What's with the school zone lights?

[WebSnyper]

Per the statute, that is a legally invalid school zone. Same for the zones where there is a sign giving hours or flashing lights if there are not children present.

Interesting... is there any way to form a class action of all the folks who got tickets in a certain period of time and sue? Just curious.

 

[flightsimmer]

I just found out this week that those lights went through without any input or public hearing or anything.
Because.............................wait for it....................................it was for the chillen.

I would post my source and the quote but I don't have permission.

 

[Hoosierkav]

Per the statute, that is a legally invalid school zone. Same for the zones where there is a sign giving hours or flashing lights if there are not children present.

Or the school zone that has two 40mph speed limit signs in the middle of the zone, which is long enough that you wonder if the zone has an end sign.

 

[flightsimmer]

One question I have is who controls the lights and the times. The Principal?

Not all schools run on the same schedule.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

One question I have is who controls the lights and the times. The Principal?

Not all schools run on the same schedule.

I've never understood this. I understand starting and ending at different times during the day*, but to my way of thinking all schools should start and end on the same dates. How can anyone be expected to know the schedule of each and every school (for those signs that say "when children present"), especially if they don't have kids, when two schools, literally blocks apart, have different start/end/break dates? Just seems to me that it would make sense to have a statewide schedule.

* By that I mean, all high schools should start at xx:xx a.m., all middle schools start at yy:yy a.m., and all elementary schools start at zz:zz a.m., etc..

 

[femurphy77]

Since we're talking school zone speed limits why even have them? I understand with kids walking to school and all that it makes it safer for them at the crossings but wait!!!!!!!! (dramatic pause here) I haven't seen a kid walking to school in years!!!! We are out in the country and have a small "subdivision" behind us so bussing is the transportation du jour. The furthest house from the bus stop is less than 1/2 mile and yet there are 15 cars lined up every morning and afternoon to transport the little darlings from the front door to the bus stop. I understand with the smaller kiddies but my impromptu survey says the youngest one back there is 9! I've had people that literally live across the street from the school tell me that junior rides the bus to school.

So if every kid is now being driven to school why school zones unless "IT'S FOR THE [STRIKE]CHILDREN[/STRIKE] revenue."

 

[Brandon]

We have a middle school right around the corner from us and the kids in the neighborhood directly across the school have the option to walk. They do have those crossing lights that flash when a button is pushed.

That said, at an elementary school I use to drive for students that lived directly next door to the school were "not" allowed to simply walk to school. Yes, we had a bus routed to pick them up but I don't think that ever happened.

I know of a city councilor that was asking if the public would like it better if the lights were flashing one hour before to one hour after the school day instead of the hour before and after drop-off/pick-up.

So if you are driving in a school zone and the lights are not flashing when you pass the sign but start flashing after you pass it and you are still in front of the school, are you now speeding or is there a grace period?

I hate school zones. If kids are going to run from the school maybe the staff should do things differently to keep the doors closed and kids from running. People driving should pay more attention to the road as well.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Since we're talking school zone speed limits why even have them? I understand with kids walking to school and all that it makes it safer for them at the crossings but wait!!!!!!!! (dramatic pause here) I haven't seen a kid walking to school in years!!!! We are out in the country and have a small "subdivision" behind us so bussing is the transportation du jour. The furthest house from the bus stop is less than 1/2 mile and yet there are 15 cars lined up every morning and afternoon to transport the little darlings from the front door to the bus stop. I understand with the smaller kiddies but my impromptu survey says the youngest one back there is 9! I've had people that literally live across the street from the school tell me that junior rides the bus to school.

So if every kid is now being driven to school why school zones unless "IT'S FOR THE [STRIKE]CHILDREN[/STRIKE] revenue."

We have an elementary school a couple blocks from my house (but not on my street). I see the buses going to and from the school mornings and afternoons, and they are mostly empty. There is a major line of traffic however, of parents taking and picking up their kids (which really sucks if I just want to cross the street to get my mail in the afternoon). I'm sure not all schools are like this, but seriously, if a resource isn't being used to its full potential, is it really necessary? I'm thinking one or two buses could accommodate the number of students that actually use them at this particular school.

Also, I often see buses stop, let kids off (or pick them up) and then stop again less than 2 bus lengths away to let off/pick up another kid. The stop arms don't even have time to fully retract before they start coming out again. Seriously? The kids can't walk the 75 feet to all be at the same stop?

 

[femurphy77]

[video=youtube;9gSQg1i_q2g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gSQg1i_q2g[/video]

 

[Brandon]

We have an elementary school a couple blocks from my house (but not on my street). I see the buses going to and from the school mornings and afternoons, and they are mostly empty. There is a major line of traffic however, of parents taking and picking up their kids (which really sucks if I just want to cross the street to get my mail in the afternoon). I'm sure not all schools are like this, but seriously, if a resource isn't being used to its full potential, is it really necessary? I'm thinking one or two buses could accommodate the number of students that actually use them at this particular school.

Also, I often see buses stop, let kids off (or pick them up) and then stop again less than 2 bus lengths away to let off/pick up another kid. The stop arms don't even have time to fully retract before they start coming out again. Seriously? The kids can't walk the 75 feet to all be at the same stop?

My township would do this in cases of main streets/busy streets or if there was a known sexual offender in the area OR if a parent would complain their precious child was to good to walk down the street or untrustworthy.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

My township would do this in cases of main streets/busy streets or if there was a known sexual offender in the area OR if a parent would complain their precious child was to good to walk down the street or untrustworthy.

Then there's also the opposite. There is an apartment complex next to Southern Plaza where the bus stops at the entrance and the entire full bus empties out (or loads up). I'm thinking that route would be a pretty sweet gig, unless you're getting paid by the hour. One stop, done.

 

[Brandon]

Then there's also the opposite. There is an apartment complex next to Southern Plaza where the bus stops at the entrance and the entire full bus empties out (or loads up). I'm thinking that route would be a pretty sweet gig, unless you're getting paid by the hour. One stop, done.

I've had a route identical to that. Stop at the entrance, pick up 57 kids, take em to school and the opposite in the afternoon.
We were paid by the hour with a minimum guarantee of 4 hours a day. - WORST route EVER.

Can't answer how that is allowed in my township. Some we picked them all up in the front, others we would go in to the very back and a few stops in between. And it wasn't always just because there was a large enough area to turn the bus around either.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I've had a route identical to that. Stop at the entrance, pick up 57 kids, take em to school and the opposite in the afternoon.
We were paid by the hour with a minimum guarantee of 4 hours a day. - WORST route EVER.

Can't answer how that is allowed in my township. Some we picked them all up in the front, others we would go in to the very back and a few stops in between. And it wasn't always just because there was a large enough area to turn the bus around either.

I can see how that would suck if you weren't being paid for a full day. I wonder if it's apartment complex policy that drives whether or not you can drive the bus into the complex?