Immigrant stories in the U.S.: That year, my family was living in the United States, and my daughter was 10 years old. According to U.S. law, children under 12 must be supervised 24 hours a day; otherwise, the guardian may face legal sanctions. As a mother, this was naturally my responsibility, especially since I was in charge of picking her up and dropping her off at school every day.
Once, while reading in the library, I lost track of time, and by the time I realized I needed to pick up my child, it was already too late. Even though I was anxious and driving in a hurry, I maintained my integrity and consciously followed traffic rules. I patiently waited at "Stop" signs where there were no cars and certainly no pedestrians, constantly reminding myself: do not speed, absolutely do not speed.
To ease my anxiety, I drove along the clear country road accompanied by American country music, when suddenly a harsh horn blared from behind. I instinctively slammed on the brakes. Looking back, I was stunned, and a cold sweat broke out all over me. A burly black driver ran straight toward me, and I immediately realized what had happened, thinking I was in big trouble! It turned out that on the road opposite me, a school bus was stopped. The driver had extended a red "Stop" sign with white lettering from outside the driver's side window and was flashing the stop signal lights. According to regulations, all vehicles approaching the school bus—whether traveling in the opposite direction or following the bus in the same direction—must immediately slow down and come to a complete stop. Furthermore, when a school bus is stopped to pick up or drop off students, all vehicles, including police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks, must remain at a complete stop; even the President's motorcade must stop and wait. In the United States, drivers who violate this law face heavy fines, the suspension of their driver's license for one year, and even severe criminal penalties, including imprisonment.
It is precisely because of such protections that most American children are willing to take the school bus. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, 54% of primary and secondary school students take the school bus to school every day. There are over 400,000 school buses across the U.S. providing "imperial carriage"-like service, transporting approximately 25 million students daily. It is reported that the accident rate per million kilometers for school buses is only 0.01, compared to 0.04 for trains, 0.06 for airplanes, and 0.96 for other road vehicles. Clearly, school buses are nine times safer than other vehicles!
In my rush, I had failed to see the bus and had accidentally passed it. One must realize that in all 50 U.S. states, there is the same traffic rule: passing a school bus that is stopped to pick up or drop off students is one of the most serious traffic violations. I was doomed!
Without hesitation, I got out of the car and rushed over to explain the situation to the driver, bowing and apologizing. He was very angry and seemed unmoved. In my desperation, I even used a traditional Chinese cupped-hand salute to apologize deeply again, explaining that I had a 10-year-old girl at home, and if I didn't return in time, she might have an accident, or I could be reported by neighbors, which might lead to the loss of my guardianship.
A miracle happened; he did not call the police, did not continue to yell, and his expression actually "cleared up," granting me a "way out."
I deeply understand that the "status" of a U.S. school bus is the same as that of a police car, ambulance, or fire truck, and is even superior to that of an ambulance or fire truck. In the United States, although there is no slogan stating that "children are the flowers of the motherland and the hope of every family," there is a strong consensus that "the safety of a child's life is more valuable than any other wealth."
In the face of the rule of law, who would dare to act recklessly? With life held above all else, who could bear to offend?