TLS, This letter should really be sent from myself to the person at fault, but since I don’t know who the person is, I assume he is from Lakewood and therefore assumes he reads your site. I was sitting in my office yesterday at about 4:00 p.m. in the Kennedy Blvd area, when I witnessed a terrifying scene. A school bus stopped to drop of a child and turned on its red lights and stop sign signals and whatever it uses when dropping off children. However, the bus was stopped for several seconds when a car approaching from the opposite direction and whizzed right pass the bus. A child was nearly killed. I don’t know if the driver was not seeing properly or if he or she just figured the child descending the bus was not going to cross the road. But whatever the case. I just figured I’ll point it out and hopefully bring some awareness to your readers.
Michelle K.
Lakewood.
this is an old problum that is getting worse every day, during my afternoon runs every day i have several cars pass the red lights of my bus and some times the drivers are smart enough to pass on my right between the door of the bus and the side walk. Every parent should daven to hashem every day that there children should get to and from school safly every day (bigashmie and biruchnie), and also thank hashem for the past that till now they did get to and from school safly.
ps. the law is(lihalacha too) a bus driver can go in to the police and have them mail a ticket to ones who pass the red lights, i think i will start doing that.
We have the same problem on Martin Luther King Dr<this morning @ cars drove pass the bus that had drove diagonal across the road and the bus driver blew his horn and the cars still drove past the bus.Please Please slow down it could save a child's life.
While your point is well taken and we can all do with a reminder once in a while that we excercise more caution when driving the roads. But you seem to imply that it was for sure someone from Lakewood and someone from our community. It could have very well been someone not from our community who lives in Wayne NJ who was in Lakewood for whatever reason.
Maybe the busses that have children crossing over wider streets & avenues should be stopping diagonally.
i once had seed a car pass on the right of a school bus that was droping off at 9th and forest the driver wized by to turn before the bus driver opened the door of the bus hashem yishmor
Cool Masmid, maybe you should read the article again and kler chakirahs on it. Nowhere in this letter does the writer imply “for sure” that it’s a Lakewood resident, but now on that note maybe the guy was late for shmiras sedorim or the babysitter. Now get back to the BM you have a reputation to uphold!
Can anyone contact Menahse or Meir and request signs put around town telling motorist they must stop?
Maybe buses should put their yellow lights on earlier. A lot of times they don’t even put them on so people are going to quick to stop safely
The VAAD is aware of this problem and will be meeting with Meir, Menashe, Rob Lawson and the FBI to find a solution….
Grow up people and follow the law!!
#7 they don’t stop for Red flashing lights and a STOP sign. U really think putting up signs to tell them to stop when they see red flashing lights and a Stop will make them? It’s part of the requirements for a Drivers License to know yr suppose to stop. THEY DON’T STOP CAUSE THEY DON’T WHAT TOO. They believe what they have to do is more important then the lives of children and being delayed a minute. LPD needs to start an enforcement champain. Get them in the wallets is the only way to get their attention.
I think this is a UEZ issue! If bus companies had money to give proper training then they would put their lights on earlier, and Meyer and menashe would have enough funds to put up signs to notify the drivers to the law. They wouldn’t even need that much they could probably just re-use the ones they put up and took down all over town due to a “technical issue”. Come on stop whining slow down pay attention to whats going on around you and obey the law and PUT DOWN THE PHONES.
Dont forget that some of the bus drivers need some drivers education too. Many times I see brainless and neglegent driving from them as well. Bottom line follow the law and think about others well being too.
If buses stopped at bus stops only, I’m sure everyone would respect the bus rules and avoid gambling for 5 points and a hefty fine.
However, some buses act as taxi drivers that stop at every home to pick up one child at a time. The reasons are many including ‘tipping’ the bus driver. So people get antsy and do not view those yellow monsters as buses but as taxis. They are wrong but people are people and their patience run out when following buses that act as taxis.
doesn’t Butterworth work in that area, put him on the job. what about traffic and safety, maybe they could help out
alot of lakewood residents believe that when they come to a stop sign they have the right to stop half way into the street and not at the stop sign.
I have a great idea! Every time we see a bus acting like a taxi and stopping in the middle of the block, we should take down the bus’s license information and forward it to the police. Hopefully they will ticket the bus driver. I just hate getting stuck behind a bus that makes multiple stops on a single block.
ATTENTION BUS-DRIVERS:
If you feel that you must stop many times on a single block, please have the courtesy to pull over every 5 minutes or so, and let the other drivers pass you legally. Who knows, you might save a life.
it’s a minhag picked up in brooklyn. also, people just don’t know that you must stop on both sides of the street.
School bus driver …. why don’t you move to the right and put the kids closer to the sidewalk. I don’t understand how there can be enough room between the door and the sidewalk for a car to get thru.
I can’t believe what some people are posting over here! Did any of you Read the drivers manual Prior to obtaining your licenses?
It is outright ILLEGAL to pass a bus heading BOTH directions, when it has red flashing lights.
N.J.S.A. 39:4-128.1- Improper passing of a school bus 5 POINTS
“A motorist must stop: When a school bus is picking up or letting off children and/or the red lights are flashing”
Stop for school buses (N.J.S.A. 39:4-128.1)
“A motorist must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights. State law requires motorists to stop at least 25 feet away if he/she is traveling on a two-lane road or on a multi-lane highway where lanes are only separated by lines or on a privately maintained road. When traveling on a dual-lane highway, a motorist should slow to 10 mph if on the other side of a safety island or raised median.”
When you obtained your drivers license, you are acknowledging that in the state of New Jersey, driving is a PRIVILEGE and not a RIGHT. With that privilege comes responsibility to uphold the law whether one likes it or not.
If one does not like these RULES and/or LAWS, you can either refrain from getting a license in this country, or move to another country which allows such acts.
Thank You, and please drive safe everyone.
I have noticed recently that the many bus drivers drive very recklesly!! What’s their rush?
bus drivers should keep a camera handy and photograph the license plates of drivers who are passing them and they should should be given in to the police so they can get ticketed.
Brooklyn Boy, that isn’t the only bad driving habit that was picked up in Brooklyn. Basically, the driving in this town is ridiculous and I suspect the reason for most of it is that the New Yorkers brought their driving habits to Lakewood.
My husband comes home from NY on the bus and the bus drivers have commented many times how they have to be more careful here because of the crazy driving.
There are many of “unzere” who think they are above the law. They park in fire zones, or as in the case of NPGS Lakewood, in spaces that aren’t designated parking spaces, they don’t stop completely at STOP signs, they double park, etc. ANd then when they get stopped by the police, they scream “Anti Semitism”. No one is above the law!
# 19 your are right on the money. You should know the laws before you get your license. (if you even have one). Also do the buses have to stop at every house. What happened to having to walk to the corner for the bus. Is that not the reason everyone wanted sidewalks for the safety of the kids.
I also recently witnessed a young child crossing in front of a bus with its lights on and a car just whizzed by it. Luckily the child had not yet crossed, but I was thinking C”V if that kid had gone a little faster to cross, who knows what. It doesn’t matter whether its at a corner or in front of a house, WHEN RED LIGHTS ARE ON YOU STOP!!!!!
To all those complaining about “private” stops, you are just jealous!
I spoke to my Rov about this he said its muttar to take down the plate and report it because people who pass school buses have a din of rodef
In some cases of private stops, it’s because the nearest corner is either too far or too dangerous, such as route 9, or a very wooded area with no side walks etc.
However, can we get some ordinances such as: don’t have buses stop on major roads like County line, thereby tying up traffic? Just pull onto the side streets, even if it takes a little longer!
I would also like the bus companies to park in parking lots, not in front of private houses. There should be an ordinance about that.
Ive seen buses stop on route 9 going south to drop kids off. Explain how multiple lanes of north bound traffic can stop while a bus drops off. It would cause a major accident slamming on the brakes. Kids should not cross on county line road, route 9, or route 88.
Kids are not allowed to cross over those roads including Central Ave. maybe because those are county streets.
#7- you are so brilliant!!! Like maybe we should put up signs reminding ppl to put down the phone and also maybe to remind ppl to signal and also maybe to remind ppl not to speed we could just line the streets w/ every law!!!!! How about that?!?
I remember when I first moved to lakewood- many years ago, I was driving someone in my car and they started freaking out about the fact that I passed a bus with flashing lights. Coming from Brooklyn, where stopping is a non- entity, I did not even know I was supposed to stop. LEsson well learned, I have stopped for every bus since then. But I think I can safely say that people moving from Brooklyn, where it is not really a focus (the bus drivers have gotten so upset about this that they drive diagonally across major avenues, blocking off traffic in both directions for the safety of the children) is definitely having a trickle down effect on the safety of our children here in lakewood. As to the post about not having stops on route 9, there is at least one complex off route 9 that i am aware of where the board decided that it is not safe for drivers to come in and will not authorize it for love or money. believe me, they have tried. so the only available stop IS route 9. know that facts before you criticize.
Start ticketingthose drivers revenue could save lakewood EMS county line is also very bad
After reading all these posts I am surprised that no one commented on an extremely frustrating habit that some bus drivers have. If they drive for a while with their lights on it makes it really hard to know when they’re going to stop… And I’m not talking about a few seconds, I’m talking about a few blocks, or their whole route for all I know. If flashing lights don’t always mean a bus is about to stop, then yes, people will begin to not take them seriously, unfortunately.
I was driving one night, when a bus stoped and turned on the lights and the stop sign. The bus driver turned off the light a few seconds later and all the cars around the bus assumed the child getting off the bus was already safe on the sidewalk. I was driving in the opposite direction of the bus and suddenly saw something moving in front of me. The child was running across the street, and the bus was already driving away. It was about 4:45 PM and dark on a poorly lit street. Another incident that happened with me, I passed a bus that was stopped on the side of the road . The bus driver started beeping and yelling at me, he didn’t realize that his lights and stop sign were not on. We need to make sure our bus drivers are being careful.
#31,
Please post the complex that you are talking about. Maybe with public outcry things will change. You’re not helping anyone by being vague. Let’s hear where it is and start the emails and letters and phone calls rolling.
I have the best solution!let’s cancel bussing and go back to car pools….if you think that’s crazy then just be happy that you have bussing and be patient while they make their stops and finally DO NOT PASS WHILE THEY FLASH RED!!
#33 and #34 – you have strong points. I have been confused several times in back of buses which had their yellow or red lights flashing too long before the actual stops. #31 – you are correct as well. Some of the New York habits creep in to Lakewood simply because of ignorance of Lakewood “minhag”. This includes, among other things, some impatient honking – admittedly not as dangerous as not stopping for a school bus, but annoying and a potential chillul Hahem. Maybe newcomers to Lakewood ought to be formally informed of Lakewood, New Jersey norms…. (Some other examples include appropriate greeting of eino yehudi neighbors and store cashiers, etc…)
Just a somebody who said,
“there is at least one complex off route 9 that i am aware of where the board decided that it is not safe for drivers to come in and will not authorize it for love or money. believe me, they have tried. so the only available stop IS route 9. know that facts before you criticize”
Why, oh why, does the Township allow them build in such a way that buses and snowplows can’t get in to the complexes? Hershel, are you listening?
On the other hand, if there are five cars obediently stopped on each side of the road, maybe this is NOT the time for the Mom to have a long shmuz with the bus driver. Get his cell #, send a message through the Board of Ed, but please don’t hold up traffic and abuse this service! Please be considerate of the rest of the world!