The School Run is a Killer - Part 1

You betcha.

As if four schools in a 500m radius, in small residential streets is not bad enough, some knuckle head decided that the first week of school for the year would be a great time to close a main access road, the one that is the least residential.  They also cordoned off about 2/3rds of the kiss and drop spaces for our school and the school across from us.



This mornings traffic, half an hour before school starts! 
The school is still a kilometre away. In the afternoons it is worse because this
 street has cars parked on both sidesleaving only one lane of traffic!

Can you believe this?  I am still astonished.  This afternoon I arrived 20 minutes before the first kids (k-2) come out.  I still parked in the next suburb, literally.  Yesterday I was about 10 minutes early and I may as well have walked from home I was so far away (I would in no way be considered walking distance, I mean if I caught the train it is two stops away).  The Munchkin almost passed out from running up the hill being dragged behind me, he could not even climb into the car when we got back to it with his brother.

I took this car required car pick up and traffic into account when we were deciding on schools.  I did not expect that the main road would be closed causing a funnel effect up a single lane street.  One Mum told me it took nearly 40 minutes to get through it once they got to their car yesterday.  I was saved that by parking soooo far away and the luck of ending up facing the better direction for getting out of the gridlock.

And, our school just got bigger.  Expanding several grades by extra classes this year.  On top of these extra kids, our Kindergarten is almost entirely new families.  There are just three kids with siblings already at the school.  That's 50 new cars in a single grade!

Currently K-2 finish 20 minutes before years 3-6 and if kids in K-2 have siblings in a higher grade they go to ASC for the extra time so their Mum's can pick them up together in one go.  Technically it should mean we get a parking space, run in, pick up our children and dash back to the car and drive away leaving spaces for the next shift.

It doesn't work like that.  The bigger kids leave by a different gate. Today as I passed, almost 10 minutes before K-2 are due out, that is 30 minutes before their kids would be out, I counted 23 Mum's at that gate already chatting away.  When I got around to the K-2 gate there were less Mums waiting there!  Obviously we have not worked it out yet, but seriously why would I want to be there that early?

I have better things to do than spend half of my afternoon chatting inanely at the school gates.  It is hard enough to get there by 2.45!

How does the school run treat you?

And what do those Mum's find to talk about for 40 minutes?  Please do tell.  I am now fascinated.