Would this drive you crazy??

[allison443]

OP won't these same parents still be in front of you at the school drop off point? So the leisurely gathering of backpacks, the kiss goodbye, the last minute instructions-that's all still going to happen. Just in front of the school, not at the block before.
Or is your drop off area very large, and your kids could be getting out at the same time?

Also at the stop sign, are they waiting for traffic on the cross street to pass anyway while their kids get out? Or is it lightly trafficked?


Agree with a pp-don't mention the clocks changing. It will actually be lighter in the morning (thank goodness!)

Could you take another route in the morning? It might be worth it for a little less aggravation (believe me I know how the littlest things can throw you off in rushed mornings!)

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I just thought of something. If there is a crosswalk, you could push for a crossing guard, maybe?

We do not have crosswalks at our schools. It is ride the bus or drive. There are a few that walk probably because they are late & missed the bus, but they are HS kids and walking on the side of the road in the shoulder without a sidewalk.

In Texas we had crossing guards because most of the school were walkers due to the school being placed in the neighborhood. That was nice.

 

[sam_gordon]

It isn't on school property so stop calling the principal, they can't do anything and they can't tell the parents where to drop kids if it isn't on school property.

As for the police, there isn't much they can do either, what the other parents are doing is not illegal.

You are going to have to either deal with it or find a different route to school.

This.

OP won't these same parents still be in front of you at the school drop off point? So the leisurely gathering of backpacks, the kiss goodbye, the last minute instructions-that's all still going to happen. Just in front of the school, not at the block before.

And this.

I'm assuming where these kids are getting out of the car there is no 'park' or 'turn' lane (so kids could be getting out of the car and others could go around). I guess it might be illegal to "impeded the flow of traffic", but that's kind of a stretch to get the police involved IMO.

I agree the school can't do anything. Basically these kids are no different (as far as the school is concerned) as "walkers".

 

[eh24fan]

I have taken my kids to school, the oldest walked for 2 years and they have also been bus riders. On the occasions that I took my oldest to school the years he was a walker, I often dropped him off before "drop off" line and picked him up on the bus side of the school where the walkers came out. Why? Because the line was ridiculous! These are middle schoolers, I don't think they need door to door service and a special escort in the door.

When I took my then kindergartener, we always did the line. The nice man opened the door, my boy jumped out said I love you Mom and off he went. I didn't need to watch him walk the 10 feet to the door like some parents...sheesh people!

OP, I get your frustration, but if the drop off lines are anything like around here, I don't blame those parents one bit.

 

[Kellydelly]

If your school drop off area is anything like thousands of others out there (a hot mess with idiot parents holding everyone up behind them and driving like maniacs), I can see why a few of them are trying to drop off before actually getting on school grounds. If I were one of the parents that is bothering you, however, I would be pushing the kids out the door as the car in front of me is stopped doing the same thing, I wouldn't feel compelled to hold everyone up behind me by waiting till we got to the stop sign if everyone in front of me is already stopping . School drop offs and pick ups are usually never a smooth experience anywhere, that I know of. There are always parents holding other parents up, or not following the rules.

 

[hereyago]

That would tick me off, it is one thing to stop for traffic, but I would be hitting the horn for them to block the road.

Does your local news station have a segment for helping people get results? Contact them and have them come out,maybe that will give incentive for the cops to be involved.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

It would certainly irritate me if I didn't have any kids to drop off and there were obvious space for them to turn in and drop off. That said, it may not be the safest place to drop someone off, but if it isn't a controlled access highway, or marked as no stopping or parking it is perfectly legal to stop and drop someone off there. It's an intersection with a stop sign. So they're not doing anything wrong. My advice is leave earlier. Usually at school drop off, 10 minutes makes all the difference.

 

[McKelly]

OP won't these same parents still be in front of you at the school drop off point? So the leisurely gathering of backpacks, the kiss goodbye, the last minute instructions-that's all still going to happen. Just in front of the school, not at the block before.
Or is your drop off area very large, and your kids could be getting out at the same time?

Also at the stop sign, are they waiting for traffic on the cross street to pass anyway while their kids get out? Or is it lightly trafficked?


Agree with a pp-don't mention the clocks changing. It will actually be lighter in the morning (thank goodness!)

Could you take another route in the morning? It might be worth it for a little less aggravation (believe me I know how the littlest things can throw you off in rushed mornings!)

Yes, the parents would still be in front of me if they go around to the front of school, but the circle to drop off is huge and 6-10 cars can pull up at a time to let their kids off, and then the next 6-10 come up, drop off and it moves fairly well. Yes, there are still the idiots that pull up in front of everybody and double park you in to let their kids off, but overall, it's a fairly smooth drop off area. They have it all coned off and directions are clearly marked.

The intersection where they are dropping off is very busy at school time. There is only one road in and one road out into the school area. It's scarey to watch, when the kids dart out from the car and DON'T go to the crosswalk. I have seen many cars have to hit the brakes (myself included) because a little one darts out between parked cars, well, not parked, just waiting at a stand still in traffic for people to drop their kids off IN TRAFFIC. You have to really be alert.

OT - a couple years ago, I watched a child get pulled out of a lake by a lifeguard not more than 12 feet away from me. The child was apparently laying on the bottom of the lake. I didn't even see him! I had nightmares for MONTHS. If one of these kids gets struck by a car in front of me, I am sure that is going to happen again - the nightmares.

I know I sound like a total drama queen about this. Normally, I let stuff just roll off of me, but for some reason, THIS just irritates me to no end. I just makes me so angry that parents will risk their kids lives, just so they don't have to waste an extra five minutes of their time dropping their kids off at the proper place.

I guess I will just have to deal, since there are no alternate routes into school. It is what it is I guess.....

 

[Tozzie]

That would tick me off, it is one thing to stop for traffic, but I would be hitting the horn for them to block the road.

Does your local news station have a segment for helping people get results? Contact them and have them come out,maybe that will give incentive for the cops to be involved.

There isn't anything the police can do, it isn't illegal, it may be annoying but it isn't against the law or traffic regulatios hence why the police have not addressed.

 

[mhsjax]

OP won't these same parents still be in front of you at the school drop off point? So the leisurely gathering of backpacks, the kiss goodbye, the last minute instructions-that's all still going to happen. Just in front of the school, not at the block before.
Or is your drop off area very large, and your kids could be getting out at the same time?

Also at the stop sign, are they waiting for traffic on the cross street to pass anyway while their kids get out? Or is it lightly trafficked?


Agree with a pp-don't mention the clocks changing. It will actually be lighter in the morning (thank goodness!)

Could you take another route in the morning? It might be worth it for a little less aggravation (believe me I know how the littlest things can throw you off in rushed mornings!)

I dont know what grade the OP's kids are in, but every school except the high schools have people at the drop off. They won't let you have a leisurely good by. Especially in elementary school, they open the door, tell the kids to hurry and shut your door and wave you away. Over and done, no hanging around.

 

[jrmasm]

This is why I wouldn't drive my kids to school. Walk or bus kiddies.

That is EXACTLY what I was thinking.

 

[hereyago]

There isn't anything the police can do, it isn't illegal, it may be annoying but it isn't against the law or traffic regulatios hence why the police have not addressed.

The car may be at a stop sign, but if no other cars are coming, that driver can't just block the road, which is ILLEGAL in some areas. It should be common sense, which seems to be steadily decreasing not to just s at the intersection causing an unnecessary back up.

I should have add to my original post that if she called the news to do a segment of how multiple lazy parents are doing this, perhaps her city powers that be would get involved and put a no parking,loading or unloading sign at the location, imagine the tickets could be easily handed out.

 

[hereyago]

When my dd was in elementary school, the school did a very good job at keeping the drop off line going, kid going too slow or parent wanting to get out to hug kid,would get told to go park because they were blocking to line.

Middle school, hot mess. There was a very long turn around drop off and pick up line. So some parents would go into parking lot and make their own line, blocking cars or loved this one,parents who may have been handicap or had a spouse who was and vehicle had handi plate, would park in those spots, never getting out so their precious could not have to walk far.

I would park in a spot in the back row because I got tired of having to honk at idiots trying to block me in making their fake line, finally the school nipped that in the bud.

 

[Hrhpd]

Because the kids take FOREVER to get out of the car. You can see them gathering their belongings, leaning over for a kiss good-bye, running back when mom rolls down the window for a last minute instruction for the day, then they finally get to the crosswalk, where they have to wait for traffic to cross and then mom finally pulls through the intersection and the next car pulls up, to just start the whole process all over again. I timed it - SEVEN minutes today.

And I DO leave the house earlier, so I can take my kids through the circle for drop off. Can you not see why it would anger me that I should leave even SOONER because other people choose to do this every AM? The school is on a river, there is only one way in and out. And no bus, you have to live at least two miles to get bused here.

It's all relative.

I go through a school district on my way to work. I would be ecstatic to see parents actually stopping at a stop sign. The street I go on, the parents take a quick look, if any, and roll right on through. I cringe every time is I see a kid on the corner waiting to cross.

I just take into account that any school zone is going to take 4x as long to get through. Sounds like you have done what you could by calling the police. So the only other option is turn up the tunes, take a deep breath and sing silly songs with your kid. It is an extra 7 minutes you have your children captive. Take advantage of it. Life is too short to stress over 7 minutes.

 

[Hrhpd]

I dont know what grade the OP's kids are in, but every school except the high schools have people at the drop off. They won't let you have a leisurely good by. Especially in elementary school, they open the door, tell the kids to hurry and shut your door and wave you away. Over and done, no hanging around.

We don't have that around us.

And I think our parents would revolt if somebody touched their car. Pretty sure doors would remain locked until they were ready to open the door. (Stupid - yes)

 

[hereyago]

Also ever notice how parents drop or pick up their kids and drive off like they are in a Nascar race? But are the first to complain about people driving crazy at the school? Lol.

 

[keetmommy]

I live across from an elementary school..dont even get me started on parents dropping kids off and crossing kids in the middle of the street and stopping where they arent suppose to....I say all the time "Someone is going to get hit!"