Parking Wars AIBU to expect school to help do something!

[Parkingwarsaga]

OK have name changed as very outing.

We live a few doors down from a primary school. The school has a carpark at the church next door possibly 30 foot from school. We are in the other direction.

Our flats have a car park. It can not be closed off with bollards as the end property and a property across the back road are business and have spaces there.
Spaces are included in our rent.

We however have signs up informing people it is a private car park and each space is numbered to a flat. Some spaces are up to peoples front windows.

We have contacted the school endless times and they have asked parents not to park there and to park on the church but they continue to park there filling every space.

We had had residents with babies, small children and disabled residents who haven't been able to park in the spaces included in their rent, people coming home from work who can't park in their spaces. A registered disabled relative of a resident who can't walk far and had to park the other end of a long road.

We have faced abuse numerous times when politely informing people its a private space. Former residents in the past have been told they can park where they 'fucking well want'

One neighbour got annoyed and blocked someone in who was parked right up to his front window and was told he better move now or else cause the woman had a baby. The same women who had blocked another actual resident from coming home with her newborn previously.

Parents drive in to the car park at speed. I've been beeped at for not moving quick enough across the car park so parents who shouldn't be there can park. I've put my bins in my space so my disabled father can park when he comes that morning and they've been moved.

You might think it's only a few minutes but some people come half an hour early and wait or stay half an hour later and chat playing loud music or with their kids running screaming and shouting disturbing shift workers. It's every morning at breakfast club then school time, after school, after school clubs, every book club, every after school play or nativity or music lesson. it's infuriating and I'm sure half the people who do it would go bonkers if people parked up to their front window blasting music.

We have spoke endlessly to the landlord and the school. The landlord has told us that if we want it sorted we have to pay hundreds of pounds for an automated barrier with passes for all including the businesses one of which is currently empty and I currently don't have the money to do this.

School have basically said oh deary me we can send a letter home but nothing else we can do. (they have parked on peoples gardens and hedges before now!)

Surely rather than cause hassle with neighbours a couple of mornings of some member of staff walking the few feet to our carpark at the main time for ten minutes a couple of times would put a stop to it.

Their tag line is all about giving to, being part of and being an asset to the community which is a joke.

[Sirzy]

Schools don’t have spare staff wandering around to play parking warden though. It isn’t School property so really they can’t control what people do.

Perhaps you all need to get together and “patrol” instead?

I get that it’s annoying but yabu to expect School to play warden

[SvartePetter]

In my previous flat, each flat who wanted it could pay to have an individual bollard with a key put up for their space. Was about 125£ each

[Herbcake]

It's not really the school's responsibility. How are they supposed to stop people?

Could you ask the council for a traffic warden to come out and ticket them all?

But really, the only way you'll ever solve it long-term is the barrier. How much is it if split between all the residents? Could you negotiate with the landlord to put it on your rents so you don't have to pay in one lump?

[Osolea]

School staff are not parking attendants and should not be expected to monitor the parking behaviour of adults. It's not their job and it has the potential to negatively affect the relationship they have with parents, so yabu tohink there's much more the school can do. I understand how frustrating this must be though. Ask a local pcso to patrol occasionally and call the police at the time if people are parking illegally.

[ThatEscalatedQuickly]

^^ What was said above. Have removable lockable bollards put up in the spaces

[grasspigeons]

The thing is the school really doesn't have any power over what adults do whilst not on their premises. They really are likely to just get a mouthful of abuse and told its none of their business.

You can expect the school to have some sort of home school agreement asking parents not to park like idiots

You can expect the school to take part in some sort of walk to school scheme

Can you call the traffic wardens to keep coming up on a regular basis, photograph offenders and so on?

I'd also investigate the bollard of some sort of security camera thing that issues fines.

[abouttimeforanotherone]

Work out which time of day is 'maximum usage time', and forewarn the residents to park in the school car park elsewhere for a few hours.

Have a skip delivered. Right in the middle of the entrance.

[Parkingwarsaga]

I know it's not the schools responsibility and they don't have endless staff but they are the sole cause and I just think that being there once or twice for ten minutes would stop it.

I know aibu but it's bloody infuriating.

We have been quoted over a hundred pounds each which is money I would rather spend on my kids Christmas presents than them.

[spanieleyes]

We can't even stop parents parking in our "Staff Only" car park, when we try we get abuse hurled at us. We would have no chance trying to stop parents parking outside the school grounds! Involve the PCSO's , not the school!

[19lottie82]

I understand your frustration but what do you realistically expect the school to do about it?

Do you have a residents committee for the block of flats? If not then set one up or hold a meeting for the tenants to discuss the best way to deal with the problem going forward.

The most obvious solution would be to install some kind of bollards / barrier, if everyone is willing to pay their share.

[fluffiphlox]

Penguin bollards. Weren’t they a thing?

[Parkingwarsaga]

Police and parking wardens won't do anything as it's private land. We have got a sign up saying they will be clamped but they know it's rubbish.

[DailyMailReadersAreThick]

We have spoke endlessly to the landlord and the school. The landlord has told us that if we want it sorted we have to pay hundreds of pounds for an automated barrier with passes for all including the businesses one of which is currently empty and I currently don't have the money to do this.

This is a reasonable solution. And should be cheap when split between all the residents.

What do you think the school can do? They have no power to stop parents being twats.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

not sure why you think that this would be "outing" as it is pretty much the standard situation outside all state schools.

[minifingerz]

Aren’t there private parking services who can be contracted to clamp people parking on private land and demand £400 to release them? They make their money from clamping?

[BlessYourCottonSocks]

Are there cameras up? Because if not, frankly, anyone who parked in my space would be getting keys/paint stripper down the side of their car.

I'm not being told to fuck off by some arsehole who has no right to be on my private property.

Seriously. I'm clearly in a shit mood today, but I would be chucking paint stripper on any car parked there. They won't park there again.

[HunterHearstHelmsley]

Just block the fuckers in! It takes some resolve to ignore them but they get the message pretty damn quickly. The school won't do anything so you have to really.

[Parkingwarsaga]

I want them at least to send a snotty we are disappointed to learn parents are still upsetting to out neighbours please can we remind you not to park like a twat letter home.

[minifingerz]

essio.creativecarpark.co.uk/car-park-enforcement/?gclid=CjwKCAiAjanRBRByEiwAKGyjZbhswuwluH57PDML1WZ4oN8nx-hNACVVmFKI_uLOVtL13_nfpoXMdRoC7acQAvD_BwE

[abbsisspartacus]

I think I live local to you

[ChickenVindaloo2]

Don't photograph offenders unless you want a father coming to your door and threatening to decapitate your pet.

[FitBitFanClub]

I just think that being there once or twice for ten minutes would stop it.

It really wouldn't.

[DeadGood]

OP, google “padlock parking post”. They cost about £60 and don’t rely on key fobs, anything automated etc. Just a simple physical block to stop these bastards parking in your spot.

[toriatoriatoria]

Is installing a parking bollard in the space an option? I'd imagine that would be a lot cheaper than a barrier with passes.

[SaturnUranus]

Our local school has a problem with parents repeatedly parking on the yellow zigzags. It's not even one or two cars. It's a long row of them every single day.

The school has had traffic wardens standing outside at drop-off and pick-up times. The same cars are back the very next day.

They have had police officers standing outside who have spoken to the offenders. The same cars are back the very next day.

If even the police have no influence over people's parking habits, there is very little that the school will be able to do to solve the problem.