In rural Canada, I lived really close to school. Walked to school and could even walk home for lunch. Fast forward to 5th grade and im moved to the southern United States. Elementary was run like a prison. No kids could walk to school. I used the bus and one of our stops were 3 houses right in front of the school. The school was in constant fear of a kid getting hit by a car or kidnapped.

That school was miserable and that was the most miserable year ever.

Recess was on a track and a field. You couldn't run out of fear that a kid would hurt himself. You weren't allowed to sit because I believe they were trying to reach a health quota. So recess was walking around a track for 15 minutes, once a day.

Lunch had assigned seats to keep kids quiet. It was alphabetical and boy girl all the way around each long table. I got stuck between to girlfriends who just talked through me and spat on my food.

I've only ever talked to a principal 3 times in my life. All 3 times were at this fucking school. First was for popping a paper bag during recess. They believed, "it might cause a panic because it sounds like a gunshot". Second was for flipping a spoon during lunch(I was bored). It was loud, the teacher didn't like it. The third was for flicking a pea at a girl across the table(I was bored). It was literally one time and she complained.

I fucking hated this school. It was a fucking prison.