A Blue Star Transportation tour bus was captured on camera on April 28 as it drove around a line of backed-up traffic to pass through a herd of bison in Yellowstone National Park. Visitors were surprised because usually vehicles simply wait for the herd to cross the road before continuing on their way.
Debate erupts
Facebook users along with park enthusiasts quickly posted their concern and disgust at the incident. They argued that the tour bus failed to use proper procedures when park roads are blocked by animals.
The Yellowstone bison herd blocked traffic in both directions, but that didn’t stop Blue Star’s driver, who crossed the double yellow highway lines, passed the line of waiting vehicles, and forced the bison off the road before continuing on his way.
Supporters of the bus driver said that it’s not uncommon for animals of all sorts to block traffic. Rather than sit for hours, these folks applauded the bus driver’s actions. Another tour bus driver and semitruck driver agreed. “We are instructed to do this,” Duane Wettstein commented, and “to not add to the congestion.”
Driving rules
What’s the law in National Parks regarding animals on the highway? We don’t see any specific laws in a quick search regarding what to do when encountering wildlife on the road, but here’s what National Park Trips has to say:
“Driving slowly behind a group of bison plodding along a two-lane road, you can certainly maneuver around them whenever it’s safe.”
##RVT1155b
If I were waiting in line and trying to get pictures of the wildlife, I’d be plenty disgusted with a bus ruining it after going so far. I suppose the bus could prevent some from seeing anything if behind it; it’s kind of like following a billboard. The park needs better rules for those who pay attention to such things. The bus didn’t seem concerned with the safety of the bison.
” … but here’s what National Park Trips has to say:
“Driving slowly behind a group of bison plodding along a two-lane road, you can certainly maneuver around them whenever it’s safe.”
Pretty much covers it.
The rules from NPS indicate it’s allowable to pass the herd so long as it is safe to do so. Those bison can hog the road x 24 hours if no car or truck,bus , moves them . No harm in trying to get traffic to move along or you’d be fried in your car from just sitting in the hot sun all day waiting…and if you have an appointment time to get somewhere, what would you tell the people you’re meeting?? I had to wait for the buffalo herd all day……
Tour bus drivers have drive time limits just like tractor trailer drivers do. Customer’s itineraries often come very close to maxing out the 10 hour daily limit. Slowly passing stopped traffic to keep from busting a time limit, and possibly incurring a DOT violation, seems reasonable to me.
Maybe they should stay out of areas that could slow them down.
Most Tour bus drivers don’t think the rules apply to them. They insist they have a schedule to keep and backed up traffic will cause a delay. That driver should have been pulled over by the authorities and the rules explained. That would have caused another delay.
Also, it seems Tour buses do not need to obey speed limit laws. Most are moving well beyond the posted speed limits. Those drivers are putting 50-75, or more, people at risk.
They also don’t pull into the truck lane on hills on major highways, blocking faster moving vehicles.
Thats why there’s so many bus accidents and people getting killed or hurt. Especially in the winter.
The driver and the bus company need to be fined
There’s nothing wrong with slowly moving through a herd of animals blocking a roadway. They’ll move out of the way without harm. I’m not talking about ramming through at an unreasonable speed for the situation, rather, just “edging” through to keep moving.
Sorry if someone is taking pictures, but some other people may have activities reserved like horseback rides, scheduled guided hiking, etc. that they need to be on time for or lose their reserved spot.
The last statement in the article says it all…you may pass when it’s safe.
Thank you, Gail! 🙂 I am surprised that the bus driver’s actions were not illegal. We were blocked several minutes in the RV just north of Fort Nelson on our way to Alaska. I conjectured that I could intimidate the bison with the RV and make them leave the roadway. DW was adamant that we sit there until the herd of bison left of their own free will. I thought waiting were a legal requirement. No? Thanks for the story, Gail, and safe travels! 🙂
If you have ever visited Yellowstone, so many of the nitwits will even stop and block traffic if there is a chipmunk or squirrel on the road.
Ride on folks with sense!
I don’t know of any place where passing on a double yellow line is not against the law, it’s also a reckless driving ticket. Idiot
Yellowstone bison are paid to clog the roadways, part of their job to slow down traffic.
Hahaha! Your comment made me smile!
Kudos to the bus driver. No bison hurt, tour schedule maintained. Seems simple and reasonable….. to the reasonable.
If both lanes are stopped and the herd on the road is the actual cause of traffic stoppage, bypassing the line just to add a third and much larger vehicle to clog seems pretty stupid for a supposed professional with a CDL.
Conversely, if the stoppage is because every single car wants to stop and take pictures indifferent to using the shoulder, perhaps the driver feels obligated to bypass everything that everyone on the bus came to see…..
You’re a guest in their home, act like it. And while this is done everyday without incident, stop trying to rationalize the greed of the bus company or the need of the touron.
If they stand in the road for say 24 hours can we then proceed through the herd or should we just cook one up and then continue to wait them out, with a full belly?
The complainers are just pissed they didn’t think of it first.
I worked in Yellowstone several years ago, drilling and installing instrumentation for seismic activity and would periodically make fuel runs. An hour out to west Yellowstone and an hour back if the bison weren’t in the road, if there was a bison jam it could be several hours just to get get fuel. One of the rangers at the park said that the bison will stand in the road forever if there’s no pressure, so if you want to get them to move drive through them, they will move. They are in fact just stupid animals and couldn’t care less if there was a tour bus driving through! P.S. They sell bison burgers at some of the restaurants in west Yellowstone, just saying.
Thanks for the enlightening insider information, Eric. Makes sense. Have a good afternoon/evening. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
What gave that dppy bus driver the right of way? The best years in YNP were the covid years as there were no bus tours loaded with Tourons!