In response to an article and video that YWN published on Friday, a reader submitted the following unedited
Dear Yeshiva World News,
Good Morning and shavuha Tov,
I would like to comment on your article you put out last night with a headline of “BUS RAGE: Williamsburg Cheder Bus Drives Recklessly on Wrong Side of Street [VIDEO]”
I have a few problems with this.
1) yes the bus passed that car on the wrong side, but there was no RAGE, he thought that that car was going to turn right same as the bus before him so he passed them.
2) As you can see the car has RAGE how he was wild and dangerous and almost caused a accident with oncoming traffic all because of his rage.
3) yes the car had the dash cam and he was the one sending in to you, but that doesn’t take away of the fact that this is “lushen Hura” and the isser of “hamalvin pnei chaveiro berabim. I’m part of that schools society and my close family member is one of the head managers and i personally feel embarrassed by YWN bashing our bus.
4) all the buses that belong to our school have dash cams as well, maybe if they would send it in you would take their side? Is this how it goes that who ever sends it in gets the right no matter how many wrongs and unlawful and dangerous things he did?
5)Although YWN had a couple of articles about buses and dash cams that should not be a reason that all the buses now will be wrong and everybody else is automatically right.
6)The article barely mentions how guilty the drive of the car is, the head line should say “CAR RAGE” HOW A PERSON GETS WILD THAT SOMEONE PASSED HIM. He was dangerous and unlawful
7)The article gives the ok to do what the driver of the car did which is very dangerous, he had rage, he went wrong lane onto oncoming traffic without a way to see if someone will turn right so he was putting in danger innocent people, he passes 2 red lights, and he blocked and approached the bus driver which is very dangerous as we know a yid was dragged and killed near boro park a couple of months ago by such incidents a that van pulled him a couple of blocks.
YET ALL YWN CAN THINK OF IS WHAT THE BUS DID ? WOW HOW COULD THAT BE ? THIS IS NOT A LIBERAL OUTLET WHERE THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG JUST ALWAYS THE LIBERAL NEWS.
PLEASE TAKE IT OFF AND ISSUE APOLOGY.
THANKS
Name withheld upon request – Lakewood, N.J.
NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of YWN.
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41 Responses
This is pretty simple- if you take a bus full of kids into the wrong side of the road, you are wrong. Period, end of story.
You sound surprised! Please don’t be embarrassed by anything YWN posts. Would you care what a teneth grade bochur says about you? That’s what this whole web site is. TO WRITE ARTICLES THEY’LL GET THE MOST ATTENTION. (Peleg, chasidim, anyone they feel is too yeshivish)
I support the writer of this letter.
It’s no coincidence that the event YWN chose to pick on happened in Williamsburg. Long time readers will understand what I mean.
I’m sure there will be plenty of replies to this article, but all I can think of is that someone could have been killed. The one who wrote this email to YWN spent a lot of effort, time, and thought to prepare seven bullet points, but missed out on the aspect of 1. Taking responsibility. 2. Ensuring that safety is a #1 priority, to prevent injury or death.
It’s an ego filled email. No, I don’t see where Loshon Hara is prevalent here. The video was shown in it’s entirety, no editing, no formatting- it displays an honest and unbiased portrayal. Yes, the driver of the car also did an illegal, foolish, and selfish action- but that should NEVER take away blame and potentially deadly decisions from the schoolbus driver (be mature, take accountability and be honest. Otherwise, you are wasting your time fasting on Yom Kippur). It doesn’t matter what one “THINKS” another driver will do. Would it have been worth someone losing a son/daughter or father/mother because of what you “THOUGHT” another driver would do. It’s appropriate for me to think that I said “Mashiv Haruach” in Shmonah Esrei, but to think what another driver might do on the road might result in death. I don’t see where YWN defends either driver. Both drivers could have killed someone. Be mature and admit that, as I surely just did!
2 thoughts:
1) It is illegal and dangerous to pass at a double yellow line. Two wrongs doesn’t make a right.
2) Buses are much larger than cars, and are often carrying school children. As such, bus drivers should be held to a higher standard than other drivers.
Thank you for your letter. I also don’t agree with YWN for blaming the bus driver.
ALL YOU DID WAS KNOCK THE CAR DRIVER. HE MAY HAVE BEEN WRONG BUT THAT DOESN’T MAKE THE BUS DRIVER RIGHT ESPECIALLY IF HE HAD KIDS ON THE BUS. tHE BUS SHOULD HAVE STOPPED BY THE YELLOW LIGHT AND NOT SPEED UP.
the writer does have several points….
I didn’t watch the video the first time around as I just don’t see why someone cutting someone else off is considered news. It’s bad manners and unsafe, but not news.
That being said, I just watched it and I agree with the letter writer. The bus driver thought the car was turning right, and the bus driver saw that the oncoming lane was empty, so he passed. It was illegal and maybe a minor safety hazard, but not a huge safety risk. The driver of the car, on the other hand, seems to have done much more wrong:
1. He made a much bigger safety hazard than the bus, by driving a whole block in oncoming traffic, even as a car turned into the incoming lane.
2. He cut off a bus which may have been full of kids. Even if the bus driver did something severely dangerous, that certainly doesn’t justify putting all the innocent passengers of that bus in danger.
3. His driving habits and response to the situation are full-fledged symptoms of road rage. If there’s one thing that you should never do to someone who cuts you off, it’s blocking them in and then getting out of your car to tell at them. Aside from the many illegalities involved in such road rage (road rage is quite the severe offense, legally speaking!), countless people have been injured or killed in such situations, either by other cars (as these people frequently don’t have the sense to check their surroundings before bolting out of their car in anger), or by the driver whom they’re telling at. If someone ever does that to you, I think the correct thing to do is these 4 things: Close & lock your windows and doors; attract attention by honking; call the cops; and if you have time/brains for it, take pictures/videos of the incident and of his car.
4. Road rage is really just a symptom of anger management issues. If you get angry every time someone cuts you off, you’re giving anyone in the world the keys to make your day miserable. Learn to control your anger and you’ll be a happier person. Don’t make it it so easy for someone else to make your day a bad day.
Do you have the senders permission to publish their letter ? I assume it was meant to be private for the editors and not the readers ?
I ABSOLUTELY agree with the commenters objections.
The car with the dashcam was the aggressor and was the one that CLEARLY demonstrated road rage.
Yes the bus may not have done the best move but from the looks of it, he absolutely must have thought the car was turning.
A simple honk would have alerted the bus driver.
The idiot in the dashcam car floored it to try to not let the bus get back in.
50 Young children on board! If the bus would have hit him and lost control. 50 yoind souls could have been lost.
Then he continued to.pursue the bus. Driving erratically. Running red lights, then doing some further dangerous stuff.
The dashcam car is an obvious anti smite that saw the Hebrew writing on board and wanted to prove a point. Horrendous. He should have hate crime charges brought against him. Doesn’t matter if he was jewish. It’s obviously hate.
finally someone standing up against this liberal left website
This is outrageous. The letter-writer clearly belongs to this chassidus or knows the driver.
HAVE THE BUS DRIVER ARRESTED AND HIS LICENSE REVOKED.
The guy driving the car did the right thing. HE stopped a driver that could have very-well been DWI. That is the correct thing to do. You stop an animal who is endangering the lives of 50 kids.
Both drivers are wrong, and YWN did not take a side in the article. Simply pointed out the worse of two wrongs, and that is this reckless bus driver.
I am a longtime reader of ywn and I am shocked at this letter-writer.
Basically, the writer is upset that ywn chose to point out the horrific danger this driver placed 50 children into. I agree with ywn. No need to point out reckless car drivers. That would be a full time website and job. But when a bus driver, tasked with chartering our precious children to yeshiva drives like this, he is the one wrong. Shame on this letter writer and the people bashing ywn.
ywn please keep posting these crazy bus drivers. i live in williamsburg. they break laws all day and need to be stopped.
Meno, sorry but the law is not as you say it! Sadly, one is allowed to pass a double yellow line! Strange as it seems, you are allowed in NYC to make a U-turn right over any double yellow line! I think it’s one of the dummer laws, but check it out – you’ll see!
As for the letter writer, comment #8, the voice of truth, is 100% correct in every point he’s made! The fact is that bus drivers treat us commoners like trash with stops for pickup and drop-offs as they do but this driver, seen in this clip, was fine! The flashing of red lights without regard for other drivers and the length of time allowed at each stop is ridiculous. Why 3-5 stops on every block is necessary beats me! The rest of the world are also people. The mothers and children can walk to one central stop: but hey, nobody cares! So there!
I agree with the writer. YWN owes an apology. [They also need to be commended for including (seemingly) all criticism.]
There’s very little one can tell about the actions of the bus driver in the big picture for YWN to label it ‘bus rage’ when it’s the car driver ‘the tea pot calling the kettle black’ who’s a Ka’ason and reacted in rage. YWN, though I’m not a chossid of that sect (nor any) I think it’s below the dignity of any journalist to publicize a certain name/identity under a label without first getting the ‘other side of the story’.
stupidest letter ever on ywn. Hows how small-minded, and pathetic you are. Don’t even chap the double-smack-down by ywn.
Epic!
Ish Hashalom- If a 10th grader told me that he knew of a sexual predator hanging around a school yard, I’d take him seriously. If a 10th grader told me about someone making terror-related threats against a yeshiva or shul, I’d take him seriously. I’m very sorry that you wouldn’t.
Neville ChaimBerlin- I’ve seen similar style articles on YWN of events taking place throughout America. I don’t believe your statement has any grounds of support. Secondly, a dangerous driving situation which can injure or kill someone really makes no difference if the event occurred in Williamsburg, New York or Williamsburg, Virginia. Wise up!
knishtix- Again, there is no “I think”, “assuming”, or “probabilities” when operating a motor vehicle. Misaskim can unfortunately reveal many tragedies where there was a fatal miscalculation of assuming or thinking. Rather than assuming, wait a couple extra seconds to see if a car turns. If there was a collision, the insurance companies and adjusters don’t listen to assumptions. Don’t take my word for it, take the insurance companies.
The way I see it there was a chapter one before the video started. The car was probably going to slow, so the bus driver gave a honk. The driver thought how dare someone beep me I’ll davka go slower. The bus driver went around the car. That really got the driver angry. From what I saw on this video the car driver was 100% wrong
Yeshiva world news and some commentators did label the bus driver as the bad one and not the car driver, they obviously have a twisted mind. Anyone with a straight mind can tell that the car driver is far more worse than the bus driver. Of course the bus driver was wrong for cutting someone off and passing double lines, blowing a yellow light with a bus full of kids, regardless of what he thought and what excuse he had, he might be innocent and also might be an animal, but the car driver trying to be Mr. right and Mr. policeman just because he has a dash cam is not any less of an animal that he is for doing what he did, intentionally cutting the bus off, endangering the kids on the bus, almost killing two pedestrians, going head on with oncoming traffic, pulling up in front of the bus and blocking him just to be Mr. road mechanech. The bus driver was wrong, but that’s not the point here, the car driver is the bad one. You don’t stop an animal by acting like an animal, if you do then you too are an animal.
I agree that we only part of a video….. but that is all I need to see.
This bus driver should be dragged off the bus.
End of story.
The driver of the car is wrong for chasing down the bus? I don’t think so. If a bus passed me like this I would think the driver was drunk and I would do exacly the same.
Kudos to the driver, kudis to ywn and shame on this letter writer.
Yawn. Life in the big City. Oooh, a school bus blew thru a yellow light. OMG! Terrible! Making a mountain out of a molehill. Get over it. Now, every putz that has a dashcam is going to try and be a self righteous policeman?
Kol hakovod to the YWN editors for publishing the letter and allowing the reader to decide. As to Neville’s allegation that there is a pervasive bias on this website against yidden in Willy, supported by the infamous “hamayvin yavin”, all I can say is that at one time or another, we have heard the same kvetching in relation to BP, Lakewood, Monsey, 5T and Yennavelt.
Nu, send in dash cam from the bus.
This letter writer belongs in a loony bin.
What a wack job!
Self appointed person with a dashcam
Wow everyone knows you have a dashcam
What now ??
It’s sad to see people who clearly aren’t from NYC and have no idea what they’re talking about weighing in and just eating up YWN’s fake news. What do you people think happens when a truck is parked in a lane on the double yellow road just sitting there unloading all day long? Do you think everyone just lines up behind it and calls out of work for that day? No! They pass it on a double yellow line road! Gasp!
Gadol: We most certainly do not see these kind of articles about the Five Towns, which I imagine might be where YWN is set. Saying YWN doesn’t have a problem with Satmar is like saying the Huffington Post doesn’t have any problem with Trump. It’s beyond any uncertainty at this point.
Dear TGIShabbos.
“be mature, take accountability and be honest. Otherwise, you are wasting your time fasting on Yom Kippur” – this is what you wrote. I dont mean to insult you, but you sound like a 2 year old child. There are 613 mitzvos god gave us in the torah, and EACH ONE OF THEM is mandatory at its appropiate time, regardless of if the guy is taking accountability or not, regardless if he was honest or not a month ago (or a minute ago). When god tells us: anyone not fasting yom kipur will be cut off from the nation, it does not say: “besides, of course, immature dishonest people, they can eat as they please”…………………………………………
So, its time to grow up Mr. or Mrs. TGIShabbos
I watched the video again The car driver is 100% wrong he went through a red light and then drove in the opposite lane. What did the bus do wrong? To me it’s obvious, the car was going slow, so the bus went around him to make the light. He did nothing illegal or even dangerous. The car driver has road rage written all over him.
I didn’t watch the video, nor do I plan to. (I’m not chassidish & dont live in Willy either)
I am opposed to any website spreading Chillul Hashem. So all you dash cam holders – enjoy it, & use it to prove your innocence in police investigations – not to besmirch & gang up on a fellow yid.
As a side note, you always only see one angle of the scene with these videos. How do you know he didn’t cross the lane to avoid a crash, a kid etc?
Thank Hashem, correct there are 613 mitzvos and although we must strive our best with all of them it’s not all “black and white” and “all or nothing”. Good point! However, the lessons and values that one should especially take away from Yom Kippur (or any yomtov for that matter) should really at best try to make a sliver of impact or change. There will always be a select few who will immediately return to Loshon Hora, Geneiva, maris ayin, nivel peh, etc 5 minutes after the conclusion of Yom Kippur (there are the unfortunate few who continue it on the actual yom hadin), so in that regard I don’t think it’s a toddler question to ask what value or benefit does one gain from YK ? I’ve attended shiurim where the topic is discussed for hours in detail (I’m not a Rav to conclude with a definite response or suggestion to the answers of yes or no) . Consider reviewing some marriage shiurm, and you’ll sadly see some marriages destroyed by immature excuses, blame, lack of patience, and insults. I’m referring to some R’L gambling and drinking addictions, drugs, adultery. I used to have a frum married friend who started going to the casinos and bars on shabbos “because” his life with his wife was stressful. I hope you see where I’m going with this…
What I am seeing with the email to YWN and various responses here are. Many you’ll find referenced in the YK Machzur. So my YK question stands. 1. Lack of admitting faults or mistakes. 2. Ultimately blaming everyone and everything else (even if God Forbid there was a fatality). 3. Devaluing the credibility of high school bachurim (from one comment). According to Beis Din, those Bochurim would be halachically credible witnesses (males well above Bar Mitzvah age); but they too are blamed and/or insulted. 4. Using “assumptions” or “I think so…”, or “maybes” when operating a motor vehicle which can mamesh kill. Again, Beis Din and lehavdil Insurance companies don’t operate with assumptions, no reason why a driver can’t execute the same discipline. 5. Lack of using patience.
ah yid, Let’s try to stick with facts and stay away from your opinions. Thank you. I am quoting the NYS Driving handbook. “It’s acceptable to cross a double yellow line to turn left. YOU CANNOT cross a double yellow line to pass another vehicle.”
That bus driver needs to be trained in traffic safety and patience.
Dear TGIShabbos.
I am sorry, but I don’t have patience now in the middle of work to read through your looooooong pshetil, but I did read the first 2 lines, and I understand, yes, you meant to say something like this: be mentchlich and honest and accept accountability, otherwise it shows you are not gaining any of the hashpaos yom kipur is meant to bestow on a person. So fine, thats what you should write next time, not something about wasting your time not eating on yom kipur. A dishonest irresponsible always-right type of person eating bemeizid over a shiur on yom kipur will suffer the exact same consequences for his aveirah as when it is done by someone as mushlam as you are.
I’m waiting for YWN to respond to the letter & all these crazy comments. It should be a doozy!
To TGI Ok i stand corrected. So lets discuss who’s a bigger idiot. In my opinion the car driver is having a fit of road rage. The bus driver crossing the double line, it may be illegal, but in this case it wasn’t dangerous. Drivers drive 26mph too.
The bus did nothing wrong and the cop wanna be dashcam driver should be locked up
Driver and bus driver both wrong
Wow!!!!
People here are really showing how stupid they are.
This bus driver is 100% correct for going around a car that he thought was turning.
This idiotic road rage car driver should be held accounted for endangering pedestrians on the street.
Kudos to the letter writer.