First day of school and I already have a carpool story to share.
I was dropping the kids off and noticed that the lady who has been the crossing guard for the last three years isn't there any more. She was only going to keep the job until her granddaughter started middle school. The new guy, an older gentleman, was--it seemed--not quite used to the rhythm of the job. There were a lot of people waiting to walk across as I drove through.
I dropped the kids at the door, giving them my usual pep talk, which my daughter (who now will be known as StarfyFreak since she's announce she hates being called Stick Girl) calls "Being weird."
"Hit your [seat belt] buttons, put on your backpacks, secure your lederhosen, and get your hugging arms ready because you're about to see your friends!"
There was a bit of a delay getting back onto the road. Everyone seemed to be turning right and a bus coming from the other direction was slowly turning left. The driver looked nervous, and motioned for me to not move forward as she turned.
Actually, she looked totally freaked out. I figured out why as soon as she finished turning.
The new crossing guard had collapsed in the middle of the street. The police had a patrol car with its lights flashing in the other driving lane. One of the dads had taken over the crossing guard's stop sign and was handling foot traffic and making everyone in my line of cars turn right. You know, so as not to hit the guy on the ground. He was being attended to by the cop. No one had started CPR yet, and I hope it was because the guy didn't need it.
It was traumatic. It was the sort of trauma that seems like fiction.
I've got to say that it was monumentally amazing that there was even a patrol car in the school zone in the first place. The city doesn't have the resources and so we don't have daily police patrols for school zones. Once a week, tops.
This incident is so upsetting, I don't have a conclusion to my story. Maybe there will be more to the story later. I'll keep you posted.
1 comment:
I saw what happened as well. I wondered if you were around at that time. I had to detour to get my kids to their schools as they are wheel chairs with feeding tubes and the such. Anyhow, I'll let you know how the crossing guard is doing as soon as I hear. I'm sure the news is all over the bus barn but I left as soon as I was done to come get Red head and freckled. She is going to run my pm with me so we can make it to piano on time. RHandF doesn't start classes until tomorrow.
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