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Martin Underwood · November 13th 06, 04:34 PM posted to uk.transport.london

Earl Purple wrote in message
:

Jeremy Parker wrote:
"Earl Purple" wrote

In the USA, when a school bus stops to let children on or off, it
turns on big red flashing lights that mean all other traffic must
stop. That's pretty universal in every state. Almost any flashing
red light in the USA implies that you must stop.

Stopping for a school bus, unlike, say, parking too close to a fire
hydrant, is one of those laws that public opinion expects you to
obey. Americans don't like people putting their children at risk.

"A bit over zealously at times" I take it is a euphemism for "I got a
ticket once for not doing it"

No, I don't recall a red flashing light, I seem to remember a patrol
manually stopping everyone, and when I say "a bit over zealously" I
mean that I wasn't actually crossing the path, I was turning out of a
side road in the other direction to where the bus was doing the pick
up, and was going very slowly.

I do know that they have school runs in the USA just like we do, and
not every child goes to school on the bus - many have their parents
drop them off and they do just as many bad manouevres. It was very
common for cars to stop on a pedestrian crossing opposite the school.
Yes, right on it.

When I went to see my sister and her family in Boston and borrowed their
car, they warned me about school buses. The red lights apply not only to
traffic behind the bus which is banned from overtaking but also to oncoming
traffic which is not allowed to pass the front of the bus if the red lights
are flashing.

Frustrating, but probably a good idea. At least in America they have the
concept of part-time speed limits: many schools seemed to have a 35 mph
limit in force for most of the day but a 25 or even 15 during very specific
arrival and departure hours. In the UK, we'd probably impose a blanket
24-hours-a-day 20 limit :-(

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