Juan Foote

I completely forgot that school went back Friday, and didn't plan my ride around the time they aren't on the road.

Coming up the road and a schoolbus passes me, then cuts me off into a turn lane that I was at the beginning of. I had to hit brakes to keep from hitting the bus. He whips over and pulls the stop sign immediately. Kids weren't even standing up yet, so I went to the middle of the street and passed the bus as I am shooting the driver my "you dumbass, just about killed me" look.

Just then, a driver stopped the other way berates me for not seeing the big yellow schoolbus with stop sign.....

So then as I continue on the bus is behind me. We turn onto a state highway, plenty of room to pass. He waits till we get to the bike lane a mile down the road, passes me with about 50 feet to his next stop, and pulls the stop sign. Of course, this time he was on the side I had to stop for the kids safety. (here kids don't cross the street in front of the bus) From that point on, he made sure to stay in front of me to pull the sign every other driveway, while I waited.

If the jerk off had just waited on me the first damned time I would have been gone down the road. Or the second....or the third.....

I honestly want to call the bus barn on the guy, got the bus number, but afraid that running the stop sign will trump his stupidity.

corrado33

Could you have not turned down one of the side roads to go around it?

There are almost always multiple ways to get from point A to point B.

SylvainG

Or get off your bike, walk pass the bus and get back on your bike. That's what I do. It's legal to walk by a bus with its stop sign out.

Edit: And if you're really pissed, ride slowly in front of him

Squeeze

School bus stop signs don't apply to pedestrians.

Simply dismount and walk your bike past the bus next time.

Juan Foote

No other way to get home without doing the longer end of a return loop. Two ways from my house only.

Juan Foote

Did not know. Thanks folks

SylvainG

Glad to be of help

GlennR

Call the company and give them the bus number.

The driver must be a real a$$ doing stupid stuff with the company number and bus number on teh back.

corrado33

From what I remember back in middle/high school.

All of the school bus drivers were weirdos who smelled bad and just yelled at us the whole time or were perfectly silent and never said a word. Honestly I'm surprised parents haven't made more of a fuss about the people driving their kids to school.

Retro Grouch 

1. "Share the road" means that you have to put up with some of the stuff that other users do.
2. FWIW, corrado33, I used to drive a school bus and I got real favorable revues from parents, students and school administrators.

CliffordK

It seems like I have a special needs school near my house, so I'm often buzzed with empty buses, or huge buses carrying one passenger.

A few months ago, I was doing some hill intervals, and had a bus pull about 1/2 bus length in front of me and stop. I was upset for a day or two, but it passed. I wasn't doing a Strava attempt at the time

Everyone is doing their job.

In the past I've seen school buses try to facilitate cars passing them before or after stops. Bikes may be tough with riders and buses traveling the same speed, although I've had city buses halfway pass me, then wait for me to get ahead. Of course, they don't throw out stop signs so one can sometimes pass them if they've just stopped.

1989Pre 

Please refrain from cursing.

TimothyH

City of Atlanta?

That is Local 2104 - AFSCME.

You are not going to win against a unionized driver with a bus full of children.

Police union stands behind them too, no matter what.


-Tim-

shadilay

lol

MidSouthBiker

I appreciate the reminder that school is back in session. In my town I believe most of the schools let out around the 2-3 pm hour if I remember correctly. On days off from work during the week, I try to wrap up my ride by then just to avoid that extra traffic. And it's not just the school buses either. Try to ride by our middle and elementary schools at that let out time and then you'll get caught in the long lines of the parents' autos surrounding the streets around the schools.

Doug64

It actually sounds like the OP is the one with a problem. Here we treat bike just like a car when they are on the road

Juan Foote

Yeah, I would say I did have a problem. The jerk about ran me over as he pulled in front of me to pull his stop sign. He honestly could have waited no more than 10 seconds and I would have been down the road and gone for the entire episode of having to stop for him again and again. Had I BEEN a car, like he should have treated ME, then he should not have passed me and immediately cut me off.

Stucky

Dress up like a clown and time your rides so that you'll encounter the bus. Stay behind the bus and stop right behind it when it stops to let the brats off. Make faces at the kids in the bus when it's stopped. After a few stops, when the bus is stopped, pull up right alongside the driver and make weird faces, hand motions, etc. to him/her. The bus will floor it to the nearest purple triangle safe space, and the driver will probably have to undergo trauma counseling .

Or, is the collective attention-span of the masses so short now that nobody remembers the creepy clown media hoax hoopla now?

corrado33

I didn't say ALL bus drivers were weirdos (although you do ride a recumbent so.... (kidding kidding))

I didn't have nice bus drivers as a kid. There were 3 different ones throughout my school career, and all three were people I didn't want to be around as a kid.

coffeesnob

I've seen kids around here unlatch the windows and throw trash out. I have seen kids up and down in their seats and the bus driver does nothing. Talk about speeding buses.........I won't.

canklecat

I guess we're lucky here. The school and city bus drivers are pretty courteous. Heck, I pass the district school bus barn on most of my rural route rides and wave to the drivers. It's a popular route for cyclists so maybe the school bus drivers and cyclists are just accustomed to each other.

I run video on most rides. Boring stuff so I usually delete 'em as soon as I'm home. But if I encountered a genuinely reckless or aggressive bus driver -- not just an inadvertent brain fart -- I'd report it and send a short video clip. So far I've done that once in two years, a Domino's pizza driver who buzzed and nearly clipped me on a left hand turn where there was no competing traffic.

The brain fart stuff I just ignore. Everyone has an occasional bad moment -- including me when cycling. A week or so ago I didn't even notice the yield sign facing me while approaching a roundabout. I'd ridden through that roundabout dozens of times without encountering another vehicle. I was on autopilot and didn't yield to a driver who actually had right of way. Fortunately my vague hand gesture could have been interpreted as a wave rather than something rude. If they'd stopped I could have claimed I was bashing myself in the head for being an idiot.

tagaproject6

Let the OP of this thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cycling-discussion/1117821-how-many-fist-fights-have-you-gotten-into-trails.html know where you are, he'll fight the bus driver for you

Juan Foote

That could be handy.

Juan Foote

I have several schools right on top of me here. The timing that the kids get out, the bus drivers are all in a serious hurry. It is very rare to be shown any courtesy and most commonly they just pass wherever they are. I was run off the road twice by them riding my trike in the area. I have learned just to avoid riding at the times they are out. I simply forgot.

I find that the issues with the kids is always the Middle/High school bus. The elementary kids are always too amazed by the one legged guy.....

rumrunn6

buses are killers. I avoid them at all costs. maybe next time get off the bike, call a friend to chat, then when the bus is gone, resume riding. it's just not worth the hassle or threat to personal safety