Dear Mr. No Manners

This is an open letter to a rude father at my sons' elementary school.

Dear Mr. No Manners:

Perhaps it escaped your attention this morning that you almost took my car out in the school "loop" this morning. Was it worth almost causing an accident to get a whole car length ahead of me?

What was your hurry?

Since your Momma clearly didn't teach you manners, maybe you should pay attention to the weekly reminder sent out by the school principal that reminds people like YOU the rules of etiquette when dropping off and picking up your small children. (Hey! There is another reason to not drive like a jerk--small children are EVERYWHERE!)

For just one second, I will give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you didn't see that you were three cars BEHIND me in the line when we dropped our kids off. While I maintained my place in the line, YOU had some reason that you felt was valid enough to take the right of way and cut in front of the two cars behind me. But don't pretend that when you tried to do the same to me that you didn't see ME looking at you.

I could tell by the stony look on your face that you could FEEL my eyes boring into the side of your head. We didn't NEED to make eye contact for you to know you were being a jerk.

Do you just not realize that you are going to see me REPEATEDLY for the next several years while our children are in school together?? A community in only as strong as its weakest link and YOU, Sir, are IT.

Why would you want to foster this kind of hostility among such a small group of people. Don't we all have the same objective here? Aren't we raising our children to follow the examples WE set?

My children are learning to be courteous, considerate, and to understand that they don't always come first.

What message is YOUR child getting from you? Probably the same message you got from YOUR mom.

I implore you to break the cycle.

Realize that you are not the center of the elementary school universe. Other parents, like me, have days that WE need to get back to and jobs WE need to do, yet are still able to maintain an air of civility when interacting with each other.

So I guess I'll be seeing you at the upcoming school events. I'll be the guy who smiles at you in line. I am probably not the only person who has taken offense by your lack of consideration, so I guess you are going to just have to wonder which one of us I am.

Sincerely,

Spencer Hughes
Soccer Mom in the green Honda