Other: I live at 319 N. Fairview St at the SW corner of W 8th and N Fairview St. Yesterday afternoon, Wednesday April 15, around 3.30 or 4pm the school was releasing the students and the usual long line of parent cars was lined along 8th street. I had driven west, up 8th St, past the school, to the intersection where I usually turn right to park in front of my house. Usually drivers don't block the intersection and this allows a smooth drive through in all 4 directions. Yesterday however when I reached the intersection where I take a left turn in order to park, I found a car parked right across the street blocking all north south traffic. Normally drivers in line keep the lanes open. The driver of this car wasn't moving because he couldn't. Eventually he was able to move enabling my left turn and a north facing school bus to continue on its way. I parked my car and went over to the male crossing guard and asked him why had permitted the driver of the car to block the street. He completely ignored me and was uncommunicative. So, I want to know what responsibilities the crossing guard had and has. His job is about safety I believe so why would he permit a car, part of a long line of waiting vehicles to block egress. His silence and unwillingness to engage with me really annoyed and I suggest you find him another job not involving public safety. I'm not being vindictive I just want people to take their job and role seriously. And, no children were around while this was going on. Robert Harman.
Followed up with Officer at Crossing and spoke with Resident
After speaking with you and the officer involved, it appears that the vehicle in question, which was blocking the intersection, may not have had an immediate opportunity to move at the time the request was made. This can create a challenging situation, particularly during peak traffic periods, where options for repositioning are limited. As mentioned previously, the primary role of the Crossing Guard Safety Specialist and Parking Enforcement Officer is to safely manage traffic—including both vehicles and pedestrians—to ensure students safety getting to and from school. Their focus must remain on this responsibility, and are not always able to engage extensively with the public as that could distract from this priority. That said, crossing guards and officers do have the authority to ask vehicles to move if they are creating visibility (line-of-sight) concerns or contributing to traffic congestion. I hope this helps address your questions and concerns.
Mr. Harman, Thank you for your report about your recent experience on Wednesday, April 15th. I will have the team leader look into this situation with this special crossing official and respond after she investigates. Thank you, Michelle
| City | Bloomington |
|---|---|
| State | IN |
| Status | Case Date | Category |
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