Scary time in the school drop-off lanes today

[agnes!]

And just realized what happened when I got home.

HUGE traffic back-up getting to the school, we left the house with plenty of time...well, apparently everyone-else did too. HUGE back-up even before we could get to the school-building, on all the roads leading to the school. Kids are getting antsy, starting to panic, jumping out of the cars. I had let my DD out and pulled into the through-traffic lane.

Let me pause and explain the set-up. Coming onto the campus there are two lanes, the right one is on the curb for the buses and the other one (on the left) is for cars. At a certain point, the bus lane (which is the curb lane) splits off and the drop-off lane becomes two lanes. One is for dropping-off your kid, the other is for through-traffic. People are supposed to let their kids off on the *passengers'* side of the car, not the *DRIVER'S* side. People are *supposed* to let their kids out at a certain spot.

See where this is going?

So, I had already let my DD out and was pulling into the through-traffic lane, like I'm supposed to. I heard a noise, looked back, saw a kid in the back-seat/driver's side of another car pulling a car-door shut and proceeded, thinking that the kid just shut his door quickly when he saw me pull into the drive-through lane.

Get home and decide to check my car...paint-scrape from the other car is on my car . My car is fine but now I'm wondering if everything is ok with the other car and the people. What's odd if that I didn't even feel the driver's-side/passenger door touch my car and it didn't dent my car at all, just laid some paint on top of my finish. The other car didn't honk their horn, nobody yelled so I'm assuming the kid's ok (maybe scared he put a dent in my car). I was on school-property for at least another couple of minutes, sitting in traffic. If someone was hurt or the other car had damage, I think someone would have honked their horn or said "hey lady, are you ok? We think we hit your car" or "hey lady, &**&^(&*" or something. There were adults standing-around tending the traffic-line and nobody said anything.

I could have hit that kid, even though he shouldn't have been getting out on the wrong side, even though he wasn't getting out at the designated spot. I am a very careful driver, I am always looking down the road at upcoming road conditions, I've been driving for years and only been involved in maybe one or two accidents. I am SO careful.

Scary.

And now I'm sitting here wondering if I should tell somebody (maybe other than the DIS...) up at the school, but I don't know who to call about it and not sure I really should. I'm not hurt, my car isn't damaged, I just want to make sure the other people are ok but I didn't recognize the car, I don't know who they are.

I hate school drop-off.

agnes!

 

[lovemygoofy]

I hate school drop off and don't even have children to drop off.

I think that if something bad had happened you would have heard instantly a commotion. You said that you were sitting there in traffic for a couple minutes also which means you wouldn't have missed anything special going on.

I hope people are more careful around here. Last week people on Ft. Belvoir were acting like they had never seen a school bus stopped. Driving AROUND the stop sign on the bus when STOPPED with kids coming from both sides of the street. I was a mess just watching and it wasn't my kids.

If it makes you feel better, you can call up to the school front desk and make sure nothing bad was reported.

 

[agnes!]

What's bad right now is that my DH is out of town and I tried to phone him but no answer. I also tried to call up my neighborhood buddy around the corner but she didn't answer her phone. And I don't have anybody right now to talk to who could talk me down from being so upset.

Except for you Tina, thanks so much for posting.

agnes!

 

[Redheaded Sunshine]

If I were you I'd contact the school and speak to them about sending out another reminder to parents about what the school drop off policies are, telling them about the near incident today. There should be someone out there regulating these things. There is at my school and there are still issues, but your school sounds like a big old Charlie Foxtrot. And if you have a PTA, I'd speak to them about it too. It only takes one incident by a thoughtless parent (as I know you're aware of) for a kid to get seriously hurt or killed.

 

[lovemygoofy]

What's bad right now is that my DH is out of town and I tried to phone him but no answer. I also tried to call up my neighborhood buddy around the corner but she didn't answer her phone. And I don't have anybody right now to talk to who could talk me down from being so upset.

Except for you Tina, thanks so much for posting.

agnes!

Oh, I'm sorry no one's around. I certainly understand that. I was thinking about you last week. I was in your neck of the woods visiting a friend and her preschool.

 

[The Moonk's Mom]

We had problems with parents letting kids out in the wrong place last year and coming in from the wrong direction on a one-way street so our school after two letters told the parents if it did not stop, they would get a ticket...guess what...it happened! I have to say I hope the parents that could not follow rules were embarassed. It is sad people can't follow rules that simple when it involves the safety of a child.

If you have a relationship with the school, I would go up there and talk to them in the office and voice your concern over what happened today and tell them that a letter is needed to the parents. Sorry, I know you are probably scared that you could hurt a kid and thank goodness it sounds like you didn't.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I am sure it is fine. School drop off stinks, for sure. I did it all last yr.

We have a designated police officer that directs traffic and enforces it.

Last yr. was awful. This yr is better because they have a better system and expanded the parking lot.

Also my dd is riding the bus.

 

[Serena]

It's ok. Take a breath. No one got hurt.

After you calm down a bit I would go to school and let them know what happened. Ask them to send a reminder of what to do at the drop offs. This incident may prevent something far worse happening next week.

There doesn't sound like you were careless in any way. And this may remind the parent or whoever was with that kid to be more careful.


I wish I could have written tickets to the parents at the school I was at. I was the traffic guard for 3 years and came within 6 inches of getting hit 3 different times. I am not small, standing in the middle of the road with a big stop sign. Yeah, me, normally pretty quiet, did a lot of yelling.

 

[agnes!]

I've decided to call the school security office, they're the ones who supervise traffic and safety issues on school property. I figure if they say "Oh, you're the parent who didn't stop" then I might be in deep kimchee, but I'd rather know that sooner than later. If they haven't heard about it, then I just want to tell them as kind of a heads-up of the dangerous possibility, not that they don't already know how bad the traffic can get. A neighbor was telling me that the Lead Security guy was hit up at school a few years back.

I just think people don't *think* sometimes, me included. I mean, I always expect other drivers and pedestrians to do careless things, but in my 2+ years of drop-off at that location I had NEVER seen a kid do that.

That kid didn't think "I need to look for a car since I'm getting out in the middle of the road."
The driver of the other car didn't think "I shouldn't let my kid out in the middle of traffic".
I didn't think "those people in front of me might so something careless any second now...I need to *expect* it, not be surprised when it happens."

I'm feeling better, but sometimes avoiding an accident can really shake you up.

agnes!

 

[2girlsmom]

I agree, it is crazy. Here was what I saw this morning. Our school has like yours except there is a parking lot that you are supposed to pull into the seperate parking area (parent/teacher parking) at one end of the drive, let your kids out and then after they are in the grassy area between the parking area and the driveway, the parents are to go back out the exit to the parking area and down the driveway. This mother today actually had pulled into a parking spot (not normally done), let the boy out, but he saw me and even though I stopped and waved at him to go, the mother started backing out with HER OWN KID BEHIND THE CAR, he jumped out of the way literally seconds before she would have hit him, too, cause she didn't back out slowly, she gunned it coming out of the spot. I was like .

OP, I think your plan is a good one, doesn't sound like you did anything wrong, just a misunderstanding on the part of this other parent of how the process should work...

 

[agnes!]

I agree, it is crazy. Here was what I saw this morning. Our school has like yours except there is a parking lot that you are supposed to pull into the seperate parking area (parent/teacher parking) at one end of the drive, let your kids out and then after they are in the grassy area between the parking area and the driveway, the parents are to go back out the exit to the parking area and down the driveway. This mother today actually had pulled into a parking spot (not normally done), let the boy out, but he saw me and even though I stopped and waved at him to go, the mother started backing out with HER OWN KID BEHIND THE CAR, he jumped out of the way literally seconds before she would have hit him, too, cause she didn't back out slowly, she gunned it coming out of the spot. I was like .

Oh my word, that must have been awful to see such a close call.

OP, I think your plan is a good one, doesn't sound like you did anything wrong, just a misunderstanding on the part of this other parent of how the process should work...

Well, I tend to think they're the ones who misunderstood as well but they're probably sitting there railing about the driver who came close to hitting their kid, it's all a matter of perspective...

Have called a few time but haven't talked to the Security Lead yet (he hasn't been in the office), he's probably walking the halls and grounds actively trying to keep our kids safe. Will try him again a little later.

Thanks for the responses.
agnes!