Well I broke the law....now what?

[Ravenseye]

I'm pretty sure I broke the law this morning in a heat of anger, what should I do?

Here's the scoop. I was pulling up to a traffic light where I meant to turn left, in morning rush hour traffic, when a school bus in the opposite direction, on the other side of the light, maybe 10 feet from the intersection was stopped and it's lights came on. A crossing guard walked into the middle of the intersection from the right and helped maybe 10 kids to cross the street from my right, to the bus. I waited patiently. The kids were all across, and the crossing guard, began to lower the sign and take steps back towards the curb. I was impatient and thought this to mean she was done, and I could go. I begin to move foward to take the left turn and free up the traffic behind me that wanted to go straight, and her sign shot back up in my direction and she screamed and swore at me. It shocked me and my adrenaline is still jumping. I wasn't expecting it because I thought she was moving off and it literally scared me like something out of a horror movie. So I stop, now i'm halfway into the intersection, and across the middle divider a bit as I was inching to take the turn. Her sign came back up and she stood there. Meanwhile the bus was still stopped, but the kids had boarded. I was just so jumpy at this point from the adrenaline because of her. It seemed like she was power tripping, and the adrenaline was ripping through me. She turned and shot me an evil glare and that did it. I turned.

So that was totally breaking the law. I realized it about a second afterwards but by that point it was done. The children were all off the street and on the stopped bus, 10 feet away from the intersection (maybe 60 feet away from me), but doesn't matter. I disobeyed a crossing guard which I'm pretty sure will bring a fine somewhere of 250 to 500 bucks and who knows what else.

So the question is what should I do? Should I just wait for the summons or citation from the cops? I'm pretty sure she got my liscnece number. Should I contact the police department? I'm not sure what one does in this situation. I realize I broke the law, and while I can explain why, it's not an excuse. Plus it was my wife's car, so I dont' know if they'd first go to her or what. I just want to have it done with. The adrenaline is still in my system. I'm very angry at that crossing guard still. If she had just been nice it wouldn't have been a problem but she yelled at me like she was heading at me to hurt me. Like really primally screaming.

Anyway, what should I, the wanton criminal, do?

[northzax]

1. ignore it

unless it was a uniformed, police crossing guard, there will not be a summons forthcoming. if one does come, contest it. unless they have evidence that you were driving the vehicle, they can't give you points.

do you turn yourself in for speeding?

oh, and don't do it again. :)

[Ravenseye]

2. Not police

It was a woman in plain clothes with like a yellow florescent vest and a big hand held stop sign. I don't understand how I would contest it. Couldn't she identify me?

I won't do it again. When I thought about it I didn't really think I was breaking the law. I went back and forth on that. I didn't pass the bus at all, and the kids were all off the sidewalk also. Still I lookd it up and i'm sure they'd say that the bus was at the intersection, even though it wasn't really, and if it's at one, then you're supposed to sit there or you're breaking the law.

In 16 years of driving I have never been in an accident, and never got anything more than a parking ticket in the past, so this is definately new ground for me. I guess I don't know how to break the law mentally...I'm to honest sometimes.

[northzax]

3. no, she probably couldn't

think about it, you're looking into a windshield, maybe a little dirty, with some glare, you see a shape, not a real face. all she could really say, unless she's really good with faces, is that someone who kinda looked like you (did you have your hair back? up? wearing sunglasses? a hat? all change your shape. she saw you for a couple of seconds. She can say a man was driving, but can't ID you. pluis, she's a civilian, can't write tickets.

she can ID your car, maybe, but who's to say YOU were driving it? it's why red light cameras can give tickets, but not points, they can't prove who was driving the car.

[uppityperson]

12. so it is ok to break the law if you can get away with it?

inquiring minds wish to know.

[DrDan]

13. I am with you - he broke the law

I don't think he needs to turn himself in - but if a summons is issued, he take it like a man.

He screwed up - we all do. But he should be a mature adult and take the punishment.

Wouldn't you like to see junior take a bit of responsibility for his wrongs?

[zanne]

4. You're so good.

The fact that this bothers your conscience at all is what amazes me. Believe me, you're VERY law-abiding and very good. Take it from a cynical old witch.

[Ravenseye]

6. It sometimes actually bothers me

I like to think of myself as a nere do well rebel type, but it honestly really really bothers me that I broke the law in this regard. If I disagree with the law, say about certain restrictions on horticultural usage, it doesn't bother me to break it, but this is probably a law I agree with becuase it does bother me. Ah well.

[miss_american_pie]

5. Was it a divided highway?

I'm trying to remember if the laws are different when a crossing guard is present, but I've seen drivers do a lot worse.

You made a mistake. It happens.

[Ravenseye]

7. No, in town.

Just a traffic light, one lane roads with street parking. From what I'm seeing of the law, if you dont' stop for a school bus in a number of circumstances, and one of them is it being stopped at an interesection, which I didn't know...I thought you just couldn't go past them...it says it's 4 points on your license and 250 dollar fine. It also says that the fines are doubled if there is someone there in an official capacity, police or otherwise, telling you to stop...which there was...

I've seen many drivers do worse as well, but that woman looked so scary and insane to me that I wonder what lies she'll put down on a report that she might hand off to the police. That's part of what concerns me. I kind of want to contact them and get my story down first, before she goes in and makes stuff up. She looked that crazy to me. just mean.

[miss_american_pie]

8. Sounds like she was on a power trip

You did stop. The kids were safely on the bus, and she was headed back to the curb and you weren't going straight anyway.

My guess is she had her own adrenaline rush and will feel foolish when she calms down, but it couldn't hurt to type up your version of what happened just in case.

I hope nothing comes of it. That fine would suck.

[DrDan]

14. Maybe she was on a power trip, but

that is EXACTLY who I would want when my kids crossed the road!!!

[miss_american_pie]

15. Can't argue with that

We suburban kids didn't have crossing guards and were very lucky at times that no one was ever hurt.

[Gormy Cuss]

10. Consider what it's like to be her.

Think about how often she has impatient drivers coming close too close to her or the kids. Also consider that the reason the rules are so rigid about school bus stops is that kids are unpredictable little critters. Just because they had cleared the street as far as you can tell doesn't mean that she, who deals with the little darlings every day, was convinced that they were safely on their way.

She may be over the top nuts, or power hungry, or just plain too stressed out to do the job calmly anymore but from her side of things you looked like just another impatient asshole. You have guilt because you know that you broke the law. As others have said, that's the sign of a person of good character. Try to see her as a person of good character too rather than a crazed bitch, because that characterization is just not helpful. Whether she's a bitch or not she is perfectly within her rights and duty to report you for violating the law. It would be kind of her to let it go since no one was put in danger.

[Ravenseye]

11. Oh I can understand that

I've had jobs where I've done nothing but deal with assholes day in and out, but I maintained a good disposition. She just snapped at me in a really scary way. I'm a big guy, but she scared me. I get that she probably deals with assholes constantly, but if she's snapping like that then maybe she needs a new job. She might be the nicest person in the world outside that job, I have no idea and I don't care. I'm not judging that. I'm judging the fact that she snapped at me in such a way as to feeling threatened myself.

That said she's totally within her rights to report me, and I did see her taking down my plate number in the rear view mirror. It won't surprise me if she does.

[LostinVA]

9. You won't get a summons, but you broke the law

I'm not being a bitch, Ravenseye, but honestly, it doesn't matter if she was on an ego trip or not (which it sound like she may have been). If she still had her sign up, and the bus still had it's lights on, the law was broken. States started these strict laws because so many kids were being killed or severely injured each year, so they became almost draconian. I don't mind. Why? Because when I was in grammar school, someone hit and killed my best friend because they were impatient. I saw it happen. I saw her brains splatter all over the road. So, next time a crossing guard seems a bit over the top, remind yourself that there are very, very good reasons behind these laws, and grin and bear it. You're doing it for the kids, not the bus driver, the guard, etc.

As another poster said, the very fact that you feel bad about it means something.

In most states, crossing guards can request an arrest, but I sincerely doubt if she had time to get the plate number.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

16. Honestly, I think anyone who is guilty just

because they broke a law is being foolish (sorry if thats the case, no offense intended). I personally don't care about laws, only about my own sense of right and wrong. While that is a reasonable law, and you feel it was right, than okay, as someone said, just dont do it again :)

That aside, I wouldn't turn yourself in, but be ready to defend yourself if you are called upon.

[DrDan]

17. this crossing guard has one hell of a lot of responsibility

and she is probably making little over 5 bucks and hour or so

I find it hard to criticize her for her attitude - her one thought is for the safety of those kids!

Tomorrow - go apologize to her. I bet you will feel much, much better. She will respect you for it, and so will you.

[texas1928]

18. Don't worry about it.

I make the kids scream and dive for the sidewalk. And the crossing guards cry. It builds character.