Old Bucklodge - Hit and Run

[Doug Scott]

Gang,

I took a solid hit from a county school bus Tuesday on Old Bucklodge Rd. and realize there are some lessons to be learned for those of us that use this lightly travelled route and others like it.

I was going Northbound from White Ground towards 117.  Going along the fence line towards the first of the two 90-degree curves I saw the bus (a “shorty’) approaching from the opposite direction.  I could see most of the bus, the wheels and pavement were obscured by an earth berm. 

After entering the turn I discovered the bus (a shorty) fully in my lane to the pavement’s edge.  The bus made contact with my left side just past the drivers position.  I managed to lean in enough to avoid the berm and stay upright.

Yesterday, I returned and saw a long bus go through.  He did the same thing and might actually have a problem negotiating the curve with an oncoming car.  From the bus driver’s perspective, they have a good view of oncoming traffic obscured lightly by a 3-board fence.  A cyclist should be plainly visible.  Drivers simply do not process a bicycle despite bright clothes and lights as they are tuned to threats to themselves and students. 

Tuesday, I watched the bus slow and then accelerate off to the South.  There is simply no way the sound of my body impacting the side of the bus or my screams were inaudible. 

The point is I saw the bus but did not anticipate their taking my lane to negotiate the curve at higher speeds.  They appear to do this as a matter of routine, so be extra careful.

[Denise C.]

Report it.   You know roughly the time you were struck.  It shouldn't take the school bus coordinator more than 60 seconds to search the schedule and identify the driver.

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[Doug Scott]

Thanks

I have and I did sort of reported things.  The police came to the scene for my information and when I asked what next they mumbled ultimately saying they would write a report.  I left with a solid understanding they thought I was lucky to be alive and a fool for riding bicycles.

I used to drive a school bus as part of summer work in NoVa.  Yeah it was the Madeira School, not MoCo but I doubt the rules are that much different or have been relaxed for MoCo.  They are mostly common sense once you accept there are children, parents, lawyers and big bureaucracies involved.  Cyclists are probably overload.

I wrote the head of the county bus system asking if they had a driver’s report of an incident with a bicycle after 3:35 pm Tuesday.  He got back to me with with mumbo jumbo about initiating an enquiry that would take a few days and would I help by providing all my information.  I replied saying I  would provide it the moment he got back to me with an answer to my first question...  Dispatch would have called his Safety Coordinator immediately with a serious event and logged a less serious event on the daily summary sheets for each cluster.  The rules are explicit, his needing my information and a couple of days was a stall and I am not in the mood for naked delay tactics.  

Bottom line, I have low expectations of any accountability for the driver leaving the scene.  Bigger lesson is do not assume anything about oncoming traffic when you can’t see their tires on the pavement.

Doug

I feel like sending the county bus guy a photo of my jersey and suggesting he ask the driver of bus 18432 if it is familiar....

[Mariette Vanderzon]

My guess is if you threaten to sue the county school board and the police for not filing the report, you'll start hearing 'inquiry' reports very quickly.  

Doesn't mean you should or need to, but it will get a call to action response.  

And you might save someone's life. 

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[Kurt Zwally]

Wow, close call. Glad to hear you're OK Doug.  

I strongly second Mariette's suggestion.  You might save someone else's life.

I also strongly second your advice, not to assume anything about traffic coming from either direction.  I learned that lesson the hard way. 

I like pancakes but I'm glad I didn't become one and I'm glad you didn't either.  

Best, Kurt

(Hit and run survivor, Aug 2014 on MD 108)

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[Keith Blinn]

Doug,

I was expecting blood and guts so it was a great relief to hear your are OK.

Good luck on the bus drivers admission. I think he simply did not hear it.

I was side swiped by a pickup on Fairfax Co Pkwy, knocked off my bike, and got a fair sized patch of road rash on my butt. That was all I ever got from that driver. They never even slowed down. Another car,  behind, witnessed it but neither of us got the plates.

To good luck!

Keith

Sent from AOL on Android

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[Doug Scott]

Keith,

I do not know what the drive will say.  He first emerged in the turn less than 20’ away, I was to the right of my lane and looking straight at his hood.  Then I dove right and took my broadside...... His initial reaction was to slow, I think I caught him looking but only head movement

We will see, MCPS has assigned this to “Risk Management” we used to use a different term for the group - extinguish the liabilities.  I know where they are headed.

[Alan Felsen]

Montgomery County is self-insured and Risk Management is essentially their insurance company. 

From the county's 311 website under "how to file a claim against the county"

"Risk Management operates as the County's in house insurance company, managing and investigating all claims for damages filed against County employees, departments and agencies"...

More at https://www3.montgomerycountymd.gov/311/Solutions.aspx?SolutionId=1-6NGTB2

Having it sent to Risk Management isn't a sign that is isn't going to be handled properly. It's the equivalent of if this had happened with a privately owned vehicle and State Farm or GEICO was now involved. 

Alan

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[Allen Muchnick]

Doug,

FWIW, here are two suggestions:

1) Report the incident on WABA's Crash Tracker and Incident Reporting Form: https://waba.org/crashtracker/

2) Get a free legal consultation with a WABA Supporting Attorney:  https://waba.org/supporting-attorneys/

Allen Muchnick
Manassas VA
allen22204@gmail.com
703-625-2453 mobile

On Thu, May 16, 2024 at 8:44 AM Doug Scott <doug...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Mike and Joan Divine]

For what it's worth, from what I see of school bus drivers is that they are no different than other drivers in terms of blatantly violating the law.  They run red lights and they speed.  Taking into consideration that they are carrying children it seems amazing to me that serious injuries or worse haven’t happened.  The comment about Sarah Langenkamp came to my mind in the sense that drivers of buses and other large vehicles have limited visibility compared to cars. 

 

I agree with the comment about making a stink until someone acknowledges what happened.  I have been successful getting signage where I ride to state that cyclists can take the full lane when necessary.  I have also gotten roads patched where cyclists usually ride.

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[Mike and Joan Divine]

Get back to this late.  My earlier comment about what big yellow bus drivers was again confirmed when I tried to go straight at a light into my neighborhood.  I usually assume the worst so I didn’t keep going as the school bus cut me off by turning left.  By the way, this narrow road has this utility pole carrying power lines about 6” from the white line.  Everything including buses and semis go down this road

 

 

From: Doug Scott <doug...@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2024 3:19 PM
To: Mike and Joan Divine <mikeandj...@erols.com>
Subject: Re: [pedalers] Old Bucklodge - Hit and Run

 

Subject to the outcome of a meeting with an attorney --- I am going to try and trade criminal hit and run charges for a constructive sit down with county officials on how busses may use Old Bucklodge and similar roads.  It is pretty clear the Old Bucklodge is a shortcut for empty busses and that busses are way too big for that road given that it is also a primary cycling route.

[Doug Scott]

We are not very far on the Old Bucklodge incident..... It has been over a month since I put in a request for a copy of the police report and nothing.  I did not fill out the “Risk Managment” woman’s request to investigate beyond giving her the bus #, date, time and police report number.  I simply no longer believe in institutions government or otherwise “self regulating” and risk management departments as I know them from the private sector have zero to do with getting to a fair and just outcome.  If that is the County’s intent, it is a most unfortunate use of the term.

We will see, I am optimistic the lack of a final report means there is a serious review that is taking time.

Doug

On Jun 15, 2024, at 4:25 PM, Mike and Joan Divine <mikeandj...@erols.com> wrote:

Get back to this late.  My earlier comment about what big yellow bus drivers was again confirmed when I tried to go straight at a light into my neighborhood.  I usually assume the worst so I didn’t keep going as the school bus cut me off by turning left.  By the way, this narrow road has this utility pole carrying power lines about 6” from the white line.  Everything including buses and semis go down this road

 

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