, and no cars were in the parking lane. I passed slowly so as not to scare or hit anyone and I was not in the regular car lane. If the street had no bike lane and I was riding in the vehicle lane, I would have stopped, but I'm not sure what I am if I'm in a bike lane. If I was walking, I wouldn't have stopped.
Ideas?
Starting from the sidewalk and moving towards the center, sidewalk - parking lane - bike lane - car lane - center stripe. School bus is in the car lane and I'm in the bike lane. School bus is followed by 2 cars and comes to a stop. Obviously, the cars stop. I roll up to the side of the bus slowly, no kids stepping out, so I slowly (like 5mph) move into the empty parking lane and roll past.
How wrong was I in doing this. I made quite sure no kids were getting off the bus, and no cars were in the parking lane. I passed slowly so as not to scare or hit anyone and I was not in the regular car lane. If the street had no bike lane and I was riding in the vehicle lane, I would have stopped, but I'm not sure what I am if I'm in a bike lane. If I was walking, I wouldn't have stopped.
Ideas?
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Fred "The Real Fred"
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09-25-08, 09:24 PM
#11
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09-25-08, 09:27 PM
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The Right Side is where the kids get on and off.
ALL traffic stops when school buses stop to load or unload.
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Last edited by 10 Wheels; 09-25-08 at 09:30 PM.
09-25-08, 09:29 PM
#14
L T X B O M P F A N S R
What if he got off his bike and walked it across on the right? He wouldn't be going much slower than the 5 mph he was going.
09-25-08, 09:29 PM
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You were not walking.
A bike can knock a 60 lb kid down. Hits his head and dies.
It has happened.
A bike can knock a 60 lb kid down. Hits his head and dies.
It has happened.
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09-25-08, 09:30 PM
#16
L T X B O M P F A N S R
09-25-08, 09:31 PM
#17
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erm...I do believe it's the right side the kids get out of. in fact, I'm pretty sure about that because as I was passing on the right, I saw kids getting out.
Regardless of that, if I'm a cyclist in the bike lane, I still need to follow the same laws as a vehicle in this situation?
I guess the other question that just came up is, even though it's wrong, or illegal, would you stop? Do you feel as though 5 mph on a bicycle is dangerous enough to warrant stopping?
Regardless of that, if I'm a cyclist in the bike lane, I still need to follow the same laws as a vehicle in this situation?
I guess the other question that just came up is, even though it's wrong, or illegal, would you stop? Do you feel as though 5 mph on a bicycle is dangerous enough to warrant stopping?
09-25-08, 09:40 PM
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Yes. You're putting children at risk due to an unwillingness to wait thirty more seconds before passing safely. This is what people here scream bloody murder over whenever cars do it to cyclists.
09-25-08, 09:49 PM
#19
L T X B O M P F A N S R
And even if it were true... Jeez, you can find one person who has died from nearly any goddamn thing. Doesn't mean that the act itself is inherently dangerous.
No, you're not putting children at risk by riding away from the bus (in the street parking area) at 5 mph.
09-25-08, 09:53 PM
#20
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I don't believe it. Who has died from a 5 mph impact? Who has died from a standstill crash?
And even if it were true... Jeez, you can find one person who has died from nearly any goddamn thing. Doesn't mean that the act itself is inherently dangerous.
No, you're not putting children at risk by riding away from the bus (in the street parking area) at 5 mph.
And even if it were true... Jeez, you can find one person who has died from nearly any goddamn thing. Doesn't mean that the act itself is inherently dangerous.
No, you're not putting children at risk by riding away from the bus (in the street parking area) at 5 mph.
09-25-08, 09:59 PM
#21
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You don't need to involve bikes. Call your local hospital (if you're in Boston, MGH is nice) and request information on traumatic brain injuries. It's incredibly easy to damage the brain from standing falls. Add a bit of delayed swelling, and you could seem perfectly fine for half an hour before slipping into an irreversible coma and dying a day or two later.
I'm not really here to argue over whether this is possible or not. You're more than welcome to believe it isn't. Returning to the OP, however, I'd seriously advise you to reconsider whether wherever you're going is urgent enough to necessitate running school bus stop signs. I don't think it is. Your mileage--and morals--may vary.
I'm not really here to argue over whether this is possible or not. You're more than welcome to believe it isn't. Returning to the OP, however, I'd seriously advise you to reconsider whether wherever you're going is urgent enough to necessitate running school bus stop signs. I don't think it is. Your mileage--and morals--may vary.
09-25-08, 09:59 PM
#22
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I'm not really here to argue over whether this is possible or not. You're more than welcome to believe it isn't. Returning to the OP, however, I'd seriously advise you to reconsider whether wherever you're going is urgent enough to necessitate running school bus stop signs. I don't think it is. Your mileage--and morals--may vary. Personally, I'd just wait, find another route, take the time to wipe down some sweat, or plan dinner.
09-25-08, 10:01 PM
#23
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Is anyone else having issues with this thread?
09-25-08, 10:02 PM
#24
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09-25-08, 10:05 PM
#25
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I just managed to quote a futuristic post...That's impressive!