vrkelley

This happens in about 4 places on my route. Annoying and inconsiderate. But what can be done? The bus pulls up 30 kids take their dear sweet time piling in. The sidewalk is mobbed with parents. We're talking 8-9minutes to load the bus and no way to get around them even on the sidewalk.

What can a rider do?

aharris

I wave at the kids in the bus, now they cheer me when I pull up behind.

CFXMarauder

Id leave 10 minutes earlier/ later..You get near a school bus here your getting something thrown at you.

woodway

Hop off your bike and walk around the school bus. Peds don't have to stop for school busses. Once on the other side, resume pedaling.

Sawtooth

There is NO DOUBT in my mind that school bus drivers are the absolutely biggest danger I face on my commute in. They simply seem to have no concept of their proximity to me.

I do love to motor pace behind them, though; as I can see right up the center isle and out the front window.

ottawa_adam

Although I fully respect my driving obligations with respect to school buses, I've also observed a trend that school bus drivers' driving skills are quickly diminishing.

That said, your options have already been stated: wait patiently, leave earlier, or pass it on foot.

coffeecake

Install a cow-catcher on the front of your bike.

oboeguy

I was assaulted by a school bus the other day. Driver was annoyed that I was annoyed that he cut me off. I passed his bus twice further down the road and both times he tried to open the door in front of me. Classy.

Anyway, dude, waiting 8-9 minutes is ridiculous. Get off the bike, walk through the masses and get on your way. Don't say it would never work, I won't believe it.

CCrew

That's when you call the jurisdictions transportation department. From our experience they actually do take bad driving complaints seriously. Our kids had a driver that was just plain crazy. Enough parents complained that she was gone *quick*

Don't know how it is where you are, but the (majority of) drivers here aren't "professional" most are stay at home moms that do it part time. Had to laugh when a neighbor started driving a bus.... I'd never let her drive my kids in a car she was such a maniac.

labelcd6

+1

jpdesjar

Take a different route if possible.
I was riding a route with 4 or 5 schools along the way, now I only pass maybe one.
Getting off the bike and walking around seems like a good plan.

capejohn

First thing is that if we are in a hurry, we shouldn't be on a bike.

Inconsiderate seems a stretch.

It takes at most three seconds to get past a school bus on a bike safely. Less if done recklessly.

With all seriousness aside. The solution is simple even to the most casual observer.

JoeyBike

I was taking a short cut through a rough neighborhood a few years ago. I got stuck behind a school bus. The ethnic middle-school kids on the bus crowded to the back window and pretended they were shooting me with their cute little thumbs and index fingers.

Can't start too young I guess.

vrkelley

Walking around the crowds is a good solution. I tried slogging through and courteously saying 'excuse' me as I inched along the edge of the sidewalk. The clinging parents didn't like that.

The bus should pull around the corner or in the nice wide apartment complex driveway to let the hundreds of cars through. Inconsiderate.

vrkelley

Zowee. Call in the bus number.

jefferee

Since the door is on the right side of the bus, why were you anywhere near it in the first place? Getting between a school bus and a curb is not something I'd do deliberately under any circumstance.

lambo_vt

This was relevant?

benda18

what would evel knievel do?

JoeyBike

Sadly...yes. Quite relevant. I was out of place. I was the wrong skin color for that place. Racism is alive and well in NOLA. No color is absolved.

lambo_vt

Obviously.

Bah Humbug

So it's racist to point out if white people are singled out by non-whites?

lambo_vt

In a thread about school buses, why mention it in the first place?

Bah Humbug

To provide a complete account of the story. Why bring up the finger guns at all, to follow your logic?

lambo_vt

And JoeyBike knows with certainty that the kids don't like his skin color. That's pretty ridiculous.

Anyway, I won't derail further.

MNBikeguy

I can see this happening in Anywhere, USA.
Not sure what 'race' has to do with kids screwing around in the back window of a bus. It's been going on since the dawn of time.
While following a bus last week I was flipped off by a bunch of middle school girls all huddled around the infamous back rear window. Can't imagine taking these silly pranks seriously. I'm sure they thought they were very clever and badass while they giggled away.