You should have to pass a 'Common Sense' test before you're allowed to have a drivers license
Because traffic is so ridiculously bad on our street, I drive Diana to school in the morning so I can get to work before 9:30.
Friday morning, I get into the 'drop off line' along the side of the school. Instead of getting in the back of the line like everyone else, someone idiot pulls up to *almost* the front of the line and stops IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. She then opens the sliding door on the side of the van facing the road (not the side facing the school) and lets the kids pile out. Now, I'm boxed in by the car stopped (rightly so) at the front of the line while dropping of their kid and by the idiot in the road who's back bumper is lined up with my front tires. Now, the schmuck behind me in line (you know who you are, moron), decides to pull out from behind me and go around the mini van parked in the middle of the road. Unfortunately, Darwinity did not ensue.
So when I got home, I called the County Sheriff (we don't have town police here) and reported the traffic situation. They sent an officer to my house and I filled him in on what happened that morning (No, I didn't rat out anyone specific - as much fun as it would have been to see a County Sheriff pay them a visit) .
The side of the road next to the school is marked 'No Parking' and the school has asked that people not park there, but to form a line starting at the corner and pull up along the sidewalk and only stop long enough to drop the kids off (i.e. - NO PARKING!! DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR FREAKING CAR AND DISAPPEAR FOR 10 MINUTES!!) But self important @ssh*les, don't think the signs apply to them, so they cut in line, stop in the middle of the road, or pull in line and then get out of the car (bringing the line to a complete stop)
The officer said that even though it is marked 'No Parking', 'Standing' is ok. When I asked what the difference was between 'Parking' and 'Standing', he said that people who park long enough to walk their kid into school and come out five minutes later are only 'Standing'. Which renders the whole 'No Parking' signs USELESS!
Any suggestions??
Comments
get a paint ball gun. from the comfort of your seat you can do dot matrix lettering. start in the middle with "Idiot." you can fill in the "I am an" on other days. You could use BB's, but that doesn't really show up well until after the dings start to rust. And it's easy to lose track of where you left off.
Or lay on your horn.
and do let the police know who it was. Stopping in the middle of the street isn't just stupid and inconsiderate, It's dangerous. In fact, the parent might be feeling overwhelmed and figures this is an easy way to reduce headcount, but what about the poor driver that gets stuck taking out the child for him/her?
Posted by: DanB | October 19, 2005 10:50 AM
Remember those cool chariot wheels from "Ben Hur"?
Posted by: Luke | October 19, 2005 3:30 PM
If memory serves, you have a digital camera or two, right? I'd get some pics of an empty car. How can the person PROVE they didn't PARK there, but only STOOD there?
Hey, I see such things at the school(s) where I work every day. Everyone is, apparently, above the law, especially the VDSMs (Volvo-driving soccer moms).
Posted by: Mike | October 20, 2005 5:42 PM
Mike, I asked the police officer that exact question and his response was as long as they go in the school and come back, they're just standing. (I didn't say it made sense)
Just this morning, we were in line, inching along... and then up along the line comes an SUV that pulls in at the front. I do not see a child get out of this vehicle as we continue to move up the line. The people in front of me have to crank the steering wheel hard left in order to pull out from behind this jerk. After I drop off Diana, I pull around this moron and see that he's on his %^&$ing CELLPHONE!!
And yes, it was a HE. I see just as many Dads guilty of this cr@p as the Moms
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October 21, 2005 9:58 AM