As parents many of us bare witness to the morning chaos of dropping our children off at school. The afternoon pick up is no picnic either. Though all of the seasons of the year the crossing guards are there to assist our children, and keep them safe. Whether it be sunny, cold, raining or even snowing the crossing guards are there every morning and evening to assist.
If you think drivers on Rt. 50 have Road Rage, then you should check out your local school parking lot in the mornings and evening. The abuse that our civil servants, the Crossing Guards endure is absolutely appalling. Verbal abuse such as cursing, honking of the horn, and hand gestures are out of control. Being a Crossing Guard or Volunteer for the school is one of the most thankless jobs there is. Some of the community parents are absolutely brutal towards these unrecognized heroes.
At one time I dropped off my youngest son at Broadneck Elementary every morning. They had a system similar to most parking lots. You were to get in a long line of cars with the intent that you were to drop your child off at the end of the parking lot. Then turn around to leave. All with the intent to try to keep traffic moving. This system rarely worked because as soon as the line backed up, parents would tell their children to get out of the car wayyyyy before the drop off point. This caused traffic to back up on Mago Vista Rd, every morning. It was madness, and all the crossing guards could do is keep waving traffic forward and take the abuse of the parents dropping children off whom were not even following their instructions. Personally I just parked my car in the parking lot and walked my child to the door, which turned out to be a huge time saver and a great way to keep your blood pressure down that early in the morning.
It was recently reported that Mrs. Hogan the crossing guard at Cape St. Claire Elementary was verbally assaulted and called names from an angry parent. Mrs. Hogan also had asked another parent to move their car from a no parking area because the car was interfering with traffic during the morning drop off. The parent simply ignored her request. Unfortunately these events are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the lack of respect some parents show crossing guards, other school volunteers and staff.
We all have our stresses, and mornings are generally not easy especially when you have several children. If we can do a few things like be early, be courteous and be patient all of our lives would be easier. Many have said that Mrs. Hogan of Cape St. Claire is an excellent crossing guard and it would be a shame to drive away a community “asset” simply because some of us cannot control ourselves as adults.
