are overloaded with traffic and buried by theminivans lined up on their street from end to end. That’s not to mention the extracurricular events. So far I’ve


heard not a word from any of them, and I guess they are used to the process and appreciate the home equity their proximity to the school provides. But there is a homeowner nearby known for leav- ing trash cans on her curb and hosing down the sidewalk and park- way in front of her house every day to block would-be school parkers. I think poorly of her for that behavior, but can understand her frustration. I was so surprised by the parking dynamics at the school


because my parents didn’t drive us.When I was in kindergarten, my older brother and sister walked me, and sometime that year we moved to the outskirts of town. That meant taking the school bus that showed up more than an hour before school, carried chil- dren and teens in all grades, and often reeked of marijuana. If we were lucky, Dena, the bus driver, would play the radio


station we liked, and we might hear the best song ever, Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in theWall.” (“Hey!Teachers! Leave them kids alone!”) We were dropped off right in front of the school doors and never gave the parking lot madness another thought. For now, I’m glad my daughter is riding to school safely


strapped into her booster seat in the back ofmy car. I’mnot ready for her to experience hard rock and soft drugs just yet. I am will- ing to brave any kind of parking issue to keep her little just a lit- tle longer.


haved or made a terrible scene. By the time Iwalked back tomy car, amuch longerwalk


than I remembered, probably because my legs just did not want to take me any farther from my little girl, we had only a couple of hours before pick-up time.My toddler and I passed the morning unproductively, feeling at loose ends and sooth- ing our tender feelings with doughnuts and television. Parking at pick-up was not as chaotic because the


kindergarten classes were dismissed early during the first week. Still, the streets around the school were crawling with minivans and SUVs, small siblings, and school children dart- ing every which way with their brightly colored backpacks bobbing up and down. Now that we’ve done it for a few weeks, the whole thing


is starting to be routine, and our emotions are settling. I stopped crying after the fourth drop-off, and when I leave, I no longer feel like I’ve left a body part behind in a dingo’s lair. Parking is still tricky, but several strategies have reduced its impact on our days.We started carpool with another fam- ily on our street, and that makes us feel better about driving such a short distance. At pick-up, I arrive a little early and get a comfortable


spot. Drop-off is a breeze because our school offers “valet.” You just pull into the loading zone, and a PTA volunteer opens the door and hands your child up to the entrance. I have to remember the kiss and hug before we load the car, because those PTA people don’t waste time. The kids are out of the car in seconds, and I’m waved away emphatically. The facility has maybe 20 parking spots – all designated


for teachers and staff – so it’s strictly on-street for the par- ents. It’s a hassle to search for parking when punctuality is so important – kindergarteners (and their teachers) don’t have much patience or understanding for tardy moms. But I can only imagine the inconvenience to the neigh-


bors, who, three times a day – counting drop-off, and then a staggered dismissal for kindergarteners and higher grades –


NOVEMBER 2009 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com 55


Melissa Bean Sterzick is PT’s amateur parker and proofreader. She can be reached at Melissa@parkingtoday.com


PT


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