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Bill cracks down on reckless drivers [NC - felony for school bus deaths.]
News 14 Carolina ^ | 4/20/2005 5:00 PM | By: William L. Holmes, Associated Press

Posted on 04/20/2005 4:50:23 PM PDT by TaxRelief

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He was a member of that board in 1999, when a woman visiting from Costa Rica sped past a bus and struck his son, Dalton Reeves Folwell, 7, as he boarded the bus headed to school.

I'll never forget this. Everyone's heart ached for Dale. Dale's a good conservative, BTW.

1 posted on 04/20/2005 4:50:25 PM PDT by TaxRelief
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To: TaxRelief
So schoolkids in the vicinity of busses are now more equal than the rest of us? The penalty is greater than if an "ordinary" pedestrian gets hit?

As I heard a speechmaker say one time a few years ago: "If I hear about just ONE more stupid law being passed 'for the children', I'm going to go out and kick one of the little bastards."

2 posted on 04/20/2005 4:54:46 PM PDT by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: TaxRelief

Prayers for the family and I hope the bill becomes law.

This is totally inexcusible


3 posted on 04/20/2005 4:55:30 PM PDT by 76834
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To: TaxRelief
It amazes me that it wasn't always true.

In most states I have been in, passing a stopped schoolbus with the lights flashing ranks right up with DUI as an offense.

Hitting someone when you have flashing lights warning you that someone is crossing is a higher degree of negligence than hitting someone who crosses without notice.
It should bring a much higher penalty.

SO9

4 posted on 04/20/2005 5:11:54 PM PDT by Servant of the 9 (Trust Me)
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To: Hank Rearden
The penalty is greater than if an "ordinary" pedestrian gets hit?

Although that was my first reaction, a second reading leads me to believe that that's not the case.
The wording says: Striking someone after passing the bus would become a felony.

It would more likely be a student, but an "ordinary pedestrian" is seemingly covered as well.

5 posted on 04/20/2005 5:13:02 PM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: TaxRelief

Is this killer from Costa Rica still "visiting" the United States? I see this as yet more mayhem created by illegal aliens


6 posted on 04/20/2005 5:16:03 PM PDT by dennisw ("Sursum corda")
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To: Izzy Dunne
It would more likely be a student, but an "ordinary pedestrian" is seemingly covered as well.

I take your point, but what's next?
Perhaps Striking someone after passing the dump truck would become a felony.???

So school buses are special, but if you whack somebody by negligently passing a beerwagon it's not so bad?

I hope you see the sarcasm here.

7 posted on 04/20/2005 5:16:49 PM PDT by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: Servant of the 9
Hitting someone when you have flashing lights warning you that someone is crossing is a higher degree of negligence than hitting someone who crosses without notice. It should bring a much higher penalty.

Yep. All she got was 100 hours of community service.

We just visited Costa Rica, and no one passed school buses, ever.

8 posted on 04/20/2005 5:17:45 PM PDT by TaxRelief (If this war is "all about oil", why do gas prices continue to rise? ---Coulter)
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To: TaxRelief
Actually, those who should be sent to prison are the people who are against seatbelts for children on school buses, if you notice, the only seatbelt on a school bus is for the driver.

Deaths and injuries would be prevented if this were done, but that is why the socialists/liberals are against it.

9 posted on 04/20/2005 5:20:37 PM PDT by Paul C. Jesup
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To: Hank Rearden
So schoolkids in the vicinity of buses are now more equal than the rest of us?

I know what you mean about the "it's for the children" nonsense, but this bill would make it the same as killing someone after running a red light or going through a stop sign. After all, as So9 points out, if the bus is stopped, it has a stop-sign sticking out and it has flashing orange lights.

10 posted on 04/20/2005 5:22:53 PM PDT by TaxRelief (If this war is "all about oil", why do gas prices continue to rise? ---Coulter)
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To: TaxRelief
The store parking lots are full of healthy young people driving cars with their parents "DISADVANTGEDsticker giving them a close place to prance into the store......while truly disadvantaged people hike.

typical political incompetence in NC from poiticians!!!!!!!!

11 posted on 04/20/2005 5:24:01 PM PDT by squirt-gun
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To: Hank Rearden
Well, it's passing the STOP sign that's the problem.
If your beerwagon had a legally binding STOP sign on it, it should be the same thing.

You could argue that a school bus shouldn't have such protection. Is that what you're saying?

12 posted on 04/20/2005 5:39:28 PM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: Hank Rearden
So schoolkids in the vicinity of busses are now more equal than the rest of us?

As someone who, as an adult, was run down while in a crosswalk, I would say yes. Not seeing a pedestrian can be simple negligence. Driving past a bus with its sign out and its lights flashing is willful misconduct. If you can't see a schoolbus, you don't belong on the road.

13 posted on 04/20/2005 5:46:08 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: Izzy Dunne
Well, it's passing the STOP sign that's the problem.

Then it's already covered by existing laws, isn't it?

14 posted on 04/20/2005 5:48:59 PM PDT by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: Hank Rearden

Of course they're "more equal," you freaking moron. An adult is far more capable of taking care of himself in traffic than a seven-year-old...that little kid isn't even tall enough to be seen by drivers. That's why we have laws.

Here's one for you: Why don't you just ignore the stopped school bus, and flashing lights, and safety arm...and buzz on through? And then explain to the trooper: Hey there's not special protection for me when I get off a bus, why should these little kids get special priveleges?


15 posted on 04/20/2005 6:01:18 PM PDT by John Robertson
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To: Hank Rearden

I think they mean the STOP sign ON THE BUS. I understand (sort of) your sarcasm here, but the point of the legislation is to make penalties tougher on people who pass stopped school busses, who have the lights flashing and the stop sign out. Kids coming off these busses cannot see around them and if some idiot goes whizzing by one with a child coming around it, they are killed more than likely.

Frankly, I have NO problem with this whatsoever. Like someone else said, if you can't see the lights and big stop sign on a school bus stopped to pick up or let off a kid, you don't belong on the road.


16 posted on 04/20/2005 6:02:46 PM PDT by Littlejon
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To: Constitution Day; TaxRelief; 100%FEDUP; 2ndMostConservativeBrdMember; ~Vor~; A2J; a4drvr; Adder; ...

NC *Ping*

Please FRmail Constitution Day OR TaxRelief OR Alia if you want to be added to or removed from this North Carolina ping list.
17 posted on 04/20/2005 6:07:35 PM PDT by Alia
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To: Littlejon
I think they mean the STOP sign ON THE BUS.

Yes, I know. That's what I meant, too. A stop sign is a stop sign - they are well-covered by existing laws.

Since more laws make us more perfect, how many more laws will we have/"need" in the next 10 years? 20 years? 50 years?

Why don't we just go for perfection now, and pass 50 years of more laws all at once? It'll save money in the long run, and zillions of chilldruns too, no doubt.

More laws, more perfection! Because, obviously, our society was teetering on oblivion a few decades ago when we didn't have all the perfection-minded laws we have now.

Look, face it - a grieving politician's kid got mowed down, so all of a sudden this particular law became the most important thing in the entire universe. That's all.

18 posted on 04/20/2005 6:08:04 PM PDT by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: Hank Rearden
I agree with you.

I would also add that these laws are bad for children, because it teaches them that it's OK to cross the street on a red light.

19 posted on 04/20/2005 6:11:10 PM PDT by grundle
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To: Hank Rearden
Since more laws make us more perfect, how many more laws will we have/"need" in the next 10 years? 20 years? 50 years?

Why don't we just go for perfection now, and pass 50 years of more laws all at once? It'll save money in the long run, and zillions of chilldruns too, no doubt.


Are you in favor of abolishing legislatures?

No one (at least no one who's sane) claims laws make people perfect. Laws can deter dangerous actions, and that's not anti-conservative. Maybe it's anti-libertarian; I don't know.
20 posted on 04/20/2005 6:20:33 PM PDT by Mike Fieschko
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