by Judith Roberts
It has started.
The race of hurrying up and wait. The endless creeping of cars along the side of a road. The multiple drivers who think the rules don’t apply to them.
Wait, what?
It’s car line time.
As someone who has picked up children from four different school car lines now, I am grateful for the teachers and administrators who work to ensure each child is picked up safely and in the quickest manner possible. It’s got to be a daily headache to look at each car, try to find the tag on the dashboard (often missing), and make sure each child, especially those in the younger grades, are placed in the correct order so the line can move along quickly.
It is a last daily feat for these teachers and staff who have been on their feet all day, doing everything from teaching to soothing to breaking up fights. At 3 p.m., all anyone in car line wants to do is go home – that includes the school staff, too.
So let’s make it easy for them, shall we?
Every school I have picked children up from has a route for pick up. I understand if you mess it up once or twice – everyone’s learning, after all. But to be a repetitive violator, breaking in line in front of the dozens of cars because you went the wrong way – makes it more difficult for the individuals waiting as well as the faculty who now have to deal with your rule breaking.
No one is more important than anyone else in the line. No one is happy to be in car line. Just go around, take the right direction, and help everyone out. Yes, I understand you have places to go and people to see. So do the rest of us. Other options exist for children other than car line. Find a friend at the school and have your kid carpool. The school system has buses that can take your child directly to your house. Options are available.
Additionally, for those in elementary schools, the teachers do not recognize your car. Yes, I know you’ve got a hot pink, specially-designed car, but the teachers are learning new student names and faces – don’t make them memorize cars, too. Just put your tag in the car identifying which student you’re picking up. I’ll be honest, this is one even I’m dealing with, because I’ve had kids at the same school for five years now. I know the teachers recognize my car, but with everything else they’re expending mental energy on, can I not make it a little easier by just putting my bright tag on my dashboard? Of course, I can.
Lastly, for those who pick up at schools near residential areas, please don’t block driveways of homes. I’ve seen too many people trying to get home or get out of their driveway when it’s blocked by carline traffic. Just make a little space so someone can get in or out of their home.
Car line takes some time. I know, I get it. I’ve been living it for a bit now. But if we all follow the rules, we can make getting our children safer – and quicker – for everyone. And that’s something easy that we can all do to help our students, our teachers and our schools.
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