First Day of School (from a NOVA Bus Driver)
First Day of School is Monday! While we are all excited for beginning of a new school year there's a new thing this year to keep in mind...
You may have heard that a certain school system in our region is starting to have students swipe their student ID's to board and disembark school busses.
Imagine a metro card but for the Magic School Bus.
As you can imagine, this will probably go exactly the way things usually go around here... stressfully.
It will probably take a few weeks for the students (especially the elementary and pre K ones) to learn how to swipe on and off in a timely fashion.
So, if you see a school bus with its red flashing lights on and the stop sign extended seemingly stuck at a bus stop ... PLEASE cut everyone (the bus drivers, the parents at the bus stop, and especially the kids) SOME SLACK.
The bus is probably held up because 70+ elementary school students are learning how to be efficient future commuters.
ALSO. DO NOT RUN THE STOP SIGN! The COPS are going to (rightfully) get ya! It's a hefty fine and probably some points. And God forbid a child runs out into the street and gets hit. That's another wall of shit you don't want to drive into.
You can only pass if the bus is stopped on the opposite side of the road on a DIVIDED HIGHWAY (A SOLID raised median, usually concrete with or without grass on it) meaning, DOUBLED YELLOW LINES DO NOT COUNT.
IF THE BUS IS STOPPED with the sign extended and there is only a double yellow line separating the two directions of traffic, YOU MUST STOP!
Have a Great School Year!
Stay safe out there NOVA!