This particular rant is about my child's elementary school parking lot. First order of business:
I have been to two events at my child's school where the parents are invited. Both times of course the place was very crowded. This over capacitated the parking lot. But no problem, there is a church with a huge parking lot RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. So, I parked there and saw another mom I know and we walk in together to watch our children march in the Halloween parade. As I am approaching the front of the building, I notice that the entire red zone at the front of the school is totally full of parked cars. I made a joke to the other mother about how maybe blocking the entire red zone(ie- place where the fire trucks park if there is a fire), may not be the best idea at an elementary school where our children are (the other mother didn't seem to care) and then I dropped it. About a month later, one night there was an art show at the school and Rob and I and the kids went. They had a program and I think every parent and grandparent were there and you couldn't even fit into the gym. It was soooo crowded and I am sure over capacity. Again, we parked at the church across the street and as we walked in, AGAIN, the entire red zone was full of parallel parked cars. I pointed it out to Rob and this time it was just annoying to me. SERIOUSLY! What in the world makes you feel entitled to park in the red zone ANYWHERE just because the parking spots are full??? Let alone, the elementary school where hundreds of our children are? Especially when there is a perfectly fine half empty parking lot RIGHT across the street? No one is going to tow you out of an LDS church parking lot I assure you. And shame on the police department for not towing every single one of those cars parked in the red zone. I am no champion of safety here, but I know what is right and what is STUPID in certain situations.
1. You don't ever park in red zones anywhere, especially schools overflowing with children.
2. You don't speed in school zones.
3. You never ever park in handicapped spaces. Which brings us to what happened yesterday....
Scout was picked up by her carpool and as they were leaving the lot they were backed up into and got in an accident. The lady that backed into them, not only was driving a giant SUV, she had a huge decal advertising her husband's dental practice in the back window (decal letters, not the wraps that you can see through). She pops out and talks to the mother driving Scout home and was like, "I don't think it was anybody's fault". What the crap? Other mother (Scout's car) was not speeding and didn't see her. The SUV lady told the cops that she even saw the other car. What the crap again? Anyway, she was cited for backing into someone and also, was cited again because she happened to be backing out of a handicapped spot for which she had no business being in. This seems like another case of total self entitlement and this all just makes my blood boil (Self entitlement and laziness! One of the many reasons Americans are getting fatter- we can't walk across the street? Or park a few spaces further away instead of taking up a spot reserved for someone that legitimately can't walk?).
Ok, rant over. I feel somewhat better. Thanks for reading.
9 comments:
Those things really annoy me too. I keep thinking of the Seinfeld episode where George parks in the handicap spot and the people burn his car to the ground because they are so mad. You should have done that. :) I can totally picture the decal lady. Ugh puke. Makes me so mad!
Ha, I agree with you, Ems, all the way. People are so self-centered and feel entitled to everything these days.
I'm at work at the airport tonight eating raw oysters (seasonal thing) as a snack and reading your rant. Just a while ago doing the runway checks, driving the airport's pickup which has a city police radio and an aircraft/airport radio, I heard over the police radio the dispacher telling all units to be on the alert for a red Jeep that just left the bar in Hudson and was weaving and swerving down the road and the driver was texting. That is what really ranks me off, the drunk drivers around here. Puting other peoples lives and property at risk because of drink. I bet our local paper lists 10 or more a day of DUIs. Terrible! I heard on the radio that someone in the state legislature is going to submit a bill that will demand 6 month in jail for first offenders. It won't pass. Anyway, that is what gets my goat, so they say.....
Yay, Em. I totally agree with you. You have every right to be upset. It really might be a good idea to let the fire department or the police know when the next school function is and tell them what people are doing. It really is a dangerous situation and I can guarantee it would only take once for people to get the idea.
Another thing that bugs me is people not returning their carts to the cart-parking area. I've done it in below zero weather with babies, they can do it, too. Lazy people are lame! I hope Scout wasn't too shaken up by the little accident. Glad it wasn't more serious.
Oh, one more thought, the school should at least make an announcement at these events and tell everyone that their car will be towed if they parked in the fire lane!
Drunk and text driving dad?? Might as well just ram a car and get it over with SHEESH! Drunk driving has been an issue way too long for it to still be so prevalent! Utah is pretty hard on offenders- but we are Utah. I think jail time is perfectly justified.
Amy- returning carts is a big one for me too. When Scout got home she gave me a hug and told me she thought she would die. But then, 15 minutes later when she walked into ballet 10 minutes late, apparently her teacher asked her why she was so late and when I asked Scout if she told her about the accident, she said no she forgot. I asked what she did say and according to her just told her teacher, "no reason". So I am going to guess she wasn't too traumatized. I just may make a call to the Police department next time.
Haley- haha! Yay Seinfeld reference.
"Lazy people are lame!"
-Amy Phister
There were cars parked in the fire lane at Booker's school on parent/teacher night! I couldn't believe it. The parking lot wasn't even close to full, either.
Oh Emily, it happens here too. I have now started asking people illegally parked in handicapped spots if they are mentally retarded as they clearly cannot read the 'physically' handicapped signs. Even our police do it??????
And my other favourite is parents not buckling up their kids but then having a stupid 'Kids on board' sticker on the back windscreen.
I'm a teacher. This happens ALL the time at my school. People in general are lazier, ruder, and more selfish as the years pass. They are also teaching their children less at home, but I digress. Next time this happens, don't get mad, call the police dispatch. Those parents will learn their lesson when they return to their vehicle and find a ticket.
Fish's Guppy:
I think you school teachers have a bigger window into the degradation of society then anyone else- that is what I have come to realize anyway from talking to some I know from time to time. I fully agree with you and hope our society can pull together and right this wrong before it gets too out of hand. I don't have a lot of hope though. It will be interesting to see how the down slope of values manifests in the years to come. Wow- that's bleak. Yikes.
Anyway, thanks for the thoughts and know that you can digress on here anytime. We tend to do that a lot around here and even welcome it! Nothing like a good tangent.
I am planning on calling the police next time and I will keep you guys up on the outcome.
Sarah- Glad? to know that it isn't just my neck of the woods that is doing this. I tend to be pretty hard on the area I live since I don't like much- I'm also pretty hard on America and our lazy, self entitled ways. I get a chuckle thinking of you giving those people a piece of your mind though- good stuff. The police do it? That's kind of disturbing.... and don't even get me started on parents not buckling up their kids. Grrrrrrrrrr. *blood boiling*
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