Brooklyn, NY – Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) and Yanky Daskal, the founder and coordinator of the Boro Park Shomrim, released a video today offering safety tips to community members. The 8-minute video presents a wealth of information designed to remind people of things that everyone can do that will assure greater safety and security for themselves and the community.
The key issue that Hikind and Daskal discuss is cars passing school buses while children are either boarding or being dropped off. “Everyone is in a hurry to get to work, to get to minyan, to get wherever it is they have to get to,” says Hikind. “We understand this. But none of these are good reasons to pass a school bus when children are boarding or exiting. Doing so is illegal and it is dangerous, but we experience it in our community on a regular basis. When you pass a school bus, you are endangering someone’s child.” The Assemblyman said he is asking the police to be even tougher on drivers who take these types of chances and endanger pedestrians in the community.
Another issue that Hikind and Daskal discuss is parents pushing strollers in the street while speaking on the phone. “When you’re on the phone, you are distracted,” explains Daskal. “And your baby is the first one in the street.” Hikind agrees. “An accident takes one second to happen, G-d forbid. Please be mindful of this.”
Assemblyman Hikind said that he is working toward making safety reflector straps available for community members, as he has done in the past. Daskal agreed that the safety reflector straps would be very helpful when it’s dark and when it’s raining. “Everyone wears these upstate,” he explained.
The video can be seen HERE.
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
Thank you to these two Askonim. With regard to passing school busses the problem is two-fold. Bus drivers tend to open their doors causing the ‘STOP’ flag to pop open and the flashing of the red lights to begin while the children who are to board the bus are still at the breakfast table and aren’t nearly ready to board. The car drivers then become so agitated that they lose patience. This can happen several times within a single block, B”H. It’s hard to expect the car drivers to cooperate under such needless cause to stop and wait. Bus drivers are allowed to waive drivers on when they know the child is not boarding quite yet. Also, when a child/children is boarding or dismbarking clearly to the sidewalk on one side of the street – say the driver pulled up in front of the child’s house or school and there is no need AT ALL to cross the street – why doesn’t the driver leave those flashing lights off or at least be mindful of drivers behind the bus and waive them on? This is especially aggravating when in front of the school building and 40, 50 or 60 children are going to board or disembark? These are things that cause drivers to lose patience and risk it! True it’s illegal and dangerous but, as even they concede, drivers also have jobs and lives to tend and more eager to zoom up and pass the bus.
>>Bus drivers must be mindful of drivers and share the road. When they do there is likely to be more compliance with the issue that Hikind and Daskal bring up!!!
Also, while we’re on the school bus topic, bus drivers may NEVER be allowed to use their cell phones when driving especially when children are on board. Routinely, they’ll call the next stop and tell mom to be ready! Noble, but dangerous and illegal.
Finally, we all thank these two caring, selfless Askonim for everything. Perhaps they could call a meeting with school administrators AND bus drivers and spell out the communal safety measures and these ‘sharing-the-road issues’ all our kids and us will enjoy safe and tranquil ride through our congested streets.
Thank you “Hated Too” for your post! You stole my thunder!
Excellent points! If only, if only!!!
Please can you make it visable for people that dont have access to you tube???