School commute Moms

[Josh]

Dear School Commute Mom.

Yes, I am amazed as you are that the romp in the parking lot of the local burger joint resulted in the world’s cutest baby (basing this on the proud yet aged cracked ‘world’s cutest baby’ sticker you’re sporting). What's truly amazing is how you have managed to keep him/her intact throughout the toddler years and now precious is ready for school.

It must’ve been this blasted cold, but I was unable to spidey sense the cosmic and psychic siren that emanates from your vehicle whenever precious is being ferreted to what you must lovingly refer as 'state sponsored free child care' (school to most). Me Bad since this 'siren' obviously confers special transit privileges not afforded to common folk.

I was privileged; due to road conditions and route choice; to share my commute with you. I saw you do the following in a very short period of time: Slow to a crawl in a road area that just a little uneven, blast around people who dared to follow posted speed limit when obviously you disagreed on that number, and make gestures that I’m assuming was you proclaiming “STOP signs are for wimps and the common folks, get out of my way!”.

The Coup de grace was the way you parallel parked blocking the trough fare opened the door and pushed precious out. You then proceeded to sit there, parallel parked, for several minutes while precious waddled to the school gate and disappeared within.

Then and only then you found it worthy to get your ass going again. I personally enjoyed how you almost clipped another commute mom on your haste to get back to watching the Oprah network.

I’m betting I’ll see you soon again, this time in a retail establishment trying to return something outside the return policy, with no receipt or in a fast food place where you will demand that the flames used to cook your burger be fanned by ostrich feathers and your extra pickles be arranged in a daisy pattern.

[sms001]

The Coup de grace was the way you parallel parked blocking the trough fare opened the door and pushed precious out.

Nice.

I’m betting I’ll see you soon again, .... trying to return something outside the return policy,.... or in a fast food place where you will demand

Suckers bet. And you're on the wrong website for those kind of suckers.

[fireheart]

For a second there, I thought you were almost in Australia. We get the exact same problem with some of the parents around here. While it's not so much of a problem out at the school behind my house, out around at least 2-3 other local schools, parents tend to fail to follow the rules and guidelines set out by the schools to pick up their children. (there is a lack of carparks sadly, as said carparks are used by the staff)

Although the school fights back with that-several of them have crossing monitors (children who volunteer for the duty and are supervised) and if they spot a car doing something illegal, they get to write it down so they get fined

[protege]

We get the exact same problem with some of the parents around here. While it's not so much of a problem out at the school behind my house, out around at least 2-3 other local schools, parents tend to fail to follow the rules and guidelines set out by the schools to pick up their children. (there is a lack of carparks sadly, as said carparks are used by the staff)

We have that problem here. I have an elementary school just around the corner. Whenever they have an event (parent/teacher conferences, breakfast with Santa, etc.) there are cars parked down both sides of the (narrow) one-way street. Pain in the ass to get out of my own driveway. Does that stop them from driving like idiots? Of course not.

When the school isn't having an event, it still sucks. Many mornings, I've nearly had some idiot hit me. I'll be out of my driveway, in the middle of the damn street, and nearly *every* morning some idiot in an SUV is screeching to a halt, and blasting the horn at me. Sorry bitch, but you nearly hit *me.* It's not *my* fault that you're doing 90 in a 25mph zone, and that you're late for work after dropping the kids off. It's not my fault you're in a damn hurry. If you can't drive safely in the 'burbs, leave earlier. Othewise, GTFO.

Oh, and we've complained to the school and the police about the parking situation...and the speeding. All of it falls on deaf ears. Because it's not school property, they won't do anything. As long as nobody gets hit, neither will the police. It's only a matter of time before there's an accident

[wagegoth]

Taking my kids to school in the mornings is always scary.

First, we have to get past the elementary school. I have seen parents literally cutting between cars to save themselves a couple of steps, and pull illegal u-turns. Great way to teach the kids social responsibility.

Next, all those kids who are walking to the middle and high schools are cutting through traffic. Obviously, they remember the lessons they learned from their parents in elementary school.

Traffic is an extra mess because they've been doing construction on the street for a year now, and still not done.

We finally make our turn, then are stuck as people try to pull into the Catholic elementary school. At least they're dropping their children off in a safe spot. A goodly number will drop their kids off across the street to let them cut through traffic.

Just past the Catholic school, I pull over to the sidewalk (there's no shoulder) and drop off my high schooler while we're stuck in traffic. He actually uses the crosswalk and waits for the light.

Then we turn the corner and the car traffic dodge begins:

The parents who pulled into the Catholic school are now attempting to use the side exit, and a large number of them, rather than making a right and going around a very small block, will sit, often gradually edging into traffic, to make a left turn across this incredibly busy street, with the high school on the left, and the line of cars for the light which is usually a dozen long at this time of morning.

We get past that exit, and twenty feet on are the parents dumping their high school kids to cross the street through traffic.

(Someone please tell me what the hell is wrong with these people that they tell their children to illegally cross the street and risk their lives every day. I've seen very young children, as young as six, being dropped to cut through traffic.)

At the end of the block, there are a number of people on the side street who have dropped their children at that corner to use the crosswalk. This is a very busy three-way intersection, with cars trying to get back on the main street, cars from the direction opposite me trying to turn onto the side street to avoid the backup between the high school and Catholic school, and middle and high school students trying to get across the uncontrolled intersection.

We carefully edge past, and then it's a matter of watching for the middle schoolers who have no sense of mortality as they dance around, play fight and push each other on the sidewalk of a street with no shoulder.

We get through the next three blocks with crosswalks, clueless kids, and one stoplight, and we are finally at the middle school, where I drop my youngest son after pulling over to the drop off zone.

I then slowly head past the school, with the uncontrolled crosswalks (where my son was run over the previous school year), parents in a rush, school employees who are late, and then line up at the light.

And then I take a deep breath, turn on the audiobook in the CD player, and relax for my actual commute.

This entire drive is less than two miles start to finish, but it easily takes twenty minutes or more to navigate.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

the romp in the parking lot of the local burger joint

Not classy enough for Olive Garden?

[RichS]

This doesn't surprise me.

You see, on my way to work in the morning, I have to pass a school. The 25 MPH sign is flashing when I pass by every morning.

Why is it that when I'm going by there, going a little faster than that limit, that I'm relentlessly tailgated and pulled in front of? They make this commute every morning, you would think that they would know about the limit, but this happens without exception. Every morning.

Oh well, I've got a nice big hitch on the back and a brush guard on the front of my truck, if I have to stop short or can't slow down enough, they'll find out that they shouldn't follow or pull out of the school parking lot so close.

[PepperElf]

one of our schools here is on a busy divided 4-lane road. in a way it makes things better cos no one's dumb enough to let their kids cross the road to get to the school.

esp since the speed limit only drops from 55 to 45 in the school zone.

[Pagan]

This doesn't surprise me.

You see, on my way to work in the morning, I have to pass a school. The 25 MPH sign is flashing when I pass by every morning.

Why is it that when I'm going by there, going a little faster than that limit, that I'm relentlessly tailgated and pulled in front of? They make this commute every morning, you would think that they would know about the limit, but this happens without exception. Every morning.

There's a school zone for an elementary not far from me that I would hit in the afternoon. Have the same problems, tailgating, speeding, etc. 90% of the time, it was the freaking parents pulling this shit! With crossing guards present, too!

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I have driven nearly the entire span of the eastern seaboard and as far west as Texas. I have been at the mercy of traffic from Las Vegas to Rome and I have never in all my travels seen as much fuckery and idiocy perpetrated by drivers as I have seen in the school zone five minutes from my house when the "active school zone" lights are flashing.

I wish I were exaggerating.

[ADoyle90815]

It's even worse to live about a block from a couple of schools, with my particular street being at a T intersection with one street that goes to the school. If I'm getting home when the parents in their SUV's and minivans, I have to basically go around the block in order to get on my street since I can never turn left as there's a huge line of parents waiting to leave.

There's also a high school I pass on the way home from work that is on a major street, and I have to put up with parents tailgating and other crap just to get home.

[PepperElf]

update: but apparently some parents are still stupid drivers.

my bf said he saw the cleanup of an accident near the school area. i'm not entirely sure what happened but from what he said it looked like... well i'm not sure what to call them but there's breaks in the divided road so you can make turns across it.

anyway someone had seen their way clear to make a left and started across... I think someone had slowed down for them too. but another car wasn't happy with the slower traffic and went around to speed... smack into the car making the turn. so hard that the other car flipped.


lovely way to start the drive to school, yes?

[Tama]

And this is on a private road...

The dumbassery where I used to live lead to a middle school being built on a HIGHWAY. I didn't get out much, but...the traffic was just....urgh.