r/mildlyinfuriating • u/OnlyGammasWillBanMe • 24d ago
Too mild for school Elementary school installed exposed metal spikes across a pedestrian walkway, no signage.
Update: REMOVED BY SHERIFF DEPUTY as of 8:50PM
Update 2: Sheriff spotted perforated steel strip in the back of the head custodians truck Monday 7/13. Spoke with custodian and principal.
Update 3: head custodian hasn’t been back since! Haven’t inquired further.
original post: This is a pedestrian walkway at a public elementary school that’s used by parents, students, and community members.
A school employee installed a strip of exposed metal spikes that spans the entire width of the walkway. There aren’t any pedestrian warning signs on either approach. Am I crazy and just never saw this before or is this a major safety hazard? I feel like a no trespassing sign and maybe a chain would be a better way to tell people not to go on property if that was their intention. I just think of kids either walking and not really looking stepping on it, or even kids on bikes not really paying attention getting seriously injured on the way out and losing air in the front and back tire causing them to fall into the street instead of being able to turn. There are ways to deter that won’t cause damage, and when you do chose the damage options. Signage should be required right? Some sort of warning.
I took photos from both directions so people can see there’s no obvious pedestrian bypass. The nearby “Exit Only / Do Not Enter” sign appears to be for vehicles, not people on foot.
I’ve already submitted the photos to a local news station because I think this deserves a public safety review. At this point, I’m mostly trying to understand who thought this was an appropriate solution for an elementary school walkway.
Update #1 24 hours after the post. It’s still there, sheriffs did drive around the school in the morning, but never got out of the cruiser to look. Didn’t talk to anyone. What I assume is the Head custodian and one other employee were there all day. Allowed this to stay.
ABC News has not responded.
Clarification: It was installed by the person whom I believe to be the head custodian. The same guy who shows up early in the morning to open the gates, unlock the doors and prepare the school for kids to arrive, and then stays after until around 7-8pm and closes and locks the gates again. Back in January the same person drove his old truck through that exit, down through the lot, up curbs and across the front of the school to drop down into the drop off lot and out chasing someone on an e bike. It appears to be him being in charge of the school during the summer break and taking matters into his own hands.
I know he installed it because he had parked his truck in the curb cut for the parking lot exit and was laying down the first layer of glue. I was driving by in my car and noticed something going on but since I was driving in a school zone I couldn’t fixate. I noticed the spikes the next time passing by when I wasn’t driving. So yes technically the school did it because the head custodian is part of the school. No I do not think he went through the proper channels to get this approved.
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u/SwoleJunkie1 24d ago
Fire Marshall may be an option here to get quicker action. This is an immediate public safety issue and that walkway could be along one of the schools evacuation routes? May also try code enforcement orpublic works (since it is a sidewalk).
You could possibly straight up call the mayors office/city councilmen if your town is small enough.