Danger High School school zone ahead

On By AngeliaIn In the lives of children, Wee Wee Wee all the way home!

This is not just a regular school zone with the blinking 20 miles per hour yellow lights. A caution to go the speed limit because children (big kids) are walking, crossing, and hip hopping to school. Alright strike the hip hop, teenagers are not morning people. Point is, it’s a school zone. Point is, that’s pretty much a requirement to slow down.

Unless…..you are a teen driver that is, then you see this.

Or maybe you are a mad mom in a mini-van, you’ve got three other kids to get to school, a PTA council coffee you are late for, and a nail appointment right after. SO GET OUT OF THE WAY, PEOPLE!

No matter what you are.

Know this. Take heed to my warning and take it very, very seriously. Driving in a High School school zone is hazardous to your health. They should have portable defibrillators in the parking lots.

First off, no one slows down to twenty. Not at this school anyway. No one comes to a complete stop before leaving the parking lot and turning on the street. Not even a California stop. It’s a straight up gas it and go while you peal out and these are the moms, not the teens.

No the teens like to run late to school (seniors), therefore when you wait in line patiently to turn into the one way side of the lot, they come screeching from the TURN lane, narrowly miss your front bumper as the car careens, on two wheels and air, to the parking spot in the visitors slot right in front of the school.

Casually, they stroll out of the car (while you are still sitting there mouth hanging open) with their Bon Jovi hair in a toss and skinny jeans.The nerve! They didn’t even look my way or wave an apology. Huh!

Heck, this is all happening just getting INTO the school. Then, as I wait in line to get to the right spot in front of the school. Never mind all the right spots I already passed. My daughter will NOT get out of the car at any other spot. Just this one spot. What’s so special about that spot? I don’t know! But rather than push her out of the car, I wait until I arrive at the magic spot and she exits the car. Hallelujah!

Now I have to get OUT of the lot. My palms are sweating. I grip the wheel and frantically look around for the mad moms switching lanes (in front of school with kids jumping in and out of cars). Hello? Escaping them, I pull up to the exit lane only to get cut off by the mad career moms coming from the super secret entrance on the other side. Racing to get out MY exit when they see the never-ending exit line for the lot they came from. I don’t know about you, but I tend to yield to a Jag.

One car after another, I get to the exit. I look both ways hoping for clear, so I can just shut my eyes and floor it before a speeder comes racing through the blinking yellow lights on one side, or a teen driver out of NO WHERE from the opposite side. Just when I think it’s okay, a big RAM truck blocks my view by pulling up next to me. Oh. Em. Gee.

Finally, I punch it out of the lot and get past the last turn of double line cars with angry teens and moms. I barely miss a teen jumping out of the car stopped in the STREET. I mean they didn’t want to wait in the car lines, I get it. But seriously, how safe is that? Then, the mom does an illegal u-turn on the street to go back the other direction, all this in a school zone. YIKES.

Anxious, heart suffering irregular beats, I FLOOR IT out of there, make the turn without signaling to the road that takes me to freedom. AWAY FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL. I can breathe easy. Shooooooooooooooooo.

As my mind clears, I always have the same thought. WHERE ARE THE POLICEMEN? Why do they not have their stun guns radar guns out?

Well, it’s kind of country here. Apparently the two patrolmen on duty have appointments in the morning. Not saying a word about that.

See, everyone knows you can speed, turn illegally, let your kids out in the middle of the street, and in general obey no traffic laws at that time of day, because no one will be there. But hey, they are just teenagers, riiight?

So can I just say, HOW GLAD I am, that on Friday. My non-driving Freshman, then Sophomore exited the car in the hazardous school zone for the LAST TIME. School is out. My drop off duty fulfilled. My health and nerves get a summer break. AND as long as she passes her driver’s license exam (pleasepasspleasepasspleasepass), I am hazard zone FREE! Oh, she is passing alright, we are going at 730am and guess what? I’m bringing donuts.

Good-bye cruel school (zone that is)! I won’t be missing you…..ever.

42 thoughts on “Danger High School school zone ahead”

    1. Jean-They truly do have it easier…see they just enter the parking lot. They don’t have to wait in the double line of cars to get to the front while kids cross the street and jump out from all different areas of that driveway in the front.

      Yea! Happy Summer! (and I don’t even have off)

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  2. It’s so not over babe. Next year, you’ll be frantically remembering how bad it is and praying that the teenager you just sent off ALONE makes it. That first six months is killer. “Text me when you get there safe” will become your new go-to phrase. =]

    Just some words from the trenches…hehe.

    ♥Spot

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    1. Spot-You know that kid entered security at the airport 10mins to her plane departing. I told her, “Text me when you are on the plane. I’ll wait here until you do.” I watched her go, scared she was going to miss her plane. Scared she was by herself and would she know what to do if she did.

      The gate was only two away from security. They would have already boarded, so she would just walk on the plane sit down (hopefully right?), which is why I told her to text me.

      Home girl doesn’t text me. After 30mins I leave the airport. I call her dad and her until someone finally confirms she did make the plane and land in Mississippi. Ai yi yi.

      That said, yeaaaah riiight, she’ll text me when she gets there. I’ll save myself some time and stop worrying now. HA!

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  4. I’m with Spot,

    It has only just begun and even though you are not driving it you will worry more than if you were.

    The text will help to settle your nerves—and they do survive it 🙂

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  5. I can’t believe how stressful this post was! I felt like I was there! And now, I need a drink! I am so happy for you that you don’t have to deal with this anymore, ( I hope, I hope, I hope).

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  6. Sounds just like the situation at my daughters’ school. It’s crazy. Every day there’s someone trying to get through on the wrong side of the road O_o. Good that you’re out of it but I’m sure you’ll be worrying about your teen driving to school then LOL.

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  8. It is indeed a war zone at the parking lot at our highschools too. And what about all the moms who drop their kids of, driving, talking on their precious little cell phones. And then looking very disturb when you are crossing a cross over. I can imagine you are happy summer is starting!! Have a wonderful week.

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    1. Ellen-I haven’t noticed much cell phone usage since the law was enacted making it illegal. At least they obey that! I still see lots of it in other places. Yeesh!

      I am happy and happy that Syd gets a break too. 🙂

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  9. At our school a little angel was killed by a passing car (not sure if they were speeding or not) but it doesn’t matter how late we are, how stressed we are, how distracted we are, kids are just too precious to risk speeding.

    Slow down. Slow down. Slow down.

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    1. milkfever-I agree completely! Sad tragedies occur when we are unobservant to what is going on. Our children are the most precious little beings in the world. All joking aside, I really do wish we had a patrolmen around the high school. The Jr high did and it helped a lot. Thank you for being so caring and sharing an important message.

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  10. This reminds of the train parking lot where I live. When I pick up my wife you take your life in your own hands. There is no such thing as YIELD. Everyone is frantically trying to get out at the same time and it’s freakin’ nuts!!!!

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    1. nothingprofound-Awh! That makes me sad. Reminds me of that country song, “You’re gonna miss this.” I cry EVERY time I hear that song. I already do have the hardest time with this year. 16 and a Junior. Where did the years go?
      Do you skype? I hear a lot overseas families use skype. I know it’s not the same. My heart goes out to you. Hugging my daughter a lil’ tighter in memories of yours.

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  13. I do not miss those days at all. 🙂 I am happy my son graduated High School sophomore year. I hated all of the ugliness of people when it came to picking up and dropping off. 🙂 I hope you all enjoy the summer. 🙂

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      1. He just graduated at 16 years old with an AA degree. 🙂 He will be a junior at UCLA this fall at 16 years old. 🙂 I am proud.

        Angelia says-Freakin’ AMAZING! You should be soooo proud. What a HUGE accomplishment. I am blown away. Good job Mom!

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  15. I avoid being anywhere near a school during drop-off pick up time.

    I am amazed that this even happens. I just remember the good ol’ days where we walked. (In the snow, without shoes or jackets, carrying a ton of books, 40 miles. –tee hee!)

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  16. Goodness! How stressful that must be…. I honestly couldn’t imagine. I really need to catch up on your posts. I’ve been on auto-piolet lately and as life gets in the way, so do my blog visits. Hope all is well!

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  19. Sooo thats why mom made me ride the bus!!
    Seriously, I was getting anxious just reading that!
    Moms do deserve metals for all they have to deal with.
    I would have had a stroke, I can’t deal with crowded and frustrating situations like that very well.
    I sure hopes she passes for your sake!

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  21. Visiting from SITs! Congrats on your day!

    You’re exactly right, around where I’m from I have to pass two high school to get anywhere. It’s always so dangerous, especially when it’s a Friday afternoon at 230. I pass at least one accident that has a bunch of teenagers standing around. The part that makes me even more angry is the fact that there are cops patrolling, but only one, and they always seem to have someone else (a non-high school student) pulled over. Which is great, at least they got somebody, but they never have one of the speeding teens. It’s so frustrating. I rode the bus to school throughout high school because I liked having the 30 minutes to just sit, read and listen to music in peace. I’m glad I did too.

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  22. Now I am scared. Having a 3 year old means I have no experience with this. Yet. I guess this is something to look forward to. I better start mentally preparing and practicing Zen more often.

    Happy SITS Day! Enjoy the comment love today.
    Hanneke

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