Steve Weaver’s son is a high-performing, honor-roll 11th grader at Flagler Palm Coast High School, with a weighted GPA of 4.5, and with a knack for doing the right thing, according to his father. “I don’t know how I was blessed to have a kid as good as him,” Weaver says. For that reason, Weaver has allowed his son to ride a motorcycle to school.
Last Thursday—the day before the beginning of Easter break—the 11th grader was making his way to school at about 7:15 in the morning, as he usually did, riding his motorcycle on State Road 100, and making a right turn onto Bulldog Drive. Weaver said his son had permission to park his motorcycle in shade toward the back of the school, so he was used to entering campus from the driveway behind the Youth Center. When he made the right turn onto Bulldog, however, and started riding up that street, a school bus coming out of Transportation Way, the driveway through which most school traffic exits during the school day, almost “blew by him,” Weaver said, without stopping.
There’s a stop sign at Transportation Way. Weaver wasn’t there. But going on his son’s account, he describes the moment as a near collision, with his son and the bus coming to an immediate, sudden stop and the two drivers staring at each other briefly, before resuming their ways. “I know what type of damage a bus will do to a vehicle,” he says: he managed a 28-truck wrecker company for 20 years, and has picked up his share of smashed up motorbikes. (Weaver is now media director at Palm Coast’s First United Methodist Church.) What concerned him in this case is that the bus did not, according to his son, stop at the stop sign—a legal infraction, and of course a safety hazard.
Weaver says buses routinely blow that stop sign in the morning as they leave around 7:15 for their second morning run, to pick up elementary school students, after dropping off the high school students.
He’s right.
The issue raises a serious question of safety and drivers’ habits at one of the busiest morning bus-traffic intersections in the county. Earlier this year a bus was involved in a collision with a motorcycle at a different location, in an incident also involving a stop sign and a bus allegedly pulling out in front of a rider. Injuries were minor. That incident is still under investigation, Preece said, but the bus was proven to have come to a full stop at the sign, according to the district’s transportation director.
“We consistently remind drivers, they must come to a complete stop unless directed otherwise,” says Bruce Preece, the transportation director. The exception is when there is a police officer or another designated traffic controller directing bus traffic and overriding either the stop sign or a traffic light, as an officer does when buses are leaving school in the afternoon. “But that’s the only exception,” Preece said, “and we’ve had to remind drivers they have to make that stop. Not only it’s the law, it’s a safety issue.”
Preece was aware of the incident last Thursday. “We’re actively looking at that stop,” he said, through monitoring and other means.
Buses have GPS devices on them that not only can track their whereabouts or help them find addresses, but that also serve as verification devices when issues arise. Whether a bus actually stops at a stop sign or not can be verified on a GPS device (as was the case with that bus incident earlier this year). It’s not routinely done, but it is done when there’s an incident, when parents raise questions of safety in particular areas or regarding specific buses, or when the transportation department runs spot checks on drivers’ safety habits.
No one bus was singled out in last week’s encounter with the 11th grader on his motorcycle, though as the video shows, several buses are blowing through the stop sign. When Weaver alerted Jan Pannullo, the safety specialist at the transportation department, of the matter, Pannullo issued a memo to all drivers reminding them of their responsibilities.
“Please treat this like any other intersection,” Pannullo’s April 25 memo reads. “When leaving the compound, there is a stop sign on Transportation Way at Bulldog Drive. You must come to a complete stop. One of the citizens that called is considering asking for police patrols. If they observe a vehicle rolling through stop sign, you will receive a ticket.” (See the full memo.)
Preece says safety is paramount in the district, with rare incidents in a system that runs 96 buses, transports 10,500 students daily, stops at 1,300 bus stops and logs 1.6 million miles annually. “We’re very fortunate,” Preece said. “We generally have very good drivers, very safe drivers.”
Lee disputes Weaver’s characterization of their conversation. “I never implied to him or told him that it was his son’s fault at any time,” Lee said. “Actually in talking to him, I told him I agree with you—they should stop at that stop sign.” Lee did tell Weaver that his son’s parking of the motorcycle in back of the school was neither safe nor desirable, since it would entail operating the bike against foot traffic in parts–with sometimes groggy students in the morning, not entirely aware of their surroundings. “That’s just not a safe situation,” Lee said.
Where the 11th grade was parking is irrelevant so far as the buses and the stop sign are concerned: the student was riding down Bulldog Drive, as might any other motorcyclist—or any other vehicle, for that matter, with the right of way. The matter in question is not where the student was eventually going to park, but whether bus drivers were following the law and respecting the stop sign. Lee agrees: “That road is a public road, it doesn’t matter if it’s a student, teacher, parent, they should have yielded,” he said.
As for Weaver’s son, even he got in trouble: he did not report the incident to his parents until evening, so his father, who is strict with his son, took away the motorcycle. What was to be a temporary penalty has turned, for now, into a permanent one. The 11th grader, who loved riding the bike to school, and had been able to do so as a reward for his good work at school, will not be doing so until the end of the year. He’s riding the bus. “It’s a shame his reward is now turning into his cross to bear,” his father says.
On Thursday morning, the 11th grader was filming the buses from campus, near the Youth Center. He told his father that he noticed all buses respecting the stop sign. But one bus driver, Eugene McGinnis, called him over and, according to Weaver, told him he was not supposed to be where he was, threatened him with a referral, and gave him his card. Preece told Weaver that the student could get suspended for filming on campus. Lee confirmed that the encounter took place, but said there was no issue with the student filming buses.
If an attempt at intimidation was in play, it worked: Weaver said he would not let his son continue filming.
PC Dad says
Too bad the video isn’t better to show appreciation to those who stopped and penalize those that do not follow the law.
Taxed says
I think Mr. Weaver is being ridiculous about taking the bike away from his son. There is such a thing as too strict with a good kid. The dad has made it his sons cross to bear, his son didn’t. Mr. Weaver, what you are creating now is your son will start keeping things from you instead of being more open to a conversation. I am a Christian too, however, this punishment is too much for this boy. I normally would never put my two cents in where it comes to parent and child, but this child didn’t do anything wrong. Dad you need to reconsider your decision.
IML8 says
It always ticks me off on Bulldog drive. I take my children to school from town center going down bulldog drive. It never fails if the busline beats me to bulldog drive then I have to sit and wait while they just fly through the stop sign on to the roadway. This is not an unusual occurance it happens most of the time.
Pcadiron says
I have multiple buses pull out in front of me when they all decide to leave Rymfire elementary in the morning. They just assume that traffic will stop for them even though the traffic lady is not stopping the cars on Rymfire
K says
This is not the first time Travis Lee has acted like an ignorant buffoon and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
Liana G says
Another incorrigible incident involving FPC’s administrators. Herein lies the problem with public education.
Mr Weaver, this is the mantra for public education in this district – ‘unfortunately when you choose to bring kids into this world and put them in a public school, these are the consequences you have to live with.’ No kidding!
Maybe as more and more of these incidents come to light, Governor Scott will hurry up and push through those education vouchers. As one poster mentioned in a separate article, the only benefit of the physical classroom is the social aspect of it. This is the only reason why my kids are not home schooled, because eventually they will have to take their place in society and live and work beside each another, and the better prepared they are socially, the better off they will be. But private school will also serve the same purpose.
Charles Ericksen Jr says
I’m not so sure, you are aware, but when the City remodels, and “curves” Bulldog Drive, they intend to close this exit, and send the busses out another way. I did notice that all the busses, used their directional lights. Perhaps STOP signs are just suggestions to some. Hey, let’s put up some red light cameras!!
PC Dad says
Ah yes, vouchers – more of our hard earned tax dollars going to business welfare. Makes me proud to be an American where my rights as a citizen are being superceded by the greed of the business owner.
Bruce F. Driscoll says
I see school buses blowing through stops signs, pulling out in front of traffic, changing lanes without signaling and all I think is thank god my kids are older and not on those buses, and I know complaints fall on deaf ears….
Diarmuid Connolly says
The Pickup Truck had the Right a way on the Vid at 3:31
Rebecca Fiedler OShane says
i didnt really see much wrong with their stops, it looked to me like they were giving enough time to check both ways. And these drivers make it real easy so parents dont have to take their kids to school and back every day. If you dont like how they drive, take them yourself. Ive not had an incident in the 7 years my kids have been riding them.
K says
The answer is not vouchers and for profit charter schools. The answer is to have an administration in place that will address problems/concerns/issues. Unfortunately, FPC has an immature and inept principal and his lack of leadership is demonstrated every couple of weeks when scandal of some kind erupts at the school.
This is not the first time Mr. Lee has been dismissive and arrogant toward a parent. Had the young man reported this rather than his father, I can almost guarantee that Mr. Lee would have been abusive and combative in dealing with him. Lee is incapable of thinking for himself, refuses to research or investigate matters, and makes judgements and executes punishment without gathering facts.
I know of about a dozen students who can attest to this and I personally know of four situations during the 2010-2011 school year in which Mr. Lee failed to follow school district policy in dealing with students.
These issues have been elevated to Mr. Oliva and to the district office but nothing has been done to resolve the problem. I have little doubt that something will explode and cost the district damages the can ill afford at some point.
I truly hope Ms. Valentine puts forth some effort to research and evaluate the situation within FPC’s administration and makes some changes. The school has been riddled with scandal and negative publicity this year and it’s a shame because there are some outstanding educators and administrators and students at that school. But all people will remember is a principal that tried to censor literature, a teacher that bullied and belittled a gay student, a teacher that stood up against censorship and lost his job, and an innocent student that was almost killed by a bus driver that ran a stop sign but deemed guilty by an idiot assistant principal.
w.ryan says
First of all, does Mr. Weaver’s son wear a helmet? Secondly, Mr. Lee does have a problem with realizing he is to relate with the parents better and not tote the line for the school system all of the time. Third most of all, there are precautions in place at the time the buses leave the school. The School resource officer sets the light in favor of the buses. Travis Lee is out at the intersection and there-about monitoring what is going on. I have to say that Weaver’s son bares some responsibility in that it is obvious that this is in progress. The fix is quite simple. During dismissal times at all of the schools there is a flashing yellow light that cautions drivers. I do not recall on on Bulldog drive going out toward the main intersection. Place a yellow warning light making it mandatory for vehicles to stop during this dismissal and arrival time along with a warning sign.
As for the buses stopping at the stop sign, while the lights are frozen they expedite through the exit to not compromise so much the motorists on SR100. I too have taken that for a given. I wait with this understanding. They proceed with caution. I don’t slight the buses. Not everyone will agree but save the voucher bull and the avalanche of complaints about rude bus drivers for another more appropriate arena. Mr. Weaver, get your son a helmet if you truly care about his safety! It’s like seat belts! It can save a life!
Michelle says
Taxed,
I have the son in my class and he is fine with the punishment. He knows he should have called.
As a teacher, it is nice to see parent who gives the child a reward for doing the right thing, but also has consequences should there be a problem.
Liana G says
To: PC Dad
‘ yes, vouchers – more of our hard earned tax dollars going to business welfare. Makes me proud to be an American where my rights as a citizen are being superceded by the greed of the business owner.’
Yes, our tax dollars giving parents and students CHOICES – nice to have a say in how I want my tax dollars spent for a change.
How is this business welfare if they are providing a valuable and outstanding service for a fee, and they still have to employ people to fill these positions therefore teachers, administrators, etc will simply be shifted from one system of education to another.
Your rights as an American citizen should gurarantee you CHOICES, yet you are arguing against them.
By the way, the state of New Jersey spends 25,000 per pupil , per year on education, granted the cost of living is higher, but the quality of the education in some areas is downright crappy. Not only is that a waste of tax dollars, but gov’t incompetence when it comes to educating our students.
The state of affairs in this country is a result of a crappy education of the masses. Do you know that only 27% of Americans hold a college degree. Do you also know that 67 % (?) of college students drop out between their first and second year. So yes let’s have parents and students decide where and what is best for them and see what results we get. I doubt it can be any worse than what it already is.
weaver says
We would like to thank everyone for their comments. My son has 3 full face helmets. A padded riding jacket for the winter, a mesh padded jacket for the summer. He wears long pants and shoes .He attended EASY RIDER MOTORCYCLE TRAINING for 3 days before getting his license. It doesn’t matter how much safety equipment he has, when a vehicle that weighs over Ten Thousand Lbs. runs over him.
Ann says
To Readers:
I happen to know this family very well. I have also been able to experience how this family rides. I don’t know anyone more concerned about safety of others than the Weaver family. They always make sure they are well equipped, they always check for the weather, and they are always alert while riding. I must say that I don’t believe that was at all the 11th graders fault knowing that he is always aware of his surroundings. If he wasn’t i’m sure this encounter would have been worse. I’m glad everyone is okay, but lets try to prevent this from happening again and I think this article is a great start.
w.ryan says
Glad to hear you’ll are very concerned with your son,s safety. As I stated earlier, how could you miss the dismissal of these buses and a frozen light? I certainly believe in safety first and from what was written your son should have seen these buses expediting thru this exit and should have stopped. I wasn’t there but it seems that he wasn’t paying attention. This doesn’t mean that there is not a problem. I think it’s great that Flaglerlive can bring this question to the forefront. This can eliminate potential loss of life or injury. In conclusion we must be alert knowing our lives are in our hands.
K says
W.Ryan, the light is not frozen when the buses depart in the morning, only in the afternoon.
Taxed says
I am glad this child is okay. I agree with his father no matter how much protection he wears nothing can keep him from getting hurt when he is hit with a bus. However, there is no such thing as a perfect family Ann. You didn’t use that particular word, but “they always check the weather before leaving their home”? Do they all ride motorcycles or are they leaving in the family van? Found that quote rather odd.
Here is my concern, motorcycles are dangerous! I wouldn’t buy one for my child. That is just my child no one elses. That is up to each individual parent to decide. I think a teenager has enough problems with driving a car much less a motorcycle.
weaver says
W. Ryan, K is correct. This did not happen in the afternoon. this happened at 7:15 am. My son had the right away on bulldog dr. They do not freeze the light in the morning. I would also like to add, that most of the busses do stop at this stop sign. I would like to thank each and every one of the bus drivers that do stop.
Tina says
I googled the Flagler Transportation supervisors name (Bruce Preece) and it seems he is an ex-sheriff of a small town in Minnesota.
Lots of stuff came up. Same guy I wonder?
Disgusted says
And personal background on Mr Preece is relevant to a discussion of school buses running stop signs how? (And no, I’m not a friend or family member – wouldn’t know the guy if he showed up on my doorstep. I’m just someone disgusted with the increasingly tabloid nature of our society.)