To complain about the lolly pop lady

[Morph22010]

I have to drive ds to school about 10 miles away as he’s austistic and at specialist. No other viable way to get him there, we get a transport budget paid from council. I drive through a large village on way, not an alternative route. There is a school with a zebra crossing and lolly pop lady, have never really noticed much before just stopped when needed to then on my car. There’s been a new one there about 3 months and she crosses people across then if anyone is walking down road she’ll wait in road until thry get there then they cross as well. This is meaning the traffic can start to back up so there’s more of a wait in a queue than there used to be. There was a queue this morning, was in it maybe 7 mins then stopped again at crossing. Now the bit that’s annoyed me is that the parents were crossing back across the road and one had stopped and they’ve had a conversation in middle of the road, only about an extra 30 seconds but there were huge queues both ways. She seems a great lolly pop lady for getting people across the road but Aibu in thinking they should have some regard at least to the flow of traffic? My mornings are quite stressful anyway due to ds so I’m probably letting this stress me out more unduly

The lollipop man at my son's school stands yarning to everyone that passes! But he still manages to be aware of his surroundings and not hold up the traffic unnecessarily. He also does what pp upthread mentioned and waits on the pavement for a little group (doesn't take long) rather than seeing everyone over individually. It might seem like a thoughtful action for the woman in the OP to wait in the road until more people catch up, but it isn't particularly thoughtful towards motorists who are also trying to go about their business.

They’re there to help children cross , if she’s holding up traffic for adults returning without their children then I’d be pissed off too and would complain

One near me on a v narrow road stops and chats to people in cars!

I see this type of argument on MN a lot and it’s so weird.

ummm no lots of people wouldn’t like that and that’s why they don’t all live there

How do you know she was stopped for a 'chat'? Maybe there was an important piece of information being relayed to her? From a concerned parent, a message from a member of staff, It could be anything. You don't know.
You also don't know what she has had to do before turning up for work. She may have had to get difficult children up and sorted the same as you. But she HAS to be out the door and ready to start her job at the set time. Maybe she gets up 30 mins before she needs to incase her children/partner/dog are going to be difficult. Also she will be getting paid minimum wage £9.50ish. She will also often get a good soaking, be freezing and receive abuse from motorists. So no don't complain about her because you have had a stressful morning.

Yes. That's ridiculous. If you're brave enough approach her directly

There is a time & a place for a chat and in the middle of a busy road isn't one of them. Think of the wasted time, petrol, exhaust fumes etc.

It's selfish of the pedestrians to stop and chat in the middle of the road and hold up the traffic!

And I say that as someone who doesn't own a car.

YANBU OP

What "important piece of information" is being relayed to the lollipop person that can't wait literally 10 seconds until people are off the road?

OP isn't complaining about the fact that there is a crossing guard, but people standing literally in the middle of the road chatting is clearly both stupid and unnecessary.

Used to be an offence to sound your horn while stationary, don't know if that has changed.

Holding traffic up unnecessarily is decidedly NOT putting safety first.

Smooth flow of traffic is important for all sorts of reasons. It's why the police get on scene so quickly to handle traffic around breakdowns etc. because they know that accidents are often caused by held up traffic.

I honestly can't image anyone say in their car infront of the lollipop lady stood in the middle of the road with a parent having a chat and not feel at least mildly anointed/frustrated! That's just daft, they can do that on the path either before or after they cross and still let traffic move and people get on with their daily business!

Sorry, meant to start a new thread. Please ignore.🙄🙄

Can he not get picked up by the council if ar special school?

In theory yes, but he’s a nightmare in the mornings and taxi only waits 5 mins so I’d end up having to take him anyway so it’s easier just to take him and at least I then get mileage from the la for doing it

Hahaha oh god

Wtf. I have seen them almost run down. Bloody selfish drivers could not give a flying fuck about pedestrians, even when they are children.

Actually reminds me a little of the one at our school. She saw me approaching on foot and so just keep the traffic waiting, so I ended up running and she's like aw don't bother running. I said but there's traffic waiting I don't want to hold anyone up. She's like ah they don't even to stop for me half the time so they can wait. She doesn't however sound anywhere near as bad as the one ur talking about.

If she's causing traffic jams with her behaviour def complain to the school and they will make it clear it to her, I'm sure.

Really not that simple dealing with autism. Yes changes can be made, but any change to routine and expected timings etc. is felt majorly by an autistic person, especially a kid. I expect OP has been there, done that and got the t-shirt on pretty much every "why don't you just" going.

The one that have to pass each day does the same, OP. So on top of trying to pass all the shitty parking on verges, at junctions, double parking and parents unloading their offspring into the carriageway rather than onto the pavement, we have to wait while the same people stroll towards the crossing, wander across and stop for a chat half way.

Having said that, I always slow down for the next one that I have to pass on a dual carriageway because he always waves to say thanks, doesn't chat and doesnt wait for people to wander up to the crossing and mosey across, they have to get to the kerb and wait for him. Although why he's there when there's a pelican crossing approximately 10m away is a mystery 🤔

If she's new, maybe she has yet to work out how to get rid of people when they start a conversation instead of crossing - presumably she should walk with them in the direction they were going once the kids have crossed. (If it was just her and an adult standing in the road talking, with no-one actually crossing, I can't see what would be wrong with a quick tap on the horn.)
I wouldn't complain as such, just email commenting that the crossing times are too long and the traffic is backing up.

Honestly, you're sitting in a small living room enclosed in a motorised steel shell. You're fine.

I appreciate that it's hard with your son, but waiting 7 minutes is not going to do you any harm.

I thought they are to help children cross the road, not adults?

YANBU.

There's a lollipop lady near me like this. Crossing one adult, walking to the pavement, one person has appeared so she turns around and stops traffic again. I don't have to go that way very often, luckily!

The school is just off a roundabout at one end and 4-way lights at the other end, it causes tailbacks at every day.

I haven't complained personally, but I know people have started to.