# Why do school bus drivers open the door at railroad tracks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 27, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036 "2017-10-27T23:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/41 "2017-10-31T19:25:35Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > A couple of weeks ago, my apartment complex was upgrading the phone connections in all of the units, so there were a bunch of AT&T vans out in the parking lot. Every one had an orange cone behind it, even though all of the workers were inside the buildings. I’d sort of wondered the reason behind that. I thought the reason was because someone might be exiting the truck at any moment and they didn’t want cars to venture close to the back where they might blindside a worker who dismounted the tailgate at an inopportune time. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/42 "2017-11-01T05:18:16Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The reasoning is clear, yet I’ve had a couple of bus drivers stop ON the tracks and then open the doors. That’s so if there’s a train coming, it can pass right through? ---
**Author:** ![eN2QzemGU7TjG8uE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@eN2QzemGU7TjG8uE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eN2QzemGU7TjG8uE)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/43 "2018-01-01T07:50:07Z")
My grandmother was on the train. My father was waiting at the station to pick her up. He was the first medic on scene. "As a result of this accident, federal legislation was passed by Congress requiring the drivers of certain commercial vehicles, including school buses, to stop, look, and listen for a train at all railroad tracks prior to crossing the tracks. " [https://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/District/Custom.cfm?District\_ID=19&Page\_ID=320](https://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/District/Custom.cfm?District_ID=19&Page_ID=320) > [@Senegoid](#): > > Everyone knows that all school bus drivers everywhere (and other kinds of charter bus drivers too?) stop at all railroad tracks, and have always done so since the invention of school bus drivers. > > But I’ve noticed that when they do so, they also always open the door, and then close it before driving on. > > Why do they do that? Is this everywhere or just a California thing? ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/44 "2018-01-01T08:08:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > A couple of weeks ago, my apartment complex was upgrading the phone connections in all of the units, so there were a bunch of AT&T vans out in the parking lot. Every one had an orange cone behind it, even though all of the workers were inside the buildings. I’d sort of wondered the reason behind that. The point of the cone is the driver is required to walk around the truck before leaving. ---
**Author:** ![westhou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f1d935/32.png) [@westhou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/westhou)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/45 "2018-01-03T01:58:29Z")
There used to be, 50s -60s, PSA’s on TV that when approaching RR tracks you should STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/46 "2018-01-03T16:03:24Z")
I once had a Berlitz guidebook whose Chinese section included a bit about warnings about railroad crossings. It showed four Chinese characters that appeared on signs at grade crossings; the characters read “small heart fire wagon,” with the implication, "When the fire wagon comes, make your heart small. " In other words, “Look out for the train.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/47 "2018-01-03T18:00:27Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > I once had a Berlitz guidebook whose Chinese section included a bit about warnings about railroad crossings. It showed four Chinese characters that appeared on signs at grade crossings; the characters read “small heart fire wagon,” with the implication, "When the fire wagon comes, make your heart small. " In other words, “Look out for the train.” 😕 I get the fire wagon, I don’t get the small heart. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/48 "2018-01-03T20:48:56Z")
Does opening the doors also cause the caution lights go on so that vehicles behind the bus know it has stopped and (possibly) not to try and pass? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/49 "2018-01-03T21:00:41Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > I once had a Berlitz guidebook whose Chinese section included a bit about warnings about railroad crossings. It showed four Chinese characters that appeared on signs at grade crossings; the characters read “small heart fire wagon,” with the implication, "When the fire wagon comes, make your heart small. " In other words, “Look out for the train.” … _what?_ I can find one other reference to this online. It’s a comment on a “Funny Engrish Signs” webpage, by a person with a name so similar to your username it can’t be a coincidence. Given the popularity of these Mysteries Of The Mysterious East Orientalist Nonsense memes, if this were a real example of such, it would be much more popular and not point back to you both times it’s ever been used. It would also, you know, _make some kind of goddamned sense_. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/50 "2018-01-03T21:03:46Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Does opening the doors also cause the caution lights go on so that vehicles behind the bus know it has stopped and (possibly) not to try and pass? Can’t speak for modern buses, but back in the day, no. The lights were a separate switch, plus another independent switch to bring out the stop sign (after they were added). I can’t recall exactly, but on our bus the driver either turned on the red flashers or the hazard flashers when we stopped at the crossings. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/51 "2018-01-03T21:42:03Z")
Ghosts. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/52 "2018-01-04T16:21:58Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > … _what?_ > > I can find one other reference to this online. It’s a comment on a “Funny Engrish Signs” webpage, by a person with a name so similar to your username it can’t be a coincidence. Given the popularity of these Mysteries Of The Mysterious East Orientalist Nonsense memes, if this were a real example of such, it would be much more popular and not point back to you both times it’s ever been used. > > It would also, you know, _make some kind of goddamned sense_. Sorry, but this is in fact an authentic reference…the guidebook was published by Berlitz in the 60s. I have never posted it online anywhere else, any similarity of usernames notwithstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/53 "2018-01-04T17:22:03Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The reasoning is clear, yet I’ve had a couple of bus drivers stop ON the tracks and then open the doors. So have I, this part I don’t get. They drive onto the tracks, stop and then open the door. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/54 "2018-01-04T17:46:39Z")
I should also have asked for the web address for this site so I can see the item you refer to, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/55 "2018-01-04T17:55:23Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > I should also have asked for the web address for this site so I can see the item you refer to, myself. Well, since you asked: [Scroll down to the comments.](http://www.funnysigns.net/vip-waiting-room/) ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/56 "2018-01-04T20:08:30Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > 😕 I get the fire wagon, I don’t get the small heart. The characters for “small” (小) and “heart” (心) combine to make the Chinese word for “careful”: 小心 It makes some connotative sense as an idiom based on the idea of “heart” as being shorthand for “chutzpah” or “boldness”. I doubt those characters together would ever be parsed as “make your heart small”. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/57 "2018-01-04T20:34:26Z")
So what the sign actually says is, “Careful, Train”, or “Be Careful for Train”. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/58 "2018-01-04T20:43:56Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > The characters for “small” (小) and “heart” (心) combine to make the Chinese word for “careful”: 小心 [That googles up some interesting signs](https://www.google.com/search?q=%E5%B0%8F%E5%BF%83&client=firefox-b-1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjY5Ljrlb_YAhVq04MKHbIDCHkQ_AUICigB&biw=1056&bih=509). ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/59 "2018-01-05T17:38:59Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Perrrfect! I love it. > > This, like the monkey motion with food handling cashiers and disposable gloves, is a fine example of the rationale behind a rule getting totally lost in the mindless execution of it. So folks end up doing something worse than useless while whining about senseless regulations. But the lack of sense is totally inside themselves and their supervisors / trainers. Monkey motion? Fight my ignorance, please? > [@John\_Bredin](#): > > 😕 I get the fire wagon, I don’t get the small heart. Big heart = Bold Small heart = Cautious There’s a time for each. Boldness in the face of an oncoming train leads to pancake heart. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [That googles up some interesting signs](https://www.google.com/search?q=%E5%B0%8F%E5%BF%83&client=firefox-b-1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjY5Ljrlb_YAhVq04MKHbIDCHkQ_AUICigB&biw=1056&bih=509). Scroll down to that sleep mask. Can anybody explain this to me? It appears to be fluffy rather than functional . . . 😕 Back to the OP: Whenever our school buses stopped, they always cracked the door open a titch. That served to turn on all the blinking lights on the vehicle, so that other drivers wouldn’t miss the fact that they were stopped. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036/60 "2018-01-05T17:59:47Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Scroll down to that sleep mask. Can anybody explain this to me? It appears to be fluffy rather than functional . . . 😕 Well, [some days you are a dick, some days you are a boob](https://www.hahatai.com/global-buzz/articles/5147). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036.md?page=4)