7-Year-Old Files Traffic Complaint With Connecticut Town, Gets Results

NBC ^ | Wednesday, Mar 26, 2014 | LeAnne Gendreau

[nickcarraway]

When 7-year-old Isaiah McLoughlin wanted cars and trucks on his Waterford street to stop speeding, he decided to take action.

Isaiah grabbed a pen, wrote a letter to his local police department and he is getting results.

“When I went for my bus cars and trucks are speeding. It makes feel unsafe,” Isaiah wrote.

Then he asked police to call his grandmother to discuss the situation.

So police did. They arranged a meeting around the busy 7-year-old’s schedule, took the complaint and arranged for speed patrols, starting today.

Here is what Waterford Police posted on their Facebook page:

”Traffic complaint from a 7 year old!

“Waterford Police got a letter from 7 year old Isaiah McLoughlin, saying that people were speeding in his road while he waited for the bus. He said he was available after 4 PM (busy social calendar!)

“Officer VanOverloop, working on patrol yesterday evening, went to the house, took Isaiah's complaint, and arranged for officers to conduct speed patrols on his road starting today.

“We thought it was pretty great that this young kid would write his local police, and wanted to share it with you.”

The letter is generating positive response for police and Isaiah.

[nickcarraway]

[blackdog]

I smell a dog shootin’ PR machine shaping a message in the gun control fight in CT.

[Mastador1]

You know whats sad? I look at that letter and cry for our children if that is the best they can write in the second grade. If I had written that poorly, Sister Magdalena would have used me for a pinata!

[Slump Tester]

Maybe little Isaiah will inform on his neighbors or parents next.

[Mastador1]

Maybe little Isaiah will inform on his neighbors or parents next.

Maybe he already has, maybe he has. I bet it's one of the new government courses they are teaching in school now. Die Regierung uber alles!

[109ACS]

Little Isaiah has a big future ahead of him.

[Therapsid]

Speeding generates revenue...plenty of attention

[MrEdd]

Clearly with that handwriting the kid will only be able to be a doctor.

[CBF]

You know what is even more sad? His hand writing is better than some of the middle and high school students I teach. Illegible. And they do not care.

[McGruff]

Drive like hell, you’ll get there faster.

[Secret Agent Man]

yeah, they made us practice a LOT to do block letters well, and within the lines. Even more in 4th grade learning cursive writing.

[Marcella]

My son was in jr. high and the man who lived behind us had a heart attack. The ambulance came and got him and my husband and son took the woman to the hospital. When they came to the road for the ambulance to turn for the hospital, they passed it. There was no sign at that road to indicate what the road was or where it lead. The wife in the car with husband/son went hysterical that the ambulance missed the turn. Her husband did die.

My son wrote that city and asked for a sign to be put at that road. My husband thought his letter wouldn't do any good. Well, son got a letter from the city saying a sign indicating to turn there for the hospital would immediately be put there.

Moral of story is, if you do nothing, nothing will happen but if you do something, something might happen. It did.

[deport]

I suspect writing skills aren’t practiced in class like in times past.
I doubt they are given outside practice assignments either. Also
today with computers, etc things aren’t hand written as much. At least
this lad got his message across and got some positive action.

[Kirkwood]

We learned cursive letters in the first grade and cursive writing in the second grade.

[chiefqc]

Gee is guess the police could not figure it out until a 7 year old explained it to them.

[rolling_stone]

We learned cursive letters in the first grade and cursive writing in the second grade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBT2PPNghVk

I can’t read cursive.....how far we have fallen

[Dacula]

Marcella,

I like you. You are always full of insight to see the bigger picture.

If you do not act locally, you will not have a voice to those who have the greater power.

I love your moral of the story.

[lee martell]

I commend the boy for his activism, but his note looks to have been written by a two year old. Wouldn’t surprise me if ‘social promotion’ is going on at that school. Social Promotion is when a child is a poor student and should be failed or held back, but is allowed to move on to the next level anyway ‘so they can stay with their friends’. Keep in mind, that the boy’s grandmother did not encourage him to re-write that letter more neatly, and allowed him to mail it out looking like that. Low expectations. Some people succeed anyway, so,there is hope with this child, since he cares about his surroundings and believes he can make a difference.

[Marcella]

“I like you. You are always full of insight to see the bigger picture. If you do not act locally, you will not have a voice to those who have the greater power. I love your moral of the story.”

To others: Dacula is a small town in Georgia and that's Freeper Dacula’s state. Dacula, If you had an “r” after the “D” you would be Dracula and I'm not sure I would want you to like me if that was your name. I'd be making sure the door and window to my bedroom was securely locked at night. :o)

I have a few people who asked to be on my contact list and I didn't have a list, so now I have one. I'll put you on there and try to remember to use that list (which I forgot to do this time). I don't think about people wanting to read what I write. I'm not much into ego building for myself - plus, some people, surely, avoid me at all costs. :o)

[Dacula]

My wife’s Grandmother’s name was Marcella and my wife’s Confirmation name is Marcella.