Is it always illegal to pass one?
Let me elaborate on my question that should normally receive an automatic yes.

Say you're going south on a two lane road (speed limit is 55) and a bus turns onto the northbound lane from a side street, then as soon as it straightens out in the lane after turning the stop sign pops out. Now say that you're at your minimum stopping distance away from the bus when the stop sign flips out with no yellow or red lights to let you know that it's about to happen. Would it be illegal to pass that particular bus with its stop sign out? I didn't but man I had some hostile thoughts about that bus driver while I sat there waiting on the kid to get off the bus. I did find out that my truck will stop on a dime (seemed that way anyway) and the anti-lock brakes work (I could feel them doing their thing while I was standing on the pedal). It felt like I was about to drag the front bumper on the ground and the rear end was about to come off of it.

 

This is one of those "look down the road" to prepare. Like if your riding a bicycle, no bike lanes, and cars parked on the street. Law is to be on the shoulder, which places you within a couple feet of the parked cars and so you're always looking for drivers about to open their door.

I believe its official to stop when the LIGHTS are on. In your 55 mph situation, its like the stop sign is a yellow light -- begin to slow to a stop son!

 

In MD, if there is a divider, your good to go, just watch for kids.

 

I think I need to clarify a little more.
I'm driving down a two lane country road.
A school bus turns onto the road going the opposite direction without any of its flashing lights on.
I've seen this a thousand times, a bus turning onto a road like any other vehicle.
But what was different about this situation is that as soon as the bus completed its turn it popped out the stop sign.
I don't see why the bus driver didn't let the kid get out when it was stopped on the intersecting road and felt the need to pull onto the road I was driving down to let them out instead.

 

The cross traffic would not have clear view of the sign and lights??

The bus would be stopping traffic that might be taking a right turn onto the road it just came off of.

 

You have to think about it like a cop would, that being said, a cop isn't going to care, if the bus pulls out and pops the sign on 55 limit traffic(probly doing 60), if he needs the ticket or is in a mood. So I'd say technically illegal. However lets be realistic, I drive a heavy tractor trailer and in that situation I would just blow through it, wouldn't even tap the brakes, wouldn't stop me in time anyway.

 

Techincally illegal, agreed. If you can convince a judge (or the cop on the side of the road) the bus driver did not give any prior warning (yellow lights) I'm sure you could get it thrown out. Speaking of driving a truck, my dad got a ticket for blowing though a stoplight in a loaded truck because it was raining and he was simply too close to stop. My dad told the cop that stopping simply wasn't an option, cop said "The blazer next to you managed to stop", my dad simply rolled his eyes. Some cops are just incompetent and/or dicks, nothing you can do about it other than go to court.

 

A friend of mine got a ticket one time because him and three others ran a red light. It was an 18 wheeler that was too close to stop then the guy behind him that was following too close to see the red light, then my friend that was too close to see that the light was red then another guy that just wasn't paying attention.
It seemed odd to me why that cop decided to pull over my friend and not one of the other two vehicles.

 

In that situation if I were ticketed I'd take it to court and hope to convince the judge that stopping just wasn't possible given that the lights didn't come on until I was essentially alongside the bus.

I picked up a speeding ticket for 45 in a 35 when I was 17 years old and fought it because the speed limit sign at the beginning of the 35 zone was obscured by an untrimmed tree. I saw the cop sitting there and checked my speed, dead on 45MPH, so I was puzzled when he pulled me over. After I signed the ticket I went back to look for that sign and it wasn't until my second go-round that I saw it, so I returned with a camera later that day to get photos of the obscured sign. The ticket was dismissed and the judge's off-hand remarks indicated that the same cop had written several tickets there over the course of a few weeks. I was the first one to bring evidence -- and who knows how many just paid their fines to avoid the inconvenience of a court appearance.

I'd bet that the court didn't call all those others back to reverse their convictions. "Justice for all" is a nice concept but it doesn't exist.

 

My wife drives school bus. You are supposed to stop anytime you see that stop sighn out. regardless if the driver gave you warning or not. As someone says thats where your supposed to be paying attention 1/2 mile down the road as you drive. The fact that driver didnt put any warning lights may help you in the case of a ticket. However it depends because in CT. its all about woman and kids. so just the fact you went passed a school bus would be enough to make the ticket stick. as for the bus stopping before turning the corner... every bus company has certain rules. for instance at the company my wife works for you cant turn right on red ANYTIME. however at the last it was o.k