School traffic, no parking

Yesterday I took Marty to BART earlier than usual.  Then I headed off to school.  Huge mistake.  I have to pass three other schools before I get to Kaiser.  The first traffic was a little heavier, then I got closer to Chabot.  School buses, Mamas dropping children off, Mamas walking children to school.  Close to chaos.  The next school had started so not much traffic, and then I was a couple of block from the turn to Kaiser. 

Both sides of the street were lined with cars, two blocks before the turn to the school and four blocks uphill after the turn.  Traffic was stopped down hill for a couple of blocks as parents let children out in the circle in front of the school. Cars just stop in the circle and doors slowly open, a leg or head will appear.  Then nothing.  Finally children start spilling out of the car, both sides not just on the sidewalk side.  And I wait to get around to the street where I can park.  Why do these children have to be driven to the door, and why do many parents have to walk them to their desks???  Why can't they be let out at the foot of the hill (one block walk) and parents leave.  I can almost understand walking a kindergarten child to class the first week, but 5th graders? 

So I can't find a spot close to park and I drive uphill several blocks.  I know in about 15 minutes most of the street parking will empty out. I'll then move my car down hill.  No way am I walking up this monster hill when I leave.  We are having summer as usual in September, and it will be 90 degrees when I leave.  This girl does not do heat and sweating.

I planned to sit and play Angry Birds as I waited.  But you would not believe the view from the Hiller Highlands.  It is one of the best views in the Bay Area.  Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, The Oakland Bay Bridge, Alcatraz.  This link is close to what I was looking at.  Be sure to click on the time lapse for yesterday. Lovely. I sat and enjoyed the beauty and then went inside to work with the first graders.

I now know next time Marty leaves early, I'll sit in BART's parking lot and call my Mother, read a book.  I won't get in the school traffic. I can look at the view when I leave.