Leash

I have seen parents with kids on leashes. Literally. And although it gives the kids some freedom to run about, I have always thought it was wrong. It felt, at least to me, that the kids are no different from pets. We always go out with the girls and I have never had a problem of losing them. I mean, they are thinking individuals and even at a young age, and all I had to do was tell them they shouldn't stroll far because they can get lost, and they understood. No need for leashes.

A couple of days ago, as I was picking D from school, there was a mom with a toddler. The toddler kept running around and the mom didn't look like she was trying her best to restrain her child. Sure, she'd pull the child to safety every once in a while, but it didn't look to me like she'd point out to her child that they were, in fact, in the freakin' driveway of the freakin' parking lot of the school. Cars were coming and going and it became annoying when every once in a while, a car would suddenly screech to a stop because the kid was running across the driveway or towards the car. It's a must to yield to pedestrians, but in a situation like that, it is just downright dangerous. Sudden stops can easily cause accidents, and in the exit driveway, where everyone is just anxious to get out of the parking lot queue....oh, I couldn't imagine if an accident should happen there. But then again, it's not an option to just go on and not watch the child. If that happens, it's a bigger offense to have hit the child than to get your car hit by another car. So, anyway, I thought, if there is anybody who most needs a leash, it's probably that mother with a child that unruly. But then again, that's a child, it's the parents' responsibility to set the child right. So maybe, the parents need disciplinary action? Jeez.

On another note on annoying traffic hazards, I remember one time when I let a mother with her kid cross the street as I was about to make a left-turn into the school parking lot. I thought since I yielded to them, and of course, held the traffic back behind me, they would rush across and walk on the sidewalk to their car. Imagine how bad I wanted to run them over when they inconsiderately walked on my lane of the street, all the way to their car about a few feet away still. So, yeah, I couldn't really move forward, and I couldn't drive around them, so all I was able to do was drive really, really slow behind them at their pace -- and they weren't in a hurry! It would have been ok if it was in the parking lot, but it was on the street. Oh, boy.....these parents!