5 Towns/Rockaway Master Thread

[nafnaf12]

Slot available in the playgroup younger two's older threes starting after pesach.
Pm for info

[Willie]

I just got my 2nd school bus camera ticket, this time a $275 fine.
The first time, the video shows that I was already parallel to the bus when its stop sign started going up.
The second time, the bus was IN THE TURNING LANE on Peninsula, and I was going the opposite direction. No bus is waiting for a kid in the turning lane.
In both instances I was 100% not in the wrong and the video clearly shows that, but there is zero recourse. Anyone else experience this yet?

Just got one of these, whats best way to fight it?

[Sammy82]

Just got one of these, whats best way to fight it?

I doubt there's a way

[ReadsTheT&C]

I doubt there's a way

It's a cash grab plain and simple. You're paying the money. There is no way around it. The only way to fight the program so you don't get more is get people to complain to elected representatives just like with the speed cameras a few years back.

[ushdadude]

It's a cash grab plain and simple. You're paying the money. There is no way around it. The only way to fight the program so you don't get more is get people to complain to elected representatives just like with the speed cameras a few years back.  to learn the law

FTFY
i agree that it's a money grab but if people wouldn't pass buses (even around the corner or no the opposite side of the street) they wouldn't get tickets.

[stooges44]

Look at some of the videos, many (a very big many) are false positives. The system needs more fine tuning before being rolled out. As soon as the driver "opens" the door, meaning he pushes the button/lever the camera is activated so even if a car is more then halfway past the bus it get's caught in the video and gets cited, it's almost comical if it weren't so sad. 

I'd give this an A for effort but a very poor C- in implementation.

[aygart]

Look at some of the videos, many (a very big many) are false positives. The system needs more fine tuning before being rolled out. As soon as the driver "opens" the door, meaning he pushes the button/lever the camera is activated so even if a car is more then halfway past the bus it get's caught in the video and gets cited, it's almost comical if it weren't so sad. 

I'd give this an A for effort but a very poor C- in implementation.

Sounds like it is working exactly as intended and raking in the cash.

[ushdadude]

Look at some of the videos, many (a very big many) are false positives. The system needs more fine tuning before being rolled out. As soon as the driver "opens" the door, meaning he pushes the button/lever the camera is activated so even if a car is more then halfway past the bus it get's caught in the video and gets cited, it's almost comical if it weren't so sad. 

I'd give this an A for effort but a very poor C- in implementation.

interesting. are these cars that behind a bus and then zoom to get past the bus before he opens the door or are the busses parked for a while and then they open the door as the car passes? any links to videos?

[rbs-g1.5]

interesting. are these cars that behind a bus and then zoom to get past the bus before he opens the door or are the busses parked for a while and then they open the door as the car passes? any links to videos?

If they were on the other side of the street as some have complained about,or in a differant lane they did nothing wrong if a driver pressed the button while they were passing.

[ushdadude]

If they were on the other side of the street as some have complained about,or in a differant lane they did nothing wrong if a driver pressed the button while they were passing.

I would like to see videos of that

[rbs-g1.5]

Since I posted my bus experience above I have personally heard from 4 other people who got these tickets despite their video showing otherwise. A google search for "town of hempstead school bus ticket fines" yields endless stories, reddit threads, articles of people who have been similarly defrauded by this scam. According to this linked article they have issued 132,000 tickets in the last 12 months. Assuming an average of $275 (1st ticket is $250 and increases by $25 for each subsequent "infraction"), that's close to $36 MILLION in revenue. Someone needs to go to jail for this.

[rbs-g1.5]

I would like to see videos of that

I just got my 2nd school bus camera ticket, this time a $275 fine.
The first time, the video shows that I was already parallel to the bus when its stop sign started going up.
The second time, the bus was IN THE TURNING LANE on Peninsula, and I was going the opposite direction. No bus is waiting for a kid in the turning lane.
In both instances I was 100% not in the wrong and the video clearly shows that, but there is zero recourse. Anyone else experience this yet?

[Sammy82]

My wife got 2 tickets in the past year. 1 was on Burnside near kol save, where the bus driver in the other direction out the stop signs as she was passing. Keep in mind it's a 4 lane street. So was she supposed to be looking at the bus (across 4 lanes, on a rainy day) until they pass each other to make sure he doesn't stop? Ye, that sounds real safe.
The second one was on sheradin, where she was waiting to make a left. Bus pulls up next to her (on her right) as she's about to turn and puts out the stop sign. Boom. She got a $275 ticket. What is she supposed to do? Always look to her right to make sure a bus isn't there and putting the stop sign out, as she's turning left? And if he does, stop in middle of her turn? Ye, another winner.

[ushdadude]

My wife got 2 tickets in the past year. 1 was on Burnside near kol save, where the bus driver in the other direction out the stop signs as she was passing. Keep in mind it's a 4 lane street. So was she supposed to be looking at the bus (across 4 lanes, on a rainy day) until they pass each other to make sure he doesn't stop? Ye, that sounds real safe.
The second one was on sheradin, where she was waiting to make a left. Bus pulls up next to her (on her right) as she's about to turn and puts out the stop sign. Boom. She got a $275 ticket. What is she supposed to do? Always look to her right to make sure a bus isn't there and putting the stop sign out, as she's turning left? And if he does, stop in middle of her turn? Ye, another winner.

I would like to see videos of that

I don't doubt that's what happened. i'm just curious how it looks from their perspective

[stooges44]

Ok, @ushdadude here's one of the videos, do you see any car that passes the bus when the sign is out? OR, the cars are literally moving as the sign comes out.

https://streamable.com/h0nnyy

[JuryDuty]

Ok, @ushdadude here's one of the videos, do you see any car that passes the bus when the sign is out? OR, the cars are literally moving as the sign comes out.

https://streamable.com/h0nnyy

I wonder if you can get off by saying the view was obstructed by the other bus passing

[Sammy82]

I don't doubt that's what happened. i'm just curious how it looks from their perspective

I threw out the violations already but let me see if I could maybe pull it up with just the plate number.

[ushdadude]

Ok, @ushdadude here's one of the videos, do you see any car that passes the bus when the sign is out? OR, the cars are literally moving as the sign comes out.

https://streamable.com/h0nnyy

wow
which car got the ticket?

[stooges44]

wow
which car got the ticket?

Does it matter? The point is there are 0 cars in the video that should've been flagged

So like I said, I'd give this an A for effort but a very poor C- in implementation.

[Sammy82]

Does it matter? The point is there are 0 cars in the video that should've been flagged

So like I said, I'd give this an A for effort but a very poor C- in implementation.

I agree. I HATE when I see cars drive by school buses that are stopped and picking up/discharging kids.
That said, there needs to be a better system. An idea may be to have a few second 'grace period' so those that are parallel and can't see, don't get ticketed. This could be similar to why there are yellow flashing lights first and only then do they turn flashing red. Similarly, traffic lights turn yellow and then red.