Sure, parents, teach your children to play in traffic

The BBQ Pit
1

My daughter’s friend came over to play yesterday, and I said I would drive her home at 5:30.

I load the kids in the car at the appropriate time and follow the girl’s directions to her house.

As I’m driving down this road, some teenagers see my car coming, drag lawn chairs in the middle of the road, and start waving a poster that says “Car Wash, $5.” I nod patiently at them and wave them away.

They stand there, laughing, refusing to move.

Again, I gesture for them to move.

They stand there, laughing.

I put on my ferocious face and begin inching forward. I still had to swerve to get around them.

I drop off my daughter’s friend, and follow the road around, hoping that it will hook up with another road and I won’t have to deal with the little brats again. Alas, it’s a cul-de-sac.

Sure enough, as I’m driving back, they again drag their lawn chairs to block the road and wave their signs again. This time I ignore them, again having to swerve to get around them.

Little punks. It’s okay to want to make money, but to block traffic is dangerous and stupid. Then to refuse to get out of the way only pisses off people behind the wheel of a rather heavy piece of machinery that could easily send your flimsy lawn chairs and acne ridden selves flying like bowling pins.

I called the police when I got home and filed a complaint.

I hope they sent an unmarked police car.

2

Good call. Better an unmarked police car, a stern talking to, a fine, and embarrassed parents than an ambulance or fire truck that shouldn’t have to take the time to wait for them to obey the law.

3

Yeah, good call. That sort of thing shouldn’t fly.

BTW, there is a movement advocating “traffic calming”. Most of it is ignorant crap (no offense to any traffic calmers out there) but some is okay. Basically the idea is to slow down cars in residential areas with very high volume–but of course people get out of hand with it. Anyway, some actually do advocate having children play in the street! Can you believe that?

4

Children playing in their neighborhood is fine, but it is the parents’ responsibility that their children are not in harm’s way. Better a squished basketball that rolls into the road than a squished child.