Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We live in a small town on the street that the school for all ages sits. k-12. People come racing out of the parking lot onto the road without looking. Right of way? Pshaw. And I would like to say it is the teenagers. Cough cough. Nope. I slow to a near stop to cross the school to avoid being hit.
Not bad.
There are only 80 kids at my younger kid's pick up time and most of them seem to go to the after school enrichment programs. So very few cars to pick up kids.
There are about 300 kids at my older kid's time, but again, most families don't bother to get their kids till after work, so we get through that pickup pretty fast, too. The school has designated lanes and waiting spots and are pretty strict about enforcing correct pickup behavior.
All of this is done on school property (including the line-up) so nothing affects the street outside.
It must depend on the school...my kids used to attend an almost 1k student elementary school and the car line took 30 minutes plus. Now they attend one that's almost 500 students and it's so different, easy pickup and drop off - when they don't take the bus.
There are 2 different parents I see each morning that causes the most jams. I don't think they care about others. One must double park then walk around to open the doors for their kids to get out and she holds them then walk to the gate. They look like 6-8 year olds. Another parent just super slow with pulling out and drives a big jeep and never leaves room for other cars to pass through.
The traffic at my kids' elementary school can vary from frustrating to make you angry on certain times. If the local police doesn't show up in the morning in front of the school's entrance. Parents just form a blockade with their SUVs, minivans, and double park in front of the drop off spot. Some parents feel it's their duty that they must drop off their kid exactly in front of the door and they must get off the car leaving it blocking traffic just to escort their child to the school's entrance.
Frequently the school's newsletter states parents should not block traffic and they should park their vehicles at the parking lot then walk their child. Most parents do park their cars and walk their kids but still many parents must chauffeur their right in front of the school's main entrance which is a one way street only enough for 2 cars but it's a one lane street.
My wife tells me that in the afternoon the police is there almost every day before school ends or else the traffic becomes completely standstill around the area.
Sounds like this can happen (and does) at any school around the country.
What would help if a volunteer or employee stood at entrance and while the child is getting out of the car, he/she can take the opportunity to talk into the car to keep moving. Or tell the parent when they're walking their child to the entrance . If they are decent people who don't enjoy being scolded at, they would not idle again. If they aren't decent people, well, there's nothing you can do about that.
The teachers are the ones that have to hold the door open and they never walk out of the doors because all of the door locks itself.
The only way for the traffic to get better is to have the police car in front of the school or the officer standing and directing traffic. I've read newspapers that police officer have commented that it's not good use of their resources when they're out directing traffic at schools instead of patrolling neighborhoods and high traffic accident areas.
Not bad I would guess. I've never driven my kids to school here. They walk along with I'm guessing 80% of kids. We live on the same street as their elementary school and there is a constant stream of kids (mostly alone or in groups, few helicopter parents) walking/scooting/biking to school. Our school district (inner-ring suburb of Milwaukee) doesn't offer busing. Everything is close enough to walk to.
The only drop off lane is directly in front of the school on a 25 mph residential street. No access to the small faculty parking lot. The school was built in 1924 so there is no long driveway, no sprawling parking lot, etc. Just a large multi-story brick building in the middle of a residential neighborhood. It's perfect
All due to super-paranoid parents who won't let their kids outside (i.e., won't let them walk home). Don't any of these parents have jobs? How is everyone able to get off at 3:00 to pick up kids from school?
My children have never gone to schools close enough to walk to nor was bus service available at eithe rone of these schools. That was true probably for about 90% of the families attending so I definitely have witnessed my fair share of chaos at their schools in terms of crazy drivers and the craziest drivers are the parents, not the random people passing through.
All due to super-paranoid parents who won't let their kids outside (i.e., won't let them walk home). Don't any of these parents have jobs? How is everyone able to get off at 3:00 to pick up kids from school?
Not every kid lives within walking distance of their school. No paranoia involved.
I dropped my son off at elementary school in the mornings, although I didn't get there at 3 to pick him up, he went to an afterschool program and I picked him up at 5:30.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
