(trigger warning)
Don’t be afraid to call it in.
Here’s a map of my neighborhood, with, for some reason, our house not actually on the map, but it’s just north of Greenwood Elementary.
My kids go to St. John School, which is essentially across the street.
Every day we walk the block and a half to school in the morning to drop off August and Déla. About 12:15 I walk Ciárán to preschool, then about 2:50 after waking Xavier from his nap we walk the same block and a half to pick up the other three from school.
Due to other circumstances, we wound up walking a different was *to* preschool at 12:15, so I didn’t see the truck. After dropping of Ciárán, Xavier and I were walking home. Greenwood Elementary students were on the playground for their lunchtime recess. The playground supervisor, whom I know from the neighborhood, was next to the fence as I walked by and we started talking. She pointed out the truck, parked across the street in a spot that I’ve marked with a black dot. Here’s a picture of the truck.
She said he has been there all morning. A number of adults have gone up to him including the principal of Greenwood Elementary, and while not doing anything illegal, he was evasive and never gave a satisfactory answer.
I called the police to report a suspicious person. If I didn’t have Xavier with me I would have gone up and taken a picture of the man sitting in the truck and then of the license plate.
As I went to pick up the kids from school, he was still in his truck, only this time wearing a bicycle helmet. The playground supervisor was again by the fence. From her I learned the police arrived to question him shortly after I called. he was out of the truck at the time with his bicycle (taken out from the bed of the truck, presumably). When asked about the truck, his response was that it wasn’t his.
When I got to St. John School to pick up my kids, I let the school know. Now both schools are aware of the man. As I walked home with the kids, I noticed the truck was there, but the man (and bicycle) were gone. I told my neighbors in the area about him.
Yes, I talked to my kids about it. And I hated every minute of it.
That’s were we are right now. Hopefully there will be no follow-up post.