Parents who wait in carpool lines forever

Today I passed West View Elementary at 2:30 pm and saw parents already in line to pick up their child. Don't you guys go stir crazy sitting in your vehicle for almost an hour and a half until your children are dismissed? I remember doing the carpool and the most I could take was 45 minutes in line before I started to feel like I was going nutty in my van.

 

That's why I drop off in the morning and get them dropped off by the bus in the afternoons. But I know some people may not be able to do that, for whatever reasons, I guess...

 

My son goes to a smaller school so about the longest I have to wait is about 20 minutes in the afternoon if I want to get close to the front of the line first. I walk him to class in the mornings. The 20 minutes gives me a breather from the daily grind actually. I get the chance to take in some Clapton or the like to mellow out to.

 

I used to pick up 1 grandson at Glendale-Kenly Middle in Micro. Think longest I waited was about 20 minutes cause I stopped on way home from job in Princeton. But remember safety first.

 

Why?

Not to hijack the thread; but why do parent(s) do this? I've passed by and w/o actually counting, I'm sure there must be 50-60 vehicles waiting. As a life long resident of JC, my property taxes have gone up 700%, is there not bus service offered to all students? Divorced with no kids, so I'm out of the loop on this.

 

Not sure why parents would wait that long because they could go ahead and get the child(ren) out of school that far in advance if it that important. Twenty to thirty minutes has usually been the norm for me picking mine up when needed throughout the years. Doctors appointment, art lessons, dance lessons, swim practice, etc. do not always allow children the time to ride the bus home and then be transported where needed.

Even when I wait twenty minutes I take a book!

Sherry

 

Maybe for some of them, they're already out (appts.errands,etc) and its better to wait rather than going all the way home, then coming back? Otherwise, I don't see why they'd wait that long either.......:banghead:

 

It is offered - but for various reasons (safety, time issues etc) many choose to carpool instead. I used to take mine in the AM before going to work cause I wanted to make sure they got there, but they always rode the bus home.

 

I know one reason for us last year was that our kids weren't getting home until almost 5pm, sometimes after. If we picked them up they got home an hour earlier, hence more time for homework and such.

 

OH BOY I DON'T MISS THOSE LINES.

I used to wait at Cleveland Elementary and the Middle School. UUuhhhghh...that wait was crazy. See we had after school activities to get to. So I just got in the habit of picking them up.

People get there place in line. Some are fearful of wear the busses stop. I remember my kids had to cross 42 in the morning to get on the bus. I know there's rules but I was always fearful of someone hitting them.

 

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I know there are often teachers who need help grading papers, putting up bulletin boards, acting as reading buddies with kids ... and so much more. I wonder if it wouldn't be beneficial to the teachers, parents & kids ... if parents who regularly showed up for carpool sought out volunteer opportunities in the school. This would help staff & parents become more familiar with one another, it would lighten the load of the staff & it would also place the parents in the school rather than in the carpool line when it was time to get the kids & head out. Parents volunteering would probably be able to leave the school with their kids faster than the parents waiting in the carpool.

 

My daughter rides the bus in the morning, but she gets picked up in the afternoon, due to the fact that they bus gets here at the house to late. Also I like the time in Carpool to read and sometimes take a nap..but stopped that when I didn't wake up one time and I never heard anything when they other cars started up and moved lol and left me behind.
Sheri

 

some of the worst things in childhood happen on the bus! i kept mine off the bus til this year....6th grade.

 

I totally get carpooling and I did enjoy a little quiet time while waiting when I picked DS up last year but...30-40 minutes is how long I would sit, the same people always want to be first in line so they get there 1 1/2 ahead of time which seems crazy to me. They get there an hour earlier and only get out 10 minutes quicker. The best time to get there if you don't want to wait long is right after the lines gets moving. Whatever trips your trigger!

 

Only reason I can figure is that some people are absolutely crazy and have some innate NEED to be first at everything. That or they think by being first in line, they're a better parent.

My son rides the daycare van because I work, but when I do pick him up, I get there about 5 minutes after they are dismissed. Typically, little to no lines and I don't have to wait for my son to get out there.

K

 

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I realize many are putting their carpool time to good use. I've seen some clipping coupons, making calls, putting stamps & addresses on business mailers, balancing checkbooks .... and much more. I was just mentioning this for those who regularly get to the carpool line early just to beat the rush ... just in case they had some free time to lend a hand. There are probably even volunteer opportunites for parents in the carpool lines accompanied by younger children ... Parents wouldn't even have to leave their cars to cut out laminated items, grade papers or cut out donated box tops. Most folks probably are pretty busy ... my suggestion was for those who are "sitting twiddling thier thumbs watching the front door". Time usually seems to pass faster when you're busy

 

Should I NOT be putting my child on the bus? What "bad" things happen on school busses?

 

You're probably a lot like me. Where I come from, everyone rode the bus, there was no carpool, whoever heard of such a thing? But I also remember the terrible things that happened to me when I was a kid, and I was very shy and wouldn't stand up for myself, and no older siblings to help me out either. So when my oldest started school, I decided to drive him to and from school. It wasn't until he was in 2nd grade I decided he could ride the bus home, and now his younger brother rides it with him home. Now that there's two of them on it, it's easier for me to know what goes on. But I still take them in the mornings, it's just easier for me, and it helps with my phobia of them not getting there if I don't take them!

As for what happens? I don't know these days, and I can only imagine once they get to MS/HS what we'll be hearing about! They will be riding with mom again though, if need be. But so far, there have been no problems, not with kids anyways. Now, thank goodness they got their times back to normal, because that was starting to become a problem earlier in the year!