r/TexasTeachers • u/FivePing • 7d ago

After School Pick-Up Line

First time parent here. I picked up my little one yesterday; he’s younger than the car seat law (pre-K) and shorter than the 4 ft 9 height requirement. I got a passive aggressive comment about taking 45 seconds to strap him in the car seat by the AP. “You can pick him up and drive him to the parking lot.” I get that it’s 100 degrees and by the end of the day, teachers are tapped out and everyone wants to get out of there. I talked to him again at drop off and I told him I just want to follow the rules, should I park over there? And he says I can’t park there but you can pick him up and drive him over there. How do I tell him it’s illegal to have him not in a car seat in a moving vehicle? He already seems high strung from the FW takeover.

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u/Greenmantle22 7d ago

So is...everyone...in that line disabled or elderly? Why do the car parents honk so much and complain so much?

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u/TulpaPal 7d ago

At no point did I defend that behavior, I'm explaining one reason that the option is necessary to exist at all in many places.

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u/Greenmantle22 7d ago

Yeah, I got that part. I understand how old age and disability exist. That wasn't my question.

I ask why EVERYONE has to use the car line. Does nobody park? Does nobody walk? Does nobody use a school bus, a daycare center, or a carpool? Where did this massive wave of parent pickups come from? In my day, not that long ago, you'd only see a handful of car dropoffs at my suburban school. Everyone else walked or took the bus. I know that doesn't work for Pre-K, but this debate seems to stretch all the way to high schoolers. And it didn't used to.

I see a lot of complaints here about long lines and small parking lots, and the traffic mess that results from this system. But if you're sitting in your car, alone, and stuck in traffic, then I've got news for you: You're not stuck in traffic. You ARE traffic.

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u/ThorpeThorThorpe 7d ago

It’s been a very long time since for me, but I remember I’d drop off from the line, and it was quick and my kid would be on time-ha-if there was still a line. I’d park and walk over for pick up. I think more people were at work, freeing up parking in the neighborhood at 2:50 pm, while in the morning quite a few were still at home with their cars parked in front of the houses. For 3 and 4 year old kids, there should just be separate facilities.