Bus Stop?

One of the most annoying things that will happen to you five times maximum in your life is being stuck behind a bus at a railroad with no one else on the road and they totally stop!  They may even open the doors!  Why are they doing that?

Don't get too mad at them - it is actually a law.  Transfer your hatred from the bus to politicians (shouldn't be hard).  All buses must stop at all railroad crossing, even if there is no one on board.  In some places the bus has to open the doors and put on its warning lights!  Then, the law says motorists should not proceed until the bus is completely cleared of the tracks.

What is the point of all this?  If a train was coming how would stopping beforehand and opening the doors do anything - if it comes when you are on the tracks you are on the tracks?  Just stop if there is already a train.  You cannot really get rid of the chance of a train coming out of nowhere - which they never do.  The only point I can see is because it is a .000001% more chance of a lot of people getting hurt.  But then why make buses do the whole dance when no one is on board?  Aren't they just a big car at that point?  I don't get the extra precaution.  If it is so dangerous then buses should do this at all intersections.  I am sure that the law was the product of an over-ambitious politician trying to make news after an absurdly rare bus accident.

One more point, do school buses really think it is safer to got 15 mph UNDER the speed limit on the highway?  If everyone is going 65 mph then going 50 mph is very dangerous.  Just go the speed limit, bus.

"This seems the much more likely outcome when a vehicle stops for no reason."