Please, oh my goodness please, oh please teach your children this.
I know most parents teach their children not to cross at the cross walk without looking both ways, not to run off in the parking lot or whatnot.
But please, outside of schools during pick up teach your children not to run out between cars into the middle of the street to get to you or whoever may be waiting on the other side of the street for them.
Time and time again our school sends out a note to parents via email and paper warning them of the dangers of having their children run across the street where everyone is picking up their kids. There are crosswalks with adult guards in orange vests to make crossing at the corners safe. Yet people still have their kids run out in the middle of the street. These are little kids, some that are shorter than the front end of my mini-van!
Granted I pay super attention, it’s crazy to see a parent sit in their SUV, lean out the front window and beckon their child to run across a busy street full of cars because they don’t want to get out or wait the extra time for their child to go down to the crosswalk.
Just the other day I was in the middle of pulling out from the curb when SWOOM! A little kid came darting out from the doors of the school, and across the street to their parents car. They’re lucky I was going so slow and keep my foot on the break so much! Because this child was maybe two inches from my bumper, and while a small bump may not be ‘the end of the world’ I likely would have gotten a ticket, or sued for this happening if I had so much as bumped this child.
I also may not have ever been able to allow myself to drive again if something like this did indeed happen.
Sadly, this isn’t just at the elementary school that this happens. While out of the actual pickup area at Kat’s Middle School children will suddenly run across an actual street from the trees and between buildings just to get to the other side. Yes… yes there are crosswalks and all that, but the kids don’t even follow basic common sense to watch these giant lumbering cars and trucks.
The traffic will be going on way, and the kids will attempt to go against it. It’s a four way stop with just stop signs, but every time I see someone decide they are somehow going to win against and giant SUV taking a turn… I flinch and can’t breathe from worry.
I wish they’d put an actual light at this particular intersection.. then again I wonder how many people would listen to it, considering the amount of people who decide they want to attempt to suddenly run across the street when someone is driving through the intersection at a green light. 🙁
I know pedestrians have right away, trust me I do, but I also wish pedestrians had the common sense not to risk their lives just dashing across the streets in between cars!
*Sigh* Alright, end rant. I know I don’t usually write much and I needed to get that off my chest. ^_^;
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