Grandpa picks up the wrong boy! Oops!
By brokentia
@brokentia (10389)
United States
March 26, 2007 9:20am CST
OK, so Grandpa was supposed to pick up his grandson from school. The kindergartner gets into the car and because Grandpa has poor eye sight and hasn't seen the child in 6 months, Grandpa drives off...with the wrong child!!!
To make matters worse! It was only realized because the parent of that child came to pick up their child but their child was missing!
Oh my! I would be very upset if my child's school allowed my child to go home with someone that just asked for my child by first name!
And if Grandpa's eye sight is that poor, what is he doing driving???
A child's appearance does not change THAT fast in 6 months. But Grandpa also supposedly thought the child changed a lot in those months!
Here is the story for your reading pleasure...
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2253082.html?menu=
Does your school have better security than to release a child to someone that is not known to pick up the child on a normal basis?
21 people like this
46 responses
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
26 Mar 07
This is just not funny when it happens to you. Personally we homeschool and my kids would not go with anyone other than a known family member. Seems like Grandpa needs a motor vehicle driving exam. I will check out that link when this response is posted since I answer from email. Thanks for sharing this with us.
3 people like this
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
26 Mar 07
Hopefully that will be part of myLot's "wet your appetite" upgrades.
Being able to access links given in a discussion through email.
Of course, I also hope that they FIX my notifications. Because it has been two weeks since my notifications have not been working. *sigh* :(
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
26 Mar 07
I am surprised that the kid didn't say anything! The man must have resembled someone he knew. I also thought that if the person who was picking the child up wasn't on a list to do so, the child could not be released.
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
26 Mar 07
Shoot I forgot to add that to my response.
Why didn't the kid say "This isn't my Grandpa?"
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
3 Apr 07
That was my thought. I know my neice wouldn't have just gone off with someone they didn't know. Why didn't the kid say something? Did they think it was all a game? One really has to wonder what the child was thinking.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
3 Apr 07
That was my thought. I know my neice wouldn't have just gone off with someone they didn't know. Why didn't the kid say something? Did they think it was all a game? One really has to wonder what the child was thinking.
1 person likes this
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
26 Mar 07
That is very scary!! I agree if he couldn't see that well he shouldn't have been driving! Did he just say the kids first name? I haven't a lot of time at the moment or I'd read the article.
The schools around here are pretty strict about who's able to pick up kids. There usually 3 choices after the parents. They've got to be on the list I think at the beginning of the school year. I'm pretty sure they have to show ID too when they pick them up.
2 people like this
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
26 Mar 07
The article isn't long. Which is why I like it. :)
But yes, he only said the first name and another child by that first name was spent home with him.
1 person likes this
@sweetlady10 (3611)
• United States
26 Mar 07
May be it looks like a joke at first, but it is preety scary. If a school allow child to go with any one who cna tell their name, then it is so dengurous. Anybody can come and take a child from school, WOW Kidnepers will be so happy to hear this. School should be more strict in this matter.
And also with that much poor eye sight Grandpa is not safe to drive for himself and also for others.
2 people like this
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
26 Mar 07
Lets hope that school beefed up security.
You know someone there had a good talking to!
And hopefully no kidnappers are reading this! :)
1 person likes this
@arcadian (930)
• United States
26 Mar 07
Many years ago when my child was a schhol kid- I had a noticification at the school office that no one but me could pick her up unless I-in person- told them otherwise. She had several changes of school, but that remained the case- although it was sometimes inconvenient for me, it wa necessary for reasons i don't need to bore ya'll with- but I never regretted that decision. My daughter had a very similar notice posted at her children's schools. Without the fear that motivated me, but as a sensible precaution.
1 person likes this
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
27 Mar 07
Florida has a security that when one goes to pickup the child to take the child out of school, parent and proper ID or not...the parent had to have a password that was on file. I once stood there trying to remember what the password was when I had to pick up my son for a Dr appt! LOL
@mummyofthree (2715)
•
26 Mar 07
I actually thought that this was a joke post! I can't believe that a school could be that stupid.
And I deffinately agree, what was he doing driving!
I am speechless.
2 people like this
@magikrose (5429)
• United States
26 Mar 07
Before the girls took the bus to and from school I would drop off and pick up. When I picked up at the school there was 1 teacher from every grade outside making shure that the students got in the right cars. I felt safer when I saw both of my daughters teachers outside with the kids making shure they got in the right car.
1 person likes this
@desertdarlene (8910)
• United States
26 Mar 07
When I first started reading this, I thought it was a joke! Wow! I agree with you about the security, that's pretty scary. And, I sure hope this guy gets an eye exam, especially since he's driving.
1 person likes this
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
26 Mar 07
Nope. Not a joke. Wish it was...then that parent would not have had the scare of his life with his child missing! I would be quick to be upset also!
1 person likes this
@Penguinsangel (3498)
• United States
26 Mar 07
Oh wow how scary is that. Its kind of odd that the child went with him though, since he wouldn't have regonized him. I know the amlost four year old I watch wouldn't go with someone he doesn't regonize period. But wow, you are so right why is Grandpa driving if his eye sight is that bad. How freaking scary on both parts.
btw - I don't know about the security of schools around here. But I do know it was fairly easy to pick up the kids we watched from school. They again they always regonized us.
1 person likes this
@lossforredwords (3620)
• Philippines
26 Mar 07
does this really happen? at first i was laughing on what grandpa did. but then i think this can be very problematic and why does the child didnt tell anything to grandpa.. im pretty sure kids at that age knwos how to make reason.
anyway, here in our county we dont have that much security when it comes to school they just couldnt afford it and i admit that is really alarming.
1 person likes this
@drakan291 (817)
• Ireland
26 Mar 07
I think the schools make the parents fill out a list of who is allowed to pick up the kids, along with emergency numbers. There's a lot of kids who walk home by themselves, though,a nd I don't know whether they would know not to go with someone. I doubt the school would even give a second glance one the kids are through the gate.
@jjwatson28 (572)
• United States
27 Mar 07
Wow at first I though it was a joke. How scarry for a parent. The school didn't call the parents to let them know there kid was at school. The other parent did call the cops because there kid was missing. Whats with the world to day. Our school system has really good securty. If the teacher doesn't know you,you don't get the child.
@rsmith512 (1561)
• United States
1 Apr 07
That is how it is at my brothers and sisters school.
If they do not know you, meaning the teachers, I do not think that they would allow you to take the child. My mom or I have always been there to pick them up...some hopefully they wouldn't let a stranger pick them up. And, I also think that if a stranger were trying to pick them up...they wouldn't let them and they would ask for the password!! :)
@littlebeansprout (187)
• United States
9 Apr 07
Wow, I'm surprised the kid didn't say anything either. I'm sure the kindergartener would have recognized his own granfather?
I'm a preschool teacher and when someone other than the parents comes to pick up the kids there are steps that all of the teachers must follow.
The parents need to put in writing the name of the person that is picking up their child. We id that person before they even leave the office. The person has to be escorted to the child's classroom and wear a special visitor's pass. The they have to sign the child out. Some people get upset over but my question is always, why?
1 person likes this
@sutan74 (1112)
• Philippines
9 Apr 07
This is truly scary if this will happen to me or my child. In my children school, we parents are given an identification card to fetch our child. This is given to the person who will pick up the child if the parent is not there. So it is more safe for the children.
@rsmith512 (1561)
• United States
1 Apr 07
Hahaha! Funny but not funny at the same time.
That would be scary if some stranger picked up my brother or sister. Did the child recognize the Grandpa? Why didn't the child say anything or do anything? I think my brother in Kindergarten would!! He would know better and would be terrified. But, he would definitely do something because he did not know that person.
I think that the school my brothers and sisters go to is more secure and does know what child goes with which parent...and makes sure that they are picked up by the correct person. That is poor security for the school...and stupidity for the Grandpa and some for the child. He should have not been driving! And, the school should have known better!! :)
@soldenski (2503)
• United States
28 Mar 07
I have a son in kindergarden and when we pick him up, we have to sign him out. If my aunt's (who are on his pick-up card) pick him up, they give them the 3rd degree, ask them to go to the office, to verify they are allowed to pick him up, and they have to show a id. The story is kind of funny though.
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
3 Apr 07
Well if I was the parents of that child I'd be screaming at the school. Don't they check ID's or anything? I know with my neices if someone goes to pick them up they have to show ID. Now if they are being picked up in the car loop the kids know the adults picking them up. They know who everyone is. Why did this kid go off with someone they didn't know at all? The whole thing seems very strange. The school should have made sure that the child was going with someone who was approved to pick them up. They should have been checking to make sure the child and adult matched. The school really messed up. Yes the grandfather didn't help any nor did the kid but the school should have been more careful.
@patootie (3592)
•
8 Apr 07
Okay so Grandad hasn't a clue what his grandson looks like and probably can't see well enough to drive either .. but why on earth did the kid get into the car with someone who obviously wasn't his grandpa .. I'd have been screaming and shouting my head off if a 'strnager' had tried to take me ..
@Eskimo (2315)
•
28 Mar 07
What age was the child? If very young then the school shouldn't have allowed the child to leave with just anyone.
Young children unfortunately can look fairly similar to an older person, and the grandparent could just have mistaken the child for his own grandchild if he hadn't seen him for six months, although 6 months since he had last seen him seem quite a long time.
