What do you get when you park a patrol car with flashing lights at the PS 277 entrance? A lot of freaked out parents! but obviously not all got the message.
Some parents heeded our earlier warning and avoided the area by parking further away from 277, or dropping off their kids within the solid white lines and not sticking around to chit-chat, pulling away.
There was a good number of parents still double parking, making U-turns, all in front of an officer. What happened to them you ask? Well nothing… turns out the officer is just going to sit in his idling patrol car. Maybe just having a presence is “enforcement”.
At the last Property Owners meeting it was said that a traffic/moving violation would have to be witness by an officer, what good is having an officer present, if he’s not going to walk around, or enforce anything once in a while?
The whole situation might be a work in progress but my favorite moment came when someone said “I would stay and chat with you but I’m afraid of getting a ticket.”
Update: Dismissal
Same thing, different time, more proof . This time a guy that got out of his car to curse me out for stopping for a school bus stop sign. People are amazing.
Someone blew by the bus, while an officer witnessed it. I love selective enforcement. Why even call it enforcement when its just a presence?
Here is a photo gallery
Update: Letter (March 4th) Mrs. Fish
As you know double and triple parking is a serious problem in front of our school and across the street, in the bus stop at arrival and dismissal time. We have received
numerous complaints from many of you and from other members of the Gerritsen Beach community. I am once again asking your cooperation to solve this issue which affects the safety and well-being of our children.
When driving your child to school, please stop long enough to drop off your child and proceed so that other parents may do the same. When picking up your child, I urge you not to park illegally. Do not park in the city bus stop, in the school bus stops and/or double or triple park in front of the school. In addition to being illegal it also presents a serious safety hazard for our children.
After receiving many complaints from parents and members of the Gerritsen Beach community, Community Affairs Liaison, Police Officer Grant of the 61·t Precinct, has
informed me that beginning next week, traffic violations will be issued for the above mentioned infractions. I would not like to see any of you receiving a summons, but more importantly, I want to avoid any of our children becoming seriously injured.
I thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Parents are Crazy People – PS 277 Arrival and Dismissal
Hi Parents! You know you’re crazy right? We all know how crazy you are, but when did it become acceptable to live with crazy people?
On any day at ANY school dropping off and picking up is messy, our PS 277 is no exception. For about a half hour every morning and every afternoon our arrival and dismissal times are a mess but you parents make it one million times worse.
Many 277 parent drivers double park on BOTH SIDES of Gerritsen Avenue all the way down to Avenue X. You make crazy dangerous U-Turns, you basically drive any way you want to. Then if it rains or snows multiply everything by 100. You do these dangerous things, all the while kids are crossing everywhere and two lanes of traffic are moving in and out. I personally like when your kids run across two lanes of traffic to get inside a double parked car.
Since you don’t follow those rules of the road why would you follow that pesky law that says YOU HAVE TO STOP for flashing red lights on school buses on ALL sides. Maybe I need to become a parent so I can drive anyway I want to. Failing to stop for those pesky flashing red lights carries 5 points plus a fine.
I am going to start to take pictures of each and every single one of you. You are allowed to park within that SOLID white line, but it’s really only supposed to be used for dropping off and picking up, YOU SHOULDN’T STAY PARKED THERE. Be warned.
It’s amazing that you parents CRY for a traffic light on Channel Avenue when you can’t even stop for your own crossing guard.
Hope to see you on this site soon.