High School Bus Stop RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR WINDOWS

The bus stop was there long before you moved in and will be there long after you move out. The bus stops for high school is in the same location every year with the kids having to walk to it. Corners are unsafe because if someone doesn't stop they could go off the road and run into the group of waiting kids.

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I would go to the office to ask them to move the bus stop to the corner and explain why but I would not do it while I'm angry, nervious, or frustrated as that wouldn't accomplish anything....They may or may not move the bus stop but they can talk to the bus driver to make an effort to improve on the situation...maybe even send notices home to the parents to do the same.

If the situation doesn't improve, I would then contact the police department and the mayor's office to ask if they have a noise control program in your area...and let them know what the problem is....maybe they can help in getting the bus stopped moved to the corner...

Keep in mind there are people who live on highways or near train tracks and they get used to the on going noise...after awhile one doesn't hear it anymore.

In any case, good luck with your problem....

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You could talk to the school, but in reality, probably nothing will be done about it.
And expecting high school kids to be quiet is like expecting monkeys not to eat bananas.

I would try to talk to them again, let them know that you realize they are teens and want to talk and goof off, but if they could just turn the volume down a little, it would be much appreciated. Talk to them like they are adults, not little kids. And don't (for lack of a better word) have 'attitude' about it when you do. Just talk nicely and normally to them.
I have found that with most teens, if you treat them like they are grown up, they will act it. Just don't try to manipulate them or talk down to them.

Say something like "Hey guys... I was wondering if you could do a huge favor for me..... I have little kids and they are still sleeping in the morning when you are waiting for the bus. I know you all want to chat and goof off, I completely understand...I was your age once too believe it or not! But I was wondering if you might be able to try to keep the noise down just a little so the kids can sleep?? I'd really appreciate it. I know you can't be stone quiet and that's not what I am asking... I'm just asking if you can keep the volume to a dull roar".

You might find they are cooperative with you if you use the right approach.

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I am so sorry, I would deffinently go to the Office of the Appartment building and complain. They should have warned you before choising that appartment and I would demand a change or a reduction in rent. They may not have know about the annoyence but now they will, and this way you can move yet again but in the same area and get piece with out the kids egging you or damaging your stuff for "being mean". Not that I think you are being mean at all, but you know kids.

The radio playing in the room by the bus stop or a white noise machine isn't a bad idea either for noise masking.

I hope this was helpful, not the choices you want since you are all ready settled in but... Heathers option is good too, but if that will not work...

Good luck

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I had a situation where I had asked for a bus stop to be changed. Although it was in Florida, I had contacted the bus garage. My kids bus stop in middle school was in a driveway of a little old lady. Some of the kids were roudy and messed with her yard and things in it. I could olny say so much as I wasnt at the bus stop every morning, and they werent my kids.I told the bus garage that these kids didnt listen to me or the little old lady. I didnt want my kids to get in trouble for something they didnt do as they felt bad for the lady as well. The bus garage told me that the woman of the bus stop would have to be the one to call. Well I didnt feel that she had to so I pretended I was the next door neighbor of the lady and complained about the kids. The bus stop was moved two streets down. I was told that a bus stop can only be a certain distance from the next, but there is a little margain that they can work with. Good Luck

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Call the school board and tell them patiently the situation. Ask them to move the stop a few yards one way or another (and keep in mind safety is going to be a concern, so devise a place they can safely stop before you call, then offer it as an alternative) and tell them you appreciate their consideration. Ask when the next school board meeting is, and ask if it's open for community attendance. Go to the next open meeting and propose your request there. Make sure you have other options for them to consider, it would help if you took pictures with you as well as a basic diagram of your street, noting where the bus currently stops and where your proposed new stop options are located. This will help expedite the process and make it much more likely to happen.

Good luck!

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Sorry to say let it go. Stop has to be somewhere and
unfortunately it is in front of your place. The more
you complain the worse it will get. In the scheme of
life, this is nothing . Trust me kids will get used to
it and sleep thru it.

Hi L.,
I've skimmed a few of your responses and lots of them seem pretty negative so I thought I'd give you a positive one.
I moved into my house and quickly realized that every morning there would be a large group of children in their early teens playing right outside our windows between the times of 6.45 and 8.00 (3 different buses stopped there). I was horrified, midway through my second pregnancy and trying desperately to keep my 2 year old asleep until her usual time of 8.30....no chance! I tried talking to the kids outside but that didn't work either. Then, during the summer, one of my neighbors saw me taking my little girl for a walk and asked where I lived. When I told her I'd just moved into the corner house she looked at my baby girl and my big pregnant belly and was horrified because she knew where the bus stopped. She said she would make sure it changed. The bus never stopped here again!!

I don't know what she did or who she called (I'm not even sure which house is hers so I can't ask her either, sorry!) but if I were you I would call everyone you can think to ask, in the nicest way possible, if the stop could be moved. This house was here 10 years before we moved in so obviously the bus must have been stopping here for a time before we came along. I don't understand why so many people think that would mean it has to stay there though. If you don't ask, you don't get.

Best of luck,
M.

Hi L., that's life at the bus stop. Be glad that you don't live here, where the high school buses pick kids up between 6:15 and 6:30 - these are teenagers, many of whom are still growing "kids" and are up at the crack of dawn, often after being awake very late doing homework; sometimes 5 hours worth a night. I don't think they're likely to be very sympathetic to adults still sleeping in bed.
Your kids are very young, but it's typical for teenagers to get louder if you tell them to quiet down! And they probaby think it's a joke, if you are brand new there and perhaps the last residents were a working couple who were out the door by 7:30 for the morning commute and never noticed or said anything about the noise. Teens are not likely to wait quietly for the bus - they have a lot to say, people to call and text, football plays to practice, and the other things that are key in their life which may seem silly to us.
The management of your complex isn't going to be able to do anything about the location of the bus stop. This is determined by the school district. I would suggest contacting the transportation office of your school district. They are the only ones who can change a bus stop and are in charge of handling matters of bus discipline. What they can do about kids who are being loud and are not yet on the bus, I don't know but good luck

Sounds silly and surprised no one mentioned it, but if none of the above works - ask your neighbors about what to do? Maybe this stuff has already been done?

I would see if there's a noise ordinance and if there is, contact the police to file a complaint.

I would definitely see the apt manager first though...

The only thing you can do is to call up the transportation department at the school district and have the stop changed to the corner or find out why it's not at the corner. Some reasons might have to do with traffic safety. You must also remember that your children will not be little forever and will be going to that same school, so once you have the stop moved...don't expect to get it moved back. As for the teens being noisey....I'd be thankful for that rather than have them up no good. They are excited to see their friends is what's happening. You could find out who their parents are and talk to them. Please, remember that you are new to the area and need to learn how to "do as the Romans do."

I really don't think you'll have any luck with having the bus stop changed. I've had experience dealing with that and even when it involved the bus stop being on a very busy corner with my young child involved, they gave me a hard time, and I'm the parent. Asking the teens to be quiet won't work either. Most teens are "all about them", it's just the way they are. I have one myself. It's a phase they go through and they usually don't consider other people until they're almost out of high school. My sister went through it too.
Anyway, my suggestion would be to try to get your kids to sleep a little earlier, so they get that extra hour of sleep. Then when the "loud" teens wake them up, they'll be rested enough where they won't be cranky. By the way, you're lucky they get picked up so late. My teen has to be on the bus at 6:45.

I would just try a noise machine for the kids to drown out the noise outside. These kids and school district aren't going feel as though it is their problem that you have kids that like to sleep in. Hope that helps.

L.,

Go to the management of your apartment complex. Go to the High School if you get no satisfaction there. Talk to the bus driver at a last resort. Being in a complex, it will be your window or someone else's, and they may have complained first.

That being said, Take a cranky baby down with you, and stand there with them (if it's comfortable with you). Let them see who they are disturbing. Chances are they may see that it's a cute baby who needs his/her sleep, and 'wake up'. HS kids that they are, maybe not, but you might tip them in the other direction.

Good Luck,
M.

Try contacting the bus company directly; they're the ones who set the route/schedule. It may or may not make a difference. If they can't/won't/don't change it, then try contacting the apartment manager. It's nearly impossible to control noise coming from a group of teens, though.
The other possibility is to adjust your kids' sleep schedule so they sleep earlier @ night if they are destined to be up earlier in the AM. Good luck!

Well, my first thought was to spray a hose to get them to knock it off..lol..but that probably wouldn't go over very well.
Talk to the transportation department of the school and the Superintendant about this. Also speak to the neighbors and see if they will back you up on changing the bus stop.

Good luck,
Nanc

There is not much you can do about this. Teenagers are going to be loud. I would suggest putting your kids to bed an hour earlier.

I hear you. My neighbor seems to let her yappy dog outside every day at 3:00 sharp, right when my son is napping. He barks and barks until she lets him back in, which never fails--wakes my son up too early from his nap. I've considered asking her not to do this but then realized that it's an unreasonable request since it is her property, and her dog! They will probably say the same for your case, but you could always try! Good luck.
L.

You can contact the school district and see if they would consider moving the bus stop. Is it possible that the kids have just "migrated" over your way, but the stop is actually not in front of your house? Don't hesitate to contact the district. Besides, I think in NY, all school bus stops are to be at an intersection, so all traffic must stop for a stopped school bus.... At least that's the way it is in our town...

Hi L.,

First it was not nice for your landlord not to inform you of this. However, I would contact someone if maybe they could move the stop. It should not be that difficult others should understand. I would not be happy about this at all. Good Luck! :)

Hi L.
Sorry for the inconvenience of having the bus stop at your front door, and for the lack of sleep that it causes the kids but I suggest that you are not going to stop the kids from being noisy, they have been up for an hour or so and that is when their day starts.
As for what you can do. First, make sure your kids are in the back of the house, as far from the noise as possible.
Second, use insulation to your advantage, if at all possible, or white noise machine.
Lastly put the kids to bed earlier so that they are ready to get up and you also are ready to get up by the time the bus is coming. Believe me it will help in a year or so when they start school.
If you were going to be there til High School you would be thankful for the bus stop being in front of your house.
A bit of history, I had to get on the bus at 6:15 when I was a kid. Kids here are on the bus by 6:30 now but the bus stops at every house so no real bus stop.
God bless you and your lovely young family
K. SAHM married 38 years --- adult children 37 coach, 32 lawyer married with 5 mos old, and twins 18 in college after homeschooling.

Just an FYI, they won't change the bus stop so don't bother asking.

Saying something to the kids will just make them louder - give it some time, they just went back to school this week, once they settle in things might quiet down.

Hi L., We had that problem when my kids were little. The bus stop was right on our driveway. We did go out and explain to the kids that we had babies and if they could keep it down it would be greatly appreciated. We also had an over hang on the house and told them that if it was windy or rainy and they wanted to stay dry that they could stand under there. Our kids bedrooms were right above it.
I didn't ask to have the stop moved because I thought it would be great when my kids were in school. The kids were really great. They did keep it down. I don't know if your husband went out with an attitude but I did find with kids if you went out like a friend instead of an angry, annoyed adult they were more apt to accommodate you. If they don't quiet down, you could go to the school or possibly ask their parents to explain the situation. Some
kids now a days just aren't in to being considerate of other people no matter what you do. I hope that this works out for you. It's very hard to have to deal with kids and parents because of a request that isn't unreasonable if they don't do it. I wish you good luck. Oh..one night a bunch of kids were sitting in front of our house making alot of noise. My husband said to them they could stay there all night but could they just keep it down because the babies were sleeping. The kids were so nice they said sure and they did move down the street in front of the woods but they were quiet. I guess it really all depends on the type of people you have to deal with. Again, good luck. I'd love to hear how you make out. D.

I am sorry for your early morning stress. It is a shame your landlord didn't say anything to you. Give it time and you won't even realize they are there. If that doesn't work, then move. Complaining will only make the situation worse for you. High schoolers can be obnoxious, so I wouldn't get angry with them, there just kids. You can't expect things to change because you are a new tenant. Ask your landlord if he can help in any way, suchas contacting the school bussing company and seeing what they can do about moving the stop or maybe see if you can get another apartment that isn't located along the street because you have 3 and 5 yr. olds. I think over time you will become accustomed to them. Keep your blinds closed and turn the TV on in the morning. Put your kids to bed earlier that way they wake up earlier, 8:30 is late for us, my 2 yr. old is up at 7 watching Sesame Street. Hope this helps, good luck.

Your best bet may be to just get yourself one of those wonderful white noise machines and have that running all night in your childrens room so that in the morning, they don't even hear the extra noise and will remain asleep. My husband and I had to start using one and now it's just a normal thing for us. The other day, there was a huge accident that took place right in front of our next door neighbor's house during the middle of the night, but we never even heard a thing. Our neighbors couldn't believe we actually slept through it!

Hi L.,

We went through a similar thing a couple of years back. I would first try to contact the school and ask them to move the stop down the street. Shouldn't be a huge deal, but if that doesn't work, you might have to invest in a sound machine for your kids' rooms, or a noisy fan, something to block them out. Unfortunately, and this is what I experienced when teenagers were severely cursing in front of my toddlers, they do get worse when asked. So many parents have failed to teach their kids to think of anyone but themselves, thus the selfishness and immaturity you are experiencing with these teens. Blocking them out is probably your best option. If you know their parents, the other option would be to speak to their parents and explain the situation and ask if they would be willing to help you make the kids understand the impact their early morning noise is having on others. Might work. It's worth a try. A couple of my kids are completely miserable if woken up prematurely and by anyone else, so I know what you are going through.

D.
35 year old mother of 5 with one more on the way

You say you just moved in, which means that the bus stop was established several months before you moved in. The stop might be at your front door because some of those kids live in your building, or could have been the same bus stop for 20 years. Honestly, I don't think it's reasonable to ask for the bus stop to be moved mid-school year, but you can certainly make the request for next school year. That doesn't mean they will change it.

Sometimes life is about learning to cope with the hand you are dealt and being flexible instead of expecting others to bend. Instead of starting outside your family unit, I would try some different things inside first. For instance, you could try moving bedtime up by an hour, so they might naturally be waking up closer to 7:30am. You could try a white noise machine in your kids' room. Try honey instead of vinegar-- tell the high school kids you'll buy them donuts every Friday morning if they don't wake your kids up all week. Be creative.

L. I understand your frustration, I had a barking neighbor dog.. Howled all night.. We bought a white noise machine, and put heavy insulated drapes on the girl's bedroom windows. They eventually got used to the sound so it didn't bother them at all.

I grew up a few blocks away from an el train in the Bronx, I never heard the train till someone pointed it out. Don't worry, the kids will adjust. Maybe in the meantime an earlier bedtime will help so their earlier waking wont' leave them so cranky.

I think you'll aggravate yourself to insanity if you try to get he bus stop moved. Soundproofing as best you can os your better option.

Hi L.,
You can contact the school district and advise them of the problem. If you do, start at the high school, move on to the transportation dept. and then to the superintendent's office. That way you can be more anonymous to your neighbors and you can also point out to the district that the students are causing a disruption. Once kids are at a bus stop, they are the school district's responsibility. Good luck!

Call the bus garage for your school district and explain the situation to them. They're the ones that assign bus stop locations. I think your kids sleep is much more important than rumpled feathers with the neighbors. It's not like the kids are elementary or even middle school age... they're high school age kids! So it shouldn't be a safety issue to move the bus stop...they're old enough! Good luck!
T.

You could call the school and ask if the bus stop could be moved, but it's not likely to happen. Teenagers are going to be loud, and it's just their nature to rebel, especially when being asked to do something by a stranger. Consider getting a white noise machine of some sort to help block out the noise. My little guys sleep with a cool mist humidifier every night. I don't even put water in it unless they need it. It's just for the noise. Good luck! I know I would be frustrated too.

Buy a white noise machine for their room and put it on high. I have one for my son since he was a baby b/c we have 3 dogs. It works. You can get them online. Not very expensive.

I can't believe no one mentioned this:

I'm not sure where you live but unfortunately, its easier to move a mountain than to move a bus stop.

Why not simply change apartments?

Although changing apartments, seems like a huge task, its easier than moving the bus stop. It takes many years of planning and coordination to move bus stops, put new street signs or perform any/many tasks that involve government agencies.

It would be worse if you owned a home and this same bus stop was out front. Change apartments if you can. Save you sanity for your boys, you're gonna need it! ;)

Me:

Married 17 years, 2 girls aged 4 and 10.

Good Luck to you.

I would follow through with your idea of going to the school office, explaining your situation towards a positive result, and requesting to remain anonymous!

I don't think you will have much luck changing the bus stop and theres no way will you get the kids to be quiet, so the best way is to change your children's sleep pattern. Soon the 5 will be getting up for his own school, so dont stress. Be happy the bus stop is right outside for your son's sake.