Is it really necessary for school busses to stop at every railroad track and put their lights on? I'm all for safety and what not, but come on! A train goes by a couple particular tracks in town about twice a year. And the little train rail things come down when they do for cars to know to stop. Do you think there is suddenly going to be a locomotive flying by and take out a school bus? Perhaps overkill?
I am a school bus contractor and own several busses, there has been many accidents involving school busses and railroad tracks, and the government feels that it is necessary to enforce these rules. To me personally in some situations it is overkill but a lot of the time it is important to do. Especially if there is a possibility that the bus is going to be stopping partially over the tracks. But over all I say better safe than sorry when it comes to the 72 kids in the back.
About as necessary as your average golfer looking at putt from 4 different angles, lol. When one would suffice.
Big slow moving box full of children with not the quickest of cats behind the wheel? I'd say let them. Crap happens: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1993-03-18/news/1993077250_1_gasoline-tanker-fort-lauderdale-fuel
Unfortunately, in this day and age I think it's necessary. As I get older I find that the few extra minutes of delay isn't going to kill me!
I dont know Greg. At your age, it might be a fairly large percentage of the time you have left! Very unselfish of you to put the kids first.
So Nosy Joe doesnt call and complain that a school bus didnt stop at the tracks even though its 7pm at night...
having had children that rode those buses, I have no problem with the bus stopping every time so the driver doesn't get lackadaisical about their job.
Look at it from the other side. Do you want a call from the school board or hospital or something telling you your kid was smeared down the train tracks and that you are never going to see them again because the bus driver decided that it wasn't necessary to stop at the train tracks. Trust me I understand how pointless it seems and I'm not trying to give the OP or anyone else crap but things change once you have a child on one of those busses. Just my .02
My buddy was the regional manager for a large power company here in NY. He said whenever they were transporting power poles across a track they had to notify the railroad to check on all traffic on the tracks. Well one day they didn't as it was a short trip. They had this load of super large utility poles on one of these double jointed trailer things/ wheel sets front and rear. They didn't check as they knew the train schedule. Well this day there was a special train they didn't know about. The crossing was elevated. The poles bottomed out and got hung on the tracks... half across... and half not. As they're looking over the solution....they hear HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNKkkkkkkkkkkk. Here comes a train. The truck floored it... a bucket truck pushed from behind and they managed to clear the track in time. Sometimes we have rules for a reason. LOL
