I allegedly passed a stopped school bus in the whole foods parking lot. The bus was parked parallel to the entrance and had its flashers on and sign out. I was driving towards the bus, and the driver yells at me that they have my plate info. Should I expect a ticket? Will a cop come visit me? I am sure I could fight unless there was a camera. Also, this happened in Virginia if that matters.

11/1/2012 1:10:28 PM

Probably not, but don't be surprised.

11/1/2012 1:12:11 PM

Why did you pass a school bus with its flashers on and sign out?

11/1/2012 1:15:31 PM

Parking lots don't count as roads. I'm pretty sure you're fine.

11/1/2012 1:20:44 PM

Quote :

" The bus was parked parallel to the entrance "

Error: Type mismatch in call to logical function parallel.

Expected type geometric line in argument 1/1, received a door.

Compiler stopped, too many errors.

[Edited on November 1, 2012 at 1:21 PM. Reason : ]

11/1/2012 1:20:51 PM

^because the driver got up and walked to the back of the bus. Also, it was a private parking lot. I did not want to sit all day. Hindsight it was a mistake.

11/1/2012 1:21:15 PM

aautomatic federal prison

11/1/2012 1:24:28 PM

It is likely relevant that the driver wasn't at the seat. You can't just set a bus there with its lights on and walk away. Nonetheless, hard to tell.

I find it doubtful that it matters that it was in a parking lot. The part in front of the door probably qualifies as a private road and the law will still apply.

The most important thing is to shut the fuck up if anyone calls you, the details are for your lawyer.

11/1/2012 1:27:58 PM

Quote :

"§ 20-217. Motor vehicles to stop for properly marked and designated school buses in certain instances; evidence of identity of driver. (a) When a school bus is displaying its mechanical stop signal or flashing red lights and the bus is stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging passengers, the driver of any other vehicle that approaches the school bus from any direction on the same street, highway, or public vehicular area shall bring that other vehicle to a full stop and shall remain stopped. The driver of the other vehicle shall not proceed to move, pass, or attempt to pass the school bus until after the mechanical stop signal has been withdrawn, the flashing red stoplights have been turned off, and the bus has started to move."

[quote]

http://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_20/gs_20-217.html

Whole Foods parking lot is going to be a "public vehicular area" in this instance. Obviously the whole parking lot doesn't just shut down because a bus at the other end has it's marker out. Were you traveling in the same general lane as the bus and did you actually pass by it?

I personally doubt she will report it. You never know though. All depends on how much time the driver devotes to making other people miserable. Her being a low level government employee who deals with kids for a living doesn't help your situation though.

[Edited on November 1, 2012 at 1:33 PM. Reason : l]

11/1/2012 1:29:33 PM

Won't probably matter if she reports it. They need more than just 'this driver said you did this' to bother actually ticketing you.

11/1/2012 1:38:41 PM

Quote :

"The most important thing is to shut the fuck up if anyone calls you, the details are for your lawyer. "

This.

11/1/2012 1:45:42 PM

How to be a U.S. citizen, Lesson #1:

- Don't talk to the police.

11/1/2012 1:52:52 PM

Be sure to go down fighting when they come for you. Blaze of glory.

11/1/2012 4:48:20 PM

come on man

we need a drawing

"parallel to the entrance" wtf?

11/1/2012 5:01:04 PM

Quote :

"(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the driver of a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction from the school bus, upon any road, highway or city street that has been divided into two roadways, so constructed as to separate vehicular traffic between the two roadways by an intervening space (including a center lane for left turns if the roadway consists of at least four more lanes) or by a physical barrier, need not stop upon meeting and passing any school bus that has stopped in the roadway across the dividing space or physical barrier."

my pet peeve is when people don't follow this law... on my way to work idiots stop all the fucking time for a school bus on the opposite side of the road when it's a 5 lane road (4 lane +turning lane)

11/1/2012 5:01:45 PM

Nothing will happen even if she reports it. Additionally, I hope you yelled back at her to "GET FUCKED".

As to whether or not it was bad for you to do it, I don't know, I didn't see the situation.

If, against all odds, someone does call you, don't talk to them. You pretty much shouldn't ever talk to the police, in general.

11/1/2012 5:04:04 PM

I don't know why "allegedly" keeps getting thrown around here.

11/1/2012 5:04:56 PM

yeah, i also meant to add that's an improper use of that word, at least up until he is actually accused of anything.

11/1/2012 5:10:54 PM

You'll most likely be fine. I highly doubt she will report it, she was probably just trying to scare you.

[Edited on November 1, 2012 at 5:20 PM. Reason : oops, I posted]

11/1/2012 5:19:10 PM

Am I the only one who wants to know why a school bus is in the Whole Foods parking lot in the first place,
with its flashers on?

Q:
a) Who goes on a field trip to Whole Foods?
b) Who takes kids on a field trip to eat at Whole Foods? That place is expensive as fuck.
c) If said children are at Whole Foods getting out, why put flashers on? Logically the children would be getting out
on the side nearest the building.

11/1/2012 6:18:08 PM

Quote :

"Whole Foods parking lot is going to be a "public vehicular area" in this instance. "

I interpret a store's parking lot as a privately owned place, that's why they reserve the right to tow your ass the second you park your car there if they feel like it. I would consider a public vehicular area to be anything governed/maintained by the DOT.

Anyways it's not like you go to jail over it so don't sweat it.

11/1/2012 6:51:28 PM

^^ It's likely the questionable use of the flashers would play a role in the decision of the person to report it.

The damage he may have done by admitting to a 5 point violation with a profile connectable to his real identity on the other hand...

11/1/2012 6:53:16 PM

^^ a public vehicular area is a standard term and includes things like parking lots but not state maintained roads.

11/1/2012 7:00:57 PM

^^I seriously doubt any Henrico, Va police read TWW.

I'll post if I get any communication, or if the cops show up to my door.

^^^I am just worried because it is a 6 point violation.

11/1/2012 7:07:01 PM

Edit away before troll forwards to them

11/1/2012 8:45:47 PM

it's probably the highlight of a bus driver's day if they get a chance to report a person that passes them w/ the sign and all that flashing

11/1/2012 10:08:04 PM

...allegedly.

11/1/2012 10:47:17 PM

non-governmental parking lots are PVAs.

Oh yeh, don't talk to the police.

11/2/2012 8:50:27 AM

non-governmental parking lots are PVAs.

Oh yeh, don't talk to the police.

11/2/2012 8:50:27 AM

^^^ glad I am not the only one who thought that

11/2/2012 10:52:19 AM

Quote :

"Am I the only one who wants to know why a school bus is in the Whole Foods parking lot in the first place, with its flashers on?"

Maybe that parking lot is a designated bus stop? If you think about it, a parking lot is a much safer stop than on the side of a busy road.

11/2/2012 11:01:10 AM

no when crazy people go passing the school bus because it's in a parking lot!

11/2/2012 11:52:57 AM

I have to admit it would confuse me if I saw a bus stop stopped in the Whole Foods on Wade with it's sign out. I'd probably just turn down one of the parking lot aisles to avoid the bus entirely

11/2/2012 12:06:08 PM

^^

11/2/2012 12:35:05 PM

Quote :

"I seriously doubt any Henrico, Va police read TWW"

Henrico cops are the worst. They went out of their way to write bullshit tickets this summer along sections of I-295 with no road construction going on and list the ticket as being in a work zone for the larger fine. Our company had to issue a warning to drivers that the speed limit was incorrectly posted in several areas of I-295 and that Henrico cops would write the ticket for 55mph regardless of what the speed limit signs said.

11/3/2012 11:20:49 AM