See that big yellow school bus? When it stops, so should you
By STEPHEN HEGARTY
Published March 22, 2004
Bill Chase invited us to come by his son's bus stop some morning and watch as cars zipped by the stopped school bus in clear violation of Florida law and common sense.
Pick a morning, any morning, he said.
We went by twice last week and were not disappointed. At least not in Mr. Chase.
The bus stop is at the entrance to the Enclave, off County Road 54. As advertised, cars sped by on CR 54 as Chase's sons and a couple of dozen neighborhood kids boarded the bus headed toward Denham Oaks Elementary School.
We're talking about a big yellow school bus. Red flashing lights. Mechanical arm sticking out that looks like a stop sign.
None of it mattered. Each time, three or four cars passed in both directions.
Are these people in a big rush? Are they reckless? Clueless? We pick D: All of the above.
We were reminded that just a few years ago, the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida did a study and found that lots of people don't know to stop around a stopped school bus. We at the Drivers' Side will now update that report, at no cost to the taxpayers, with the following bulletin: People still don't have a clue.
In case you didn't know, you must stop for a stopped school bus with blinking lights and that stop-sign-arm-thingamajig sticking out. Unless a median divides your lane from the bus lane, you cannot drive by. It is illegal. It is dangerous and not very smart. Don't do it.
If common sense and the safety of children fail to grab your attention, maybe adverse consequences will do the trick. A violation will cost you a $100. At least. The second time you get caught (within five years) you'll have your license suspended for at least 90 days.
Mr. Chase offers a solution: Have the school bus drive into the Enclave to pick up the kids off the main highway. The school district says no, the neighborhood isn't big enough. Oddly, though, a different school bus enters the community every morning for pickups.
So it is possible.
Noise-o-meter?
What do you get when you mix big trucks with an industrial bypass that runs right by an RV park? A group of people complaining about noisy trucks, that's what.
Chancey Road is home to several industrial sites and the Emerald Pointe RV Resort in Zephyrhills. Not a great combination. All day long, big trucks are either revving up or gearing down as they motor past the very nice RV Resort.
Residents here have heard enough. They tape recorded the noise and then pleaded with the Zephyrhills city manager and the police chief to do something about it. The police have gone out there with decibel meters. (Yes, the police have decibel meters, and they're not afraid to use them. And yes, there is a legal limit for vehicle noise. Who knew?) Zephyrhills Police Chief Russell Barnes says his officers haven't ticketed anyone for excess noise yet. But they cited some trucks for not having mufflers.
Other than that, there is little the city can do. Fact is, the city wants those trucks on Chancey Road so they bypass the main route through Zephyrhills.
Still, the city powers-that-be (yes, the same ones who allowed the RV resort on an industrial bypass in the first place) are searching for a happy ending. Maybe a wall or a nice berm would help.
Coming and going
Is anyone else having trouble figuring out the best way in and out of the Collier Commons shopping center?
You know the spot. It's at the Publix/Blockbuster shopping center at Collier Parkway and State Road 54 - one of the busiest spots in Land O'Lakes.
If you pull in the entrance on the east side, off Collier, you come to a confusing bottleneck. Cars from five different angles get funneled into the spot next to Blockbuster. Who has the right of way? Where are the stop signs? What is this, Europe?
The biggest challenge is getting out and heading north on Collier. You pretty much have to drive between Publix and Blockbuster, past loading docks and trash bins. That brings you to a stop sign that everyone ignores. To the left, apartments under construction and trucks going in an out. To the right, a traffic signal on Collier. Luckily that signal is very accommodating, and quickly changes to green.
Shouldn't this be easier? How is this going to work once the apartments behind Publix are full?
Just wondering.
- Want to vent about traffic problems? Drivers' Side welcomes commuters' rants, comments and suggestions. Send e-mail to hegarty@sptimes.com or leave a phone message at 813-909-4610.
