My Pickup Lane Woes

One time. Just one time. I would like to have a friendly police officer ride shotgun with me during my afternoon pickup kid duty. He/she would be very helpful I think. Not only would they be able to answer my phone when it rings, return my text messages, check my three email accounts, two Facebook accounts, Twitter, but I think they could even possibly retrieve the pacifier that Baby Blue has somehow managed to wedge in between his car seat and the seat of car and then stick it back into his mouth. While doing all this for me, I am sure they would also like to observe the inappropriate drivers who are also in the pickup lane who do not have a police officer next to them who insist on doing all of the above activities themselves from the driver’s seat, in addition to cussing, screaming, flying fingers and causing near head on collisions because of their impatience to wait in a backed up school zone for 20 minutes.

Seriously. I would not ask the police officer to do anything but observe the other pickup lane drivers, oh and maybe retrieve that pacifier.

This is what I see day in and day out.  According to the police it is legal. You can pass a stopped car in a non passing zone if it is safe to proceed. Evidently even in a school zone. The cars who are at a stop on a two lane road are at fault and are the ones who can be ticketed. Even though we cannot go anywhere. Obviously our city/county road in front of the school needs to be widened and possible signs put at the end of each mile section that warn motorist that there will be slow downs between 3:20-4:10 pm each day.

Last week while in the pick up lane I had this happen and posted this on my Facebook when I got home.  “Just a big #blessyourheart to the lady behind me who couldn't wait to get to Dollar General. She was so mad at me because I refused to block their drive and a cross street to allow her to turn in. So mad that she cut across the grass.” I really don’t think she needed to buy toilet paper, but rather turn around and go the opposite direction.  By the way, it is illegal for a car to blog a private drive and cross street. I was just following what I learned in drivers ed.

I have friends, other parents,  who are constantly talking about these issues. One was almost hit in the school parking lot by another parent and warned by a teacher that the driver was mad. The other wrote this “Nothing makes my blood BOIL more than the selfish jerks that speed down the WRONG SIDE OF THE STREET in a SCHOOL ZONE because they can't be bothered to be patient. I know getting stuck behind a carpool line sucks, I get it. But Lord help me if you mow down a kid in your haste.” T.W.

I am told that I am an activist for children. However I am not going to feel like an activist when a child is injured or killed in this area or even involved in a vehicle accident. Yes, we know that the police are aware of the congestion problems. But where do we and when do we take action? Would an officer like to take that ride with me one afternoon?