INDIANAPOLIS — Parents who live on the southeast side of Indianapolis say they're concerned about the speed of traffic when they're dropping off or picking up their kids from Burge Terrace Christian School on Brookville Road, near South Post Road.
The speed limit is 50 miles per hour, and there are yellow signs alerting drivers of a school there, but parents say that's not enough.
"You kind of have to shoot the gap and accelerate very quickly to do it safely," Leslee Martin said.
Thursday morning, Martin was driving her three boys to school.
She said when she turned onto Brookville Road from Davis Road, a driver behind her began following too closely for the half-mile drive to get to the entrance of the school.
Martin said that driver proceeded to follow her down the long gravel driveway toward student drop-off.
"This gentleman followed me, pulled up next to me, verbally berated me, rolled the windows down, was flipping me off, doing vulgar gestures, and it just really rattled me because my goal is to get my kids to school safely," Martin said.
Martin said she grew more frightened.
"You don't know if that gentleman has a gun, you don't know what to do. My kids are unbuckling, and I'm telling them, 'Stay in the car, duck down, I don't know what this man's going to do.' I mean, the audacity to follow me into the school," Martin said.
That incident was the tipping point for Martin and other parents.
"Something needs to be done. There's not one parent that goes here that hasn't had something take place. Some sort of incident, whether it's someone speeding or someone doing something inappropriate," Leslie Cannon-Grosz said.
Parents say they tried to take action.
"I've been calling INDOT every week since the beginning of September and haven't seen any wheels rolling yet," said Linda Vice, Martin's grandmother, who occasionally picks up her grandchildren at the school.
Parents are calling for safety improvements like a school zone speed limit reduction, school flashing lights or more signage.
Currently, there are yellow school signs alerting drivers of a school in the area, but parents say that's not enough, especially with the 50 mph speed limit.
"When I pick up the kids after school, I tell them to hold on because I gun it to get out of the parking lot," Vice said.
"I feel like every day, it's a danger. Like I shouldn't have to be scared to get my kids to school in the morning and cars are flying and tempers are flying, and it's just not right," Martin said. "We don't know if it's going to take a petition. I'm willing to canvas door-to-door. I'm willing to stand out here in car line and get signatures, but my babies need to get to school safely."
INDOT told 13News that they have received parents' complaints, and there is a process to go through when considering implementing any changes.
An INDOT spokesperson said they will reach out to Burge Terrace Christian School to discuss possible solutions.