Why Different School Bus Designs?

[Mr.Slant]

@MarcusF

In the UK and - I think - the rest of Europe you hardly ever see front-engine buses or trucks. They always look quaint and old fashioned in American films and TV programmes

You could speculate that the absense of front-engine models outside the US is something to do with the size of roads, sharpness of bends, etc. Do they have front-engine trucks/buses in Australia? Big open spaces etc …

Australia, like the US, gets both varieties[1].
One unmentioned downside of the cabover bus design is that if the driver gets in a wreck, it looks like they’re toast. No cite on that.

[1] Semi-trailer truck - Wikipedia

[Drum_God]

@Mr. Slant

I’ll break rule #1:
Once upon a time when I was a little boy, my school bus driver was late deploying the flexible plastic pole in question. I got whipped across the shins, which smarted.
What’s the penalty for breaking the rules of Bus Jousting club again?

I love doing that. I don’t usually use the stop lights and arms because I am unloading/loading en masse in a parking lot. However, if a kid seems to be just standing there staring into space, I’ll give him a pat across the butt with the crossing arm. They never see it coming.

This is the bus I usually drive for out-of-town trips. It offers excellent forward visibility, has a good turning radius (for a bus) and is quite comfortable. Some of ours even have CD players and radios. Just no air conditioning.

[Pashnish_Ewing]

Somewhat related question: Why do some yellow school busses have white tops? I used to see them in Dallas when I lived there.

[tremorviolet]

@Pashnish Ewing

Somewhat related question: Why do some yellow school busses have white tops? I used to see them in Dallas when I lived there.

Sunlight reflection. School buses don’t have air conditioning.

[Drum_God]

@tremorviolet

Sunlight reflection. School buses don’t have air conditioning.

Makes a really big difference, too. You wouldn’t think so, but it does.