The kids go to a private, Christian school (as I've mentioned before). Yes, it costs an alarming proportion of our annual income; however, public school is not an option.
Usually, I have no complaints about the school, the curriculum,* or the other parents, but occasionally...yikes.
Take this morning, for example. The school's on the same road we live on, exactly a mile away from us and on the other side of the road. The road we're on is a fairly busy one--it's one of the ones that connect to the bypass highway.** And school drop-off time is at the same general time as everybody rushing to get to work. This year, I could drop them off at 7:30, like I did last year, but they'd be put into the cafeteria (I think separated out by the color of their gaiters--different colors for different grades) instead of turned loose to play in the gym, like last year. By doing so, I was able to avoid most of the people racing to work.
I don't want to inflict that on either my kids, or the teachers assigned to watch the cafeteria. So I've been dropping them off around the time the kids are sent straight to their classrooms.
This morning, the road was particularly busy. Lots of traffic. I got the kids dropped off and was waiting to hang a left to go home. And waiting. And waiting. Through half of "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Finally got a gap, and made it out onto the road to wait some more behind a couple of cars waiting to make a left into the side road running beside the school that leads to where the high school kids get dropped off. Finally got past, and a shiny, black Audi pulls out of that driveway, and decided to ride my bumper the entire mile between the school and my house. Bobbing back and forth like he'd like to pass me (on a damn city street, with only two lanes!).
I flipped my right-turn blinker on three driveways to the west of mine, then tapped the brakes, then stood on them to make my turn. He went by so close he damn near clipped my bumper, with his right hand extended as far across the passenger seat as he could reach, flipping me the bird.
The guy who'd just pulled out of a Christian school parking lot after dropping his kid off.
Dude. Do not act like an asshole, even if you do drive an Audi. I drive a Subaru, and it's several years older than your Audi. And if you rear-end me with your antics, it's your fault, and your insurance is going to pay for my repairs, then jack up your rates. I do not care that you are running late, I will not speed up for you when my house is only a mile from the school, and I will not miss my turn just for your convenience. Seriously, if you are running late to work, drop your kids off a few minutes earlier.
*I love the curriculum. It's really challenging, to the point that my kids don't get bored and cause trouble. It's harder and moves faster than most of the curricula out there, to the point that the imp's doctor said it's the equivalent of a public school gifted/talented curriculum for all of the classes, not just one or two.
**I get why--the town's university is just a half mile further down the road from the kids' school. BUT. The road is TWO LANES ONLY from the bypass to the intersection on the far side of the kids' school, with no stop lights before that corner. Occasionally, traffic can get hairy in the mornings, between people coming in off the bypass to head to college/work, and people heading out TO the bypass to get to the other end of town faster.
8 minutes ago