Ignore the rules and go around or suck diesel fumes for the next 5 miles?

How do you handle this?

First is to follow the rules of the road. If traffic has to stop, then you need to stop. If you can legaly pass, then do so.

1. Change your route
2. Pass him as soon as the lights go off and don't let him catch you.

I'm not sure if this is true everywhere, but around here the only time the school bus has lights flashing is while its stopped to drop kids off or pick them up. If I get stuck behind it at this point, I just get off and walk my bike past the bus on the side where its letting people off. Then just keep on riding, the bus should never catch you again since it will make frequent stops. I would never recommend trying to pass the bus while its lights are flashing, you are bound to run down some little kid...

It's a major fine.

Also, there's a very good reason for it.

Even on a bike, you can hit and kill a small child darting out in front of the bus.

Good luck with the manslaughter charge.

I hope you are too young to drive a car, and do not have a license to drive. Otherwise I have completely lost faith in the Public education, and Motor Vehicle licensing systems in the State of New York.

On a bike, go slow and don't hit or look as if you might hit any kids and nobody will care.

1) it's illegal,

2) cops take passing school buses illegally seriously,

3) even if you're going around carefully, you add confusion and congestion to the scene. (kid not expecting any vehicle, startles into oncoming traffic that hasn't stopped yet, dies, you go to jail for voluntariy manslaughter; car confused about your direction, intent, steers into kid, you go to jail for voluntary manslaughter.

4) you give cyclists a huge huge black eye.


I cannot believe thsi is subject to debate.

That was a reasonable reaction

Red lights mean STOP.

Once the bus was coming from the other way and fliped lights on right when i and bus came together so i thought i would keep going no kid even standing up in bus yet. My reasoning was to get me out of the way.Well driver throws her window open starts yelling you got to stop at the top of her lungs. I do like the idea get off and walk.

FWIW, I've tried wrongful death cases involving child dart outs, including one in front of a bus.

Kids do stupid completely unpredictable things. You do not want to be involved in such an incident.

I stop, but since I bike in the city, there's enough diesel trucks going by that I couldn't avoid the fumes from a school bus even if I wanted to.

That may well be legal. But even then you're adding confusion, congestion to a scene that by its nature is inherently dangerous.

Is your precisous time so valuable, you can't wait 30 seconds?

We are Po'd at cars that can't be inconvenienced to wait for a safe passing place. Yet, we can't stop for a school bus?

FWIW, I dont pass school buses when the lights are flashing. I was just curious where everyone stood on this issue.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I have had more exposure to school buses than I ever thought possible. While it's certainly possible for a driver to turn on the flashers and leave them on, they are generally only on (in New York) when the bus is stopped at a railroad crossing or is loading or unloading. Basically, when the door opens, the flashers go on.

There is no situation in which you should be passing a bus under those conditions. Full stop.

However, your post seems to indicate that the flashers are on while the bus is moving, was that your intention? That seems odd to me and would indicate that you would be prohibited from ever passing a bus, in either direction. Imagine the traffic problems.

5 minutes?! I would imagine you won't have enough open spot on road to be able to pass safely if that many kids are getting off bus...

What I've completely lost faith in is the ability of school children to safely cross a road as they all now seem to believe that traffic will automatically stop for them (i.e., even when there isn't a school bus present).

As for the original issue, I intentionally bike commute early in the morning before the buses (mostly) start running in order to avoid them.

Use a different road. Or pull over, stretch, and have a snack, until the bus is far enough ahead not to bother you.

No brainer. Just stop when flashing red. Not worth breaking this rule at all.

No i have time to wait, its the LAW, walking your bike hmm different story. Look iam not trying to argue but i live in a rural area and the bus driver could have just as easily let me by,but i think she wanted to see what i would do.Now kids darting from the bus into the road that is just plain crazy.

Why would a school bus have flashing red lights for 5 miles?

Red flashing lights on a school bus mean "STOP".

Sucking diesel fumes for 5 miles? I doubt you have the strength and skill to pull that off, but hey, this is the 41, where you e-wang is larger than everybody.

Do you happen to have experimented with mounting aerobars on your bike via duct tape?

I'm pretty sure the aerobars were zip ties, not duct tape?

EDIT: But what a great thread it was!

Ah, yes zip ties! I forgot...epic stuff!

Now I want to read it, think "zip tie" will bring it up on a search?

Merlin has hit every relevant point.

There is no excuse for not stopping for a school bus with flashing red lights. In fact, a few weeks ago, I stopped on the other side of a divided road for a bus - the driver opened the window and told me I didn't have to stop. I didn't mind waiting. I'd rather not risk hitting a kid.