At Josie's school. It seems that the vast majority of parents choose to pick up their elementary students rather than have them ride the bus. Pick up is set for 2:45 and the line begins forming around 1:30 and stretches out to the highway.
Five cars at a time can proceed to the pickup area when signaled. Placards on the windshields give the name of the student being called for and, five at a time, they are escorted by five teachers or aides to the waiting cars.
It is an Excruciatingly slow process but, in these days of caution, I don't have any suggestion to speed up the process.
On Wednesday I got there around 1:45 and was maybe 15th or 20th in the line. On Thursday I decided to see just how early I'd need to get there to be first.
1:30 put me 5th in line. A victory of sorts.
The thing is, if one gets near the front there is a LOOONG waiting period BUT one can spend it reading rather than inching forward like the poor devils at the end of the line.
So I take a book and enjoy a quiet hour or more of reading. Currently I'm reading a book my grandmother had before she was married. It's charming in its very old-fashioned way--all about an idealistic young man working for his wealthy uncle. When the young man discovers his uncle in part of a swindle, he renounces the easy life and goes to work for an engineer (who happens to be wealthy and who has a beautiful daughter . . . well, you can see where this is going. When the young man saves the father's life, it's all over but the Wedding March.
As I read, I remember all my grandmother did for me as I was growing up.
"Someday you can drive me places," she once said. And I did.
And I like to think I'm, in some way repaying the debt I owe to her and my grandfather and my parents by picking Josie up after school.
(Also, staying useful, so I don't get put out on an ice floe, as the Inuit were said to do with useless elders.)
6 comments:
Why not arrive later like 2:00 when the line has started to move? Are people running their motors all the time they wait?
I frequently (used to see) saw the line of cars along the side street so they didn't block the highway, waiting to pick up their little ones at the elementary school here. Now you're among the line of cars. What an interesting tradition! (Used to see because of my current car-less-ness.)
Marcia--where I was people had turned off their motors. The problem with arriving later is you spend your time inching forward rather than reading.
No small child should have to ride a bus. The very thought is frightening these days. Josie and her parents are so lucky to have you.
Sounds so tedious, such a time-waster for busy parents who don't have retired grannies to do the pick-up for them. Schools round here have similar issues but here everyone just parks randomly on surrounding streets. For maybe half an hour, morning and afternoon, it's mayhem (I know. I live on a surrounding street) and then all goes quiet again. Sounds like you've at least found a solution that works for you.
Sue is already telling the kids that they will have to take her out for tea every now and then when the time comes.
That would be quite a lineup in a Canadian winter with cars idling for and hour or more.
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