Off Topic

Link: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/media/press+releases/2007/transportstreets/Motorists+face+fines+for+flouting+school+crossing+patrols.htm

I have always been a bit of a safety and security fanatic, I don’t know why but I can see dangers before they happen where others are totally oblivious to it or too wrapped up in their everyday lives to think or even care about it.

The story unfolds, I started taking my son to school in the morning, after a few weeks I noticed a woman who parks on the yellow zigzags outside the school every day, I approached her and told her the zigzags were to stop cars stopping to keep it clear for children to look for traffic and not a personal parking spot just for her.
The rest of the term she never parked there again, when the new term started she started parking there again, I left it for a while and she kept parking there every day, I put in a complaint on the Avon and Somerset Police online incident reporting website, within a day I had a reply asking for the registration number of the car involved, which I gave, I was then contacted by Samantha the local community police officer, she advised me that she couldn’t give out a ticket unless she was causing an obstruction, I didn’t want her to have a ticket I just wanted someone in authority to make her aware of the dangers she is causing by her selfish actions, Samantha told me that she would make the South Gloucestershire traffic officers aware of my request.

A month went by and not a pass by a police officer or a Traffic Warden and the selfish woman was still parking there, I advised her that I had reported her to the police and the traffic warden but she still continued to park there, I was beginning to think no one cared about the children, perhaps someone would take notice if a child was killed, I wasn’t prepared to let it go that far so as a last attempt I made Mrs Warrant head teacher aware of the dangers and my concerns in a letter, a short while after I took my son to school and a police officer was there, it made my day the selfish woman parked again on the zigzags, “result” the officer saw her and went over for a friendly word and she hasn’t parked there since.

In the letter I sent to Mrs Warrant I also made her aware that the parents picking up the children were blocking the footpaths, I was amazed to see that they were in deep conversation totally unaware that the children were stepping out into the road to get past, Im sorry but mothers are one of the most dangerous things aloud near a school, if it was an excavation it would have barriers and a safe route around it, with mothers there are no flashing lights no bright yellow and orange bands and bollards just an unintelligible siren.
Recently there has been a notice asking all parents to wait inside the school property to avoid the danger area outside the school, the majority have obliged and now wait inside some have remained outside, today I went and one lady was stood by the fence with a pushchair in the path and a small child blocking the rest of it, with the absence of many mothers one has taken over there roll as chief obstructer.

Thanks Mrs Warrant for trying your best to ensure the safety of your pupils.

I could have carried on my way and ignored it after all it didn’t affect me, had I just ignored it and the above mentioned people carried on and a child died, not only would it have been the women’s fault but mine as well for not doing what I could to prevent it.

Next time you go to school with your children have a look out for dangers and do your best to ensure measures are taken to reduce the danger, if you see a danger and don’t report it you are just as responsible if a child dies because of it, if reading this saves just 1 child’s lives it is well worth it.

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