I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but I’m a big believer in vehicular cycling… obeying the same rules as other vehicles on the road. I think it makes cyclists more predictable for motorists and sure makes it hard motorists to argue against our right to the road.
Anyways, I had a great interaction with a school bus driver and monitor this morning. A bus stopped to drop off some kids and dutifully turned on their flashers. Two cars stopped momentarily and then decided it was safe to break the law and pass the bus. I was third in line and decided to put myself and bike in the apposing lane to block any further cars from passing while they were unloading. A heard a couple of honks, but responded by pointing at the flashing lights… not even looking back at the cars that were honking. The kids got off the bus and before the driver turned off the lights, I saw the monitor come out to my side of the bus and motion me forward. She then said, “I can’t believe it was a bike that stopped!” I had a nice quick chat with the bus monitor and the driver, both of them were very appreciative of the fact that I actually obeyed the law and even stopped more cars from breaking the law. They told me I would be amazed at how many cars simply disobey the law, especially when dropping off kids, and at the high rate of speed with which they actually pass the bus.
I think I left a favorable impression of cyclists with at least one bus driver and monitor. I’d like to think they will remember this encounter the next time they are driving and approach a bike on the roads. Score one for cyclists!