Advocacy & Safety - Stay away from the schools!

So, I almost got hit for the first time today. I went out for a ride and happened to take a street that goes by an elementary school. Little did I know that they had just released.

I was moving down the far left side of the lane since there were plenty of cars parallel parked along the road and I wanted to be visible as well as avoid getting doored. I saw a lady in an suv starting to pull out of the parking lot to turn left and then she stopped so I assumed that she saw me. Luckily, I didn't take my eyes off her because about the time I got to the parking lot entrance, she started to pull out.

I hit the brake and it was just enough to get the rear wheel off the ground but I didn't flip. Caught myself on my feet. She looked a little freaked out and shaken up that she almost hit me.

I believe I recall reading a week or two ago about someone getting hit in a school parking lot in the morning. Also, when my wife (who is a teacher) got home, I told her about it. she said that parents in school parking lots are friggin' nuts.

Moral of the story? Perhaps learn all the release times of the schools near you and avoid them by a block or so during that time. Doesn't matter how visible you are, they ain't gonna watch out for anyone in that parking lot.

Yup, I avoid them 1:30-2:30. Here some ele schools jam up a three block radius. Kids are hopping in and out of cars in the middle of traffic, doors swing open without warning, and people generally just do whatever they want. I've had a lotta close calls.

Yeah, I kinda felt bad for the lady because she really looked terrified at the fact that she almost hit me but that feeling went away pretty quick once I digested the whole situation.

I was riding through a suburban commercial district this afternoon, one with traffic circles to slow things down, and some clown in a new black Mercedes decides to pass me and turn right in front of me to take a parking place. Locked up the rear wheel, managed to stop just short of the guy.

You gotta be defensive out there.....

some clown in a new black Mercedes decides to pass me and turn right in front of me to take a parking place.


Kind of makes you want to carry one of these:

http://www.rap4.com/paintball/os/desert-eagle-paintball-pistol-p-3589.html

I've said it many times, but it bears repeating: I'd rather ride through the bar district at 2am than past an elementary school at 7:45am.

I visit several schools each week--most often by car, but sometimes by bike. Things would definitely be safer if cars were more restricted.

Kind of makes you want to carry one of these:

http://www.rap4.com/paintball/os/desert-eagle-paintball-pistol-p-3589.html
don't do that, too dangerous. Buy a stack of these (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006G4P9K?&tag=shopwiki-us-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325)

I may be wrong and get flamed for this, but it seems like when all of the kids are in the vehicle, the driver is worse because all of their children are now safe from that driver.

I have to pass 3 elementary schools on my commute. I'm always a little extra cautious when doing so.

Luckily for me, after hundreds of passes through the school zones, there have been only a few close calls.

Don't forget school buses in this mix...omg. They are the scariest big vehicles out there by far imo.

Unfortunately the school zone driving madness tends to be self-perpetuating. Formerly most kids walked or rode their bikes to school. But then some parents started driving them and making the area around the school more congested and dangerous. Other parents then feared for their kid's safety and also began driving them to school making the situation worse.

My commute took me past an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. Those were the only parts of the commute where I felt unsafe.

Unfortunately the school zone driving madness tends to be self-perpetuating. Formerly most kids walked or rode their bikes to school. But then some parents started driving them and making the area around the school more congested and dangerous. Other parents then feared for their kid's safety and also began driving them to school making the situation worse.

My commute took me past an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. Those were the only parts of the commute where I felt unsafe.

Yup, it's disgusting. I've seen parents drive their little snot-monsters 3 freaking blocks to school -- THREE FREAKING BLOCKS!!

Perhaps I'm alone here, but I personally find the 10 minutes after my high school releases the best time to ride. All the cars are stopped, and I can ride right past them.

That said, the school isn't in a residential area with roadside dropoff issues.

Don't forget school buses in this mix...omg. They are the scariest big vehicles out there by far imo.

Yup...and they always tend to pass real close. Public transportation bus drivers do a much better job.

I had a woman hit my car pulling out from the curb with a load of kids. Tried to say she only pulled out a few inches. I had at least 3 feet of clearance on each side of the car. She didnt even look , was to busy yelling at the kids or whatever. I guess the No Parking on this side of the steet sign dosent aply to school moms. Her insurance company paid in like under 24 hours.

I have a large highschool on my street. I won't ride past there when school lets out. Way too many buses and 16y/o kids that have had their driving license for a week. It's really scary there for about 30 minutes.

Yup...and they always tend to pass real close. Public transportation bus drivers do a much better job.

I will add, regarding school buses, that most seem to be driven by people with little training or skill. They appear to drive their bus for a couple of hours a day only and don't seem to have a good idea spacially where their vehicle is in relation to other things. Compare that to truckers of metro bus drivers who pilot their vehicle more in a day than the school bus drivers do in a week.

Another factor, I think, is the perception that because the school bus is filled with "precious" cargo, they are justified in driving in a way that maximizes their passage thru the streets and screw every body else. An example of this happened to me a cjouple of days ago when I was riding on a narrow street with cars parked on both sides. There was not enough room for 2 cars to pass each other, so people would wait til whoever was between the parked cars to exit before proceeding. Not the school bus dirvers though. They barge right in, forcing people to pull over or even back up.

Moms are the first to complain about safety around schools but dont
realise they cause most of the probs by acting like dix

There are a bunch of high school kids who act like a**holes on the roads when they leave school. You even have underclassmen students driving to school when they're not really supposed to do. These kids would park on a residental street a block or two away from the school. That's why I dread going near a high school around 3:05 p.m. when they let out.

Don't forget school buses in this mix...omg. They are the scariest big vehicles out there by far imo.

I've often thought about buying a Corvette and having it souped up to race schoolbuses on the Interstate.

It's ironic that parents today don't want their children to ride their bikes to school anymore because the roads are full of cars - driven by dangerously distracted parents driving their kids to school...

Maybe Wii can invent a work out game for kids to simulate dodging the mindless school parents driving SUVs so they can get some exercise for a change...

It's ironic that parents today don't want their children to ride their bikes to school anymore because the roads are full of cars - driven by dangerously distracted parents driving their kids to school...

Maybe Wii can invent a work out game for kids to simulate dodging the mindless school parents driving SUVs so they can get some exercise for a change...

+5000

Yeah buddy.

I've often thought about buying a Corvette and having it souped up to race schoolbuses on the Interstate.

Hmmmm..... Soup up a 'Vette. And what would you do to do that? Bigger engine, der etc.?

If you think elementary schools are fun ... ride by a high school during the lunch break.

Scary stuff! http://bestsmileys.com/cars/3.gif

I've suggested to my principal that we close the school parking lot. Parents would have to find someplace in the neighborhood to park, and then walk to the school to get their kids.

She laughed. Of course, she'd have a riot on her hands. And then there'd be the angry neighbors.

Of course, in the end, it would be such a pain for the parents that they might actually start having their kids walk or bike to school. But until that point, it would be a mess.

BTW, virtually every child at our school who has ever been hit by a car has been one who was being picked up by their parents.