What do you think? Car line-cutting auction?

[Anonymous]

I hate to break it all of you, but kids barely notice dirt smeared across their bodies, let alone cars in a line.

WE care. WE are jealous. WE are poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate to break it all of you, but kids barely notice dirt smeared across their bodies, let alone cars in a line.

WE care. WE are jealous. WE are poor.

Wrong. Check out PP at 15:08 9/23, for one, for some insight on how kids view this type of thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bought the morning carpool spot at our school 2 years ago. I did not bid on it this year because my husband likes to go through the line every morning with our cherub. I don't bid on the afternoon carpool spot because I don't pick up in the afternoon, but if I did, I would. We also bought naming rights at an auction one year. I work hard. My husband works hard. And we can pay for special privileges like a morning carpool spot, nice vacations that other families in the class can't afford, art that we enjoy looking at every day, good seats to sporting events and concerts, dinners out, and the like. Everything in life is not always fair or nice. Society happens to value and pay me more for my work than other professions whose work is far more meaningful i.e. teaching. Best for children to learn early that despite our best efforts life is not fair and bad things will happen and how to manage disappointment, frustration, anger, etc and live one's own fulfilled life despite not having paid for a morning carpool spot.

I find this poster's remarks pretty nauseating. I thought the point of family and school was actually to create an environment where things ARE fair, to set an example and create aspirations and values for the future. Can't kids learn later in life that rich people get special privileges?

But that said, I don't think auctioning off the carpool spot is such a terrible thing. The way I look at, some crass and showy parent gets to demonstrate their bad taste in front of the whole school every morning by cutting the carpool line, and in return, the school gets money for a scholarship. We see examples of showiness and bad taste at our kids' schools every day (the ridiclous cars, the overdressed parents, etc). This ostentatious display isn't all that different. Why not say to your kids who want to know why that person is cutting the line : "The family who cut the line did something really special for the school and gets this special privilege in exchange." Which is actually true - the family gave their money to help the school. Then your kid might learn the RIGHT lesson and you can laugh privately at the vulgar parents who want to show off their wealth.

[Anonymous]

I don't really care about this issue, but I have a solution. I think the people who are outrageously offended by the cut-in-line privilege ought to bid high on that item at next year's auctions. Once they win the tag, they can refuse to use the power, or perhaps even donate it to some cash-strapped single mom at the school who would appreciate the extra time that buys her each day. That way, you're helping to fund school scholarships (a/k/a "promoting economic diversity" on other threads), you're helping a struggling parent that really needs the help, and you're blocking anyone else from abusing the privilege. You'll eliminate one of your frustrations and be a complete hero on many levels. If the bidding is too high for one person, you can find other like-minded people at the school and pool your money.

[Anonymous]

15:22 I'm offended, but bidding on the item is drinking the Kool Aid. Look, there are tons of ways to raise money. Any school that thinks this is an acceptable auction item should examine its core values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:22 I'm offended, but bidding on the item is drinking the Kool Aid. Look, there are tons of ways to raise money. Any school that thinks this is an acceptable auction item should examine its core values.

Ditto. Well said.

[Anonymous]

Why not take it to the logical extreme and auction off automatic A's, the lead in the play, or a spot on the varsity team of your choice? That way your kids will thoroughly master the life is not fair lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not take it to the logical extreme and auction off automatic A's, the lead in the play, or a spot on the varsity team of your choice? That way your kids will thoroughly master the life is not fair lesson.

Ha, I love that. Just like how we auction off our elections to the highest bidder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:15:22 I'm offended, but bidding on the item is drinking the Kool Aid. Look, there are tons of ways to raise money. Any school that thinks this is an acceptable auction item should examine its core values.

Ditto. Well said.

It just seems like this thread is all about whining about a perceived problem, but not doing anything about it. I'm sure we can find something offensive about most items at the auctions (especially the big-ticket items). I'm just offering a constructive way to solve your problem. If you'd rather remain angry to support a principled stand against sanctioned line-cutting, I guess that's your choice. It just doesn't make much sense to me though. Isn't it Dr. Phil who coined that "Would you rather be right, or would you rather be happy?" line?

[Anonymous]

Well, one thing we can do here on this website is name names. Which schools sell such things? And what do they sell, exactly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, one thing we can do here on this website is name names. Which schools sell such things? And what do they sell, exactly?

Well, as appalled as I am by this tacky, ugly, cheesy practice of selling (okay, auctioning) such a crass "right" to a parent, I do know that my children's private school does NOT do this. If your school does do this, you should start a letter writing campaign to the head to abolish the practice. At least I would and I might paraphrase (with full source disclosure) several of the passages from this thread to highlight the horrenmdous message such practice is sending. I would imagine that parents of like-mind to PP of the "I bought the morning carpool spot at our school 2 years ago" quote probably have lots of shiny new money and enjoy flaunting it but, really, the heads of the schools should and do know better. Sounds like its time to reign in some of those auction chairs, too. Unfortunately I fear they are getting a merry chuckle at the vulgar parenst who actually take the bait. Maybe that is the solution in and of itself...

[Anonymous]

Posters keep insisting that the private school their children attend do not auction off an item like this or anything similar. I really was under the impression that it was common practice to auction off naming a circle, street, prime parking spots, first in line, etc. Honestly, I had never thought of it as crass but after reading these posts can see that side of the coin. I simply saw it as an easy way to raise money for the school.

At any rate, I am curious -- what schools do not auction these types of items? (Again, not just head of the line but naming rights as well.)

[Anonymous]

Burgundy does not include such items in its auction.

[Anonymous]

Holton auctions off parking spaces and circle names but not line cutting. They have plenty of people doing that anyway. The problem with the line cutting is the safety issue. You have kids crossing the street while some idiot is doing his best to run the poor kid over.

[Anonymous]

My child would notice. And disapprove.

It does sound dangerous. It's a strange one!