Tuesday, September 20, 2011

It's a School Zone

 

       I have yet to bitch about the valet pickup at my daughter's school. Partly because although it drives me bat-shit crazy daily I know that many of the mommies whose behaviors I would rant about also read my blog so it would have real life consequences, but also because unlike many of the valet programs I've read about and seen in person our school's is probably the best you can hope for.
       For example we have a dedicated bus lane that is located SEPARATELY from the valet lane; it makes it nearly impossible for those, with any sort of gray matter sloshing around up there, to mistakenly get into the bus lane and wreck havoc. And with the exception of the teacher's parking lot exiting out, in the middle of the the valet lane, there are few traffic congestion points to tie up the works. Theoretically, this system aught to book! But then again you are relying on people to do the right thing and as we all know, that is a huge wild card!

Well, guess what? Today I'm throwing caution to the wind! I'm just that fed up.

       It's probably good to note at this point that I live in a town where everyone feels they are entitled. The rules don't apply to them because they are entitled to special treatment. They need not follow instructions because they know better. Perhaps they feel this way because they are the fourth (or more) generation to live in this town? Perhaps it's because I live in one of the most affluent areas in the state? Perhaps it's nothing more than snobby, small town, upbringing? But for whatever reason a good portion of the population feels that they are entitled to do, say and act any way they wish and too bad if it inconveniences anyone else. And if you think their attitudes are bad you should see them DRIVE!
       At Kindergarten Orientation the parents were told that if you were going to pick up your child after school, instead of sending them on the bus, then you needed a valet number. So like a dummy, I got a valet number. I didn't even once think that it was optional. Never once did I think that this step didn't apply to me. The principal said I needed a number and I picked up my number at the desk. Easy, peasy!
       So the first day of school I pull into the valet line for our first pick up of the school year and it took me 45 minutes to get from the line to home. (I live less than 5 minutes from the school.) The only reason I could see for the delay was the huge number of parents not using the valet. They would park, walk up to the school, snatch their kid, walk back to their vehicles, and peal out of the parking lot. Imagine bumper cars with erratic pedestrians involved. I thought that surely after the first week the parents would fall in line (literally) and use the valet. I was seriously mistaken!
       It no longer takes me 45 minutes to get home but that is the only improvement in the system. It really isn't the driving part that's bad it's the pedestrian part. No one uses the clearly marked cross walks. They don't watch their children; so you have small children dashing and darting, unpredictably in between cars. And once in their vehicles they don't wait their turn to exit they just jump. But the part that just irritates me the most is their damn, smug, entitled demeanors! What makes you think that it's ok for you to waste my time? Because you are adding to the time it takes me to pick up my kid when I am busy playing Dodge Child with yours and my 3000 lb. car. Why is your time so much more valuable? Do you not realize that when you choose not to follow the rules that you are saying just that? That you and your time is more important than even the safety of your child! Because ultimately that's the point of this rant. When did your time become more important than the safety of your kid?
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