Latest On My Crosswalk Adventures

I thought I would post a few more pictures of some things that have happened since my last post and pictures of the careless and self-centered drivers who drive through the school zone every day. 

The day after I posted all the pictures something happened that completely blew my mind.  As I mentioned before, someone hits the safety cones every day.  Sometimes the car drags the cone a short distance before the driver stops to get out and remove it from underneath their car.  Sometimes the cone simply bounces off a car and the driver never even looks back as I go out and pick it up.

You are probably wondering what happened that was any different from all the incidents I have already told you about.  It was about 3:30, and most of the children had already gone home.  The tutoring kids are the only ones still in the building at that time.  Some of those children do cross the street, walking home alone, so I don't take the cones down until 4:00 when I go off duty.

I was sitting in my car, waiting for the children to come out of the building when a female driver came speeding towards the school from the stop sign about half a block away.  I could see that the car was not going to slow down when she hit the cone.  I estimate she was going about 30 when she hit it.  The cone was dragged up under her car.  She suddenly sped up, weaving back and forth wildly to try and knock it out.  She ran the stop sign and kept weaving back and forth across the lanes.

I got out of the car and stepped onto the sidewalk, watching her speeding and weaving going in the direction of Indiana Ave.  I was so shocked at what I had just witnessed that I simply felt weak.  The cone didn't come out and she kept going until I could no longer see her.

I phoned the principal's office to report that the cone was missing so she would know she needed to replace it. 

At 4:00 when I got off duty I decided to drive towards Indiana Ave to see if I could find the cone on the side of the street, in a yard, or in the middle of the street.  I decided to set my mileage gauage so I would know how far it had been dragged.

I did find it on Indiana Ave - .3 of a mile from the crosswalk.  I shudder to think of what would have been the result if it had been a child under the car rather than the cone. 

I took the cone back to the school and took it inside to show it to the principal.  She was horrified as she looked at it.  She set it up in the hallway with a sign saying that it could have been a child, and asking the parents to drive slow in the school zone.  I don't think the driver of the car who drug it down the street was a parent, but I hope the parents do wake up some.

The principal said she was calling the LISD police to see if they will patrol since the Lubbock Police Dept. has not responded to requests.

Because the cone was destroyed, I now had only one cone to set out.  I had been using the second cone in the No Parking area next to the cross walk, so since I could not block the area any more - parents started stopping, letting their kids off the very next morning.  I saw two near misses with other cars because they were pulling out into traffic - not paying attention.  One man on a bike came so close to being hit by a man parked facing the wrong way that I almost screamed.

That afternoon a man in a huge pickup dragged the cone halway down the next block.  I started yelling at him, and he did bring it back.  I then told him that I was thankful that it was a cone, not a child.  He looked pretty shook up, so I hope he will slow down from now on.

Today I came up with a plan that did help to slow down speeders, prevented parents from parking near the crosswalk to pick up their kids, and also only a couple of jerks pulled into the parking lot and blocked the crosswalk near the door to the school.  I was so excited because the drivers were going through the zone much slower - looking at my system, I think, and I didn't have to dodge cars backing into the cross walk as they pulled back into traffic.

I DID see an LISD police car drive through the zone ONE time this afternoon, about 3:15.  Great job!  But at least they did drive through, which is more than the Lubbock Police Dept. have done.  I also called the television station after the smashed cone incident, but they have not been out there either.

It is obvious to me that these children are at risk, and that no one is planning to do anything to change the situation.  I have been thinking about quitting this job,  but I really like what I do.   I enjoy seeing and talking to the great kids and parents who walk across with me every day. I don't do it only for the money.  It is good for me.  It is something I enjoy.

But, I don't know if the danger is worth it any more.  The principal told me that a child was hit a few years ago.  Thankfully, the child was not killed, but the simple fact that it happened - several years ago - tells me that this is a problem that is going to continue through the end of the year - next year - and every year after that.  

Unless the police start doing their jobs and patrolling, giving tickets, and keeping things under control no one who crosses the street in this school zone is safe.  Sad, but true. 

Every Day Is Earth Day: Our 2010 Earth Day Fun in the Sun

It was a beautiful sunny morning, just perfect for making some beautiful pictures with sidewalk chalk on the patio.

After completing our masterpieces we read some books about Earth Day and taking care of the earth. We read:  Yo Gaba Gaba - Spring Showers, My Little Pony - The Greenest Day, and  Little Einstein's - Mission Ocean Rescue.

Then we went to the garage and looked at the recycling center and talked about how recycling is a good way not to waste the earth's resources that G-d created for us to use and enjoy.

We made posters.  On our posters we wrote these Torah words: "G-d saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)  We also wrote the words: Every day is Earth Day! 

 

After making our posters we helped Bubbie pick out some heirloom tomato seeds to plant so we can have delicious salads this summer.

We also planted some "Wonder Egg" seeds.  We were "wondering" what will grow.

We put the seeds in the dirt, pushed them in with a pencil, and watered them.

The last thing we did was to water the shrubs around the patio.  It was a wonderful day to celebrate living on Planet Earth!

The earth is the L-rd's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.Psalm 24:1

Is Everyone Above Obeying the Law?

As most of you know, I work as a backup school crossing guard here in Lubbock. I have been working every day for several months now, due to one of the other guards passing away and the police dept. not hiring a replacement. Since they are short a guard, I have been working  every day.
 
I am working at the corner of 63rd St. and Joliet. It is the crosswalk for Murphy Elementary School. And it is the most dangerous one I have worked in this city. Seriously.

What makes it so dangerous? Careless drivers - many of whom are parents. Parents who are so self-centered that they mistakenly believe the laws do not apply to them. The parents who do not think of the safety of the children crossing the street - or probably not even their own children as they ride in their vehicles.

In March I was almost run down, and actually had to jump out of the way of a car, barely avoiding being hit. One parent, sitting in her car, saw the incident, jumped out of her car, running towards the crosswalk - believing I had been hit. There were several children in the crosswalk at the time.

Thank G-d, none of us were injured, but it was the closest call I have had in the years I have worked at this job. One year a car actually bumped my leg, but the driver was going slowly, and it didn't even knock me down.

In this particular cross walk many drivers don't even slow down to the 20 mph posted on the sign with a flashing red light. The car that almost hit me was going at least 30-35 mph. And the driver never slowed down, and I don't know if the he/she was even aware of the close call. Or, possibly didn't care.

I phoned the traffic police officer who assigns me to specific schools and reported the incident, along with all the parking violations that I witness numerous times every day - both morning and afternoon. I requested a traffic officer be assigned to the corner to ticket speeders.

Several parents have mentioned to me that they, too, have phoned the police dept. to request police officers be on that corner. But, as of today, I have not seen an officer there - ever.

I decided to start taking photographs of violators when I have time and there are no children near the cross walk, or waiting to cross. I started my photo journal at the beginning of April.  I have not been able to take pictures every day but have enough to show the kinds of things I encounter on a daily basis as I work at getting the children across the street safe and sound.

In addition to speeders and parking violations I see anywhere from 10 - 12 cell phone users EVERY DAY - going through the school zone. A law was passed late in 2009, prohibiting the use of cell phones - both talking and texting - while driving through school zones. Studies have proven that talking or texting distracts drivers, making them dangerous drivers. But police officers are not enforcing the law, nor has the city posted the required signs.

Around the first of the month the principal of the school brought out two big orange traffic cones for me to use every day to help get the attention of the drivers traveling through the school zone.  Several parents had complained to her in addition to phoning the police.

Every day I put one cone in the middle of the street, lined up with the lane stripes, just at the edge of the cross walk. I put the other one in the no parking zone. This has caused anger for many parents dropping off or picking up their children. Several times parents have simply run over the cones, parked there anyway, and let their children out to go into the school. After their children are out of the car they drive away as though they did nothing wrong.

Just this afternoon I had two encounters with drivers that are an example of the attitude of many drivers in this school zone. I have had numerous conversations - or at least have made attempts to speak to drivers, but most just walk away from me, roll their windows up, and refuse to look at me, and a few have told me what they think of me.

This afternoon, after most of the children had already crossed the street, and there were only a few children remaining near the building, a car came speeding around the corner. I watched as a female driver ran over the cone in the street. It stuck under her car. She knew that she had hit it but continued on, thinking it would come loose I suppose. After she had gone about the distance of 3 car lengths she realized she would have to stop.

She got out of her car, trying to ignore me walking toward her. She went to the front of the car, and had some difficulty getting the cone unstuck from underneath her car. As she was pulling on it I said to her, "I'm glad that was a cone and not a child you just ran over and dragged under your car."

She glared at me and said, "Why is it in the street? It's right in the way of traffic."

I replied, "It is there to remind drivers to be careful, slow down, and watch out for children. This is a school zone, and the cone was in the cross walk - just like the children are when they cross the street."

She said, "Well, I didn't see it." She then threw - yes threw - the cone to the side of her car, got in, and gunned away, going at least 30 mph I would estimate.

A couple of cars were forced to stop while she got the cone out from under her car, and a parent watched the entire thing from inside her car. I was absolutely stunned by her arrogance and lack of concern that it could have been a child underneath her car.

Only a few minutes after that incident happened I noticed another driver coming through the school zone, slowly, not exceeding the speed limit. There was one child sitting in the front seat, not in a seat belt. The driver was talking on a pink cell phone. She crossed through the cross walk, and turned into the school parking lot.

She stopped her car across the cross walk, just sitting there, blocking the walkway, talking away on her phone as she waited for her child to come out.

Since there were no children waiting to cross or near the cross walk I went over to her car and tapped on her window. I said, "Ma'am, you are blocking the crosswalk, so when children come out they will have to pass in front of or behind your car. Also, you might want to get off the phone. A law was passed that makes school zones cell phone free zones, and the police dept. will soon begin issuing tickets."

She just stared at me - never taking her phone away from her ear - and said, "I'm aware of the law." She then rolled up her window, and continued sitting there as if I had not told her she was in a cross walk.

It makes me very angry that some people don't seem to care if they hurt or kill someone walking across the crosswalk. But what angers me just as much as the danger they place people in is the example they are setting for their children. How can they expect their own children to grow up obeying the law if they see their parents not doing so?

It makes me sad as well as making me angry too. What kind of society do we live in? What is wrong with people who don't even care about anyone other then themselves.

I wish I knew how to bring attention to this problem at the school. But since the police dept. apparently does not think it is worth having an officer on duty during school hours even though requests to do so have been made, I think I will simply have to continue trying to communicate with parents - even though there are no consequences or fines for their continuing their careless breaking of safety laws.

G-d willing no one will be run over.

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There wasn't even anyone parked in front of this woman's vehicle.  She could have easily pulled forward, parking in a legal zone.  She went inside the building with her child.

The problem with people parking in front of a fire hydrant (in addition to fire trucks not having access) is that the drivers have to back up when leaving if another car is parked in front of them.  The drivers cannot always see children crossing the street.

This is a favorite parking spot for many parents.  I wonder if the sign is invisible to them?

I actually saw the mother and little boy who came back to this vehicle.  I heard the little boy say to his mother, as he was getting in, "Mom.  You parked by a fire hydrant."  (He looked to be about 8 years old.)  She said, "Oh well."  What a great example!

This parent didn't actually park, or exit the vehicle.  But, the sign clearly says No Parking, and it shows the child that it is ok to do whatever you want to for the sake of convenience.  This parent actually does this every morning even if cars are all around.

I walked over to the window of this car and mentioned to the driver that she was parked illegally and that the safety cone was very close to her back bumper so she should be careful when leaving, and should wait for the legally parked vehicle to leave so she could drive forward.  She just glared at me and turned away.  I saw her get out of her car and go inside the building.  Later, I watched as she backed over the cone, knocking it back almost into the cross walk, and drive away.

This is an LISD vehicle.  The driver completely blocked the cross walk, forcing children and parents to go around the truck to cross the parking lot.  It was a very dangerous situation.

I have lots more pictures, sadly.  But these are enough to show how serious the problem is in this school zone.