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AIBU?

to 'know' that this will make not a jot of difference ?

52 replies

OrmIrian · 09/07/2009 09:54

3yr old boy was knocked down outside school this morning. He was on the pavement holding his mother's hand. Car reversed, mounted the pavement and hit him. It ran over his legs . When I got there the ambulance had just arrived.

The school is Victorian and the main entrance is in a cul-de-sac with very limited parking. But many of the parents still park there - on double yellows and chevrons. It's a complete nightmare in the mornings with cars going everwhere, blocking up the roads. I have to drive as I am on my way to work but I park several streets away where there is always space.

The school has written many times about this in the newsletter. The police have handed letters out to the parents via school. We have a WOW (Walk on Wednesdays scheme) to encourage children to walk at least once a week. The fact that so many do shows that most of them could walk every day.

AIBU to beleive that this poor little chap's accident won't stop this happening. Because too many people are too lazy and self-centred

OP posts:

Report

edam · 09/07/2009 09:55

Gosh, that's horrible. Poor little sausage. Was it another parent who hit him?

OrmIrian · 09/07/2009 09:57

Yes edam. I suspect they will be having a hard time too. Especially in school

OP posts:

yama · 09/07/2009 09:58

Is the little boy okay?

I've had to bang on the back of reversing cars many many times.

Yes, you are right - too many people are too lazy and self-centred. It is only going to get worse.

ReneRusso · 09/07/2009 09:59

I hope he is OK.

sleeplessinstretford · 09/07/2009 10:07

i may be flamed here ormiriam but you know what- you say you have to drive as you have to work, there are probably umpteen people who also feel that they have to drive for whatever reason that is-whether it's they have a baby/other kids and don't have time to sort them all out etc etc. I don't see why your reason for driving is any more valid than anyone elses-and how far away is the school from your house?
This is a bit of a bugbear of mine due to the whole Manchester people rejecting the congestion charges-they all desperately NEEDED to drive but could see no other reason why anyone else might have any desire/need to...

tigger32 · 09/07/2009 10:08

Poor little boy, hope he is ok.His poor parents must be feeling terrible.

FimbleHobbs · 09/07/2009 10:08

Poor child. I hope he is better soon. (and poor mum)
Did the police get involved? Given that the child was on the pavement it seems likely the driver is guilty of some sort of driving offence doesn't it.
Clamp 'em I say. With a big fat release fee and a long wait for the clampers. That might just teach them.

imaynotbeperfectbutimokmummy · 09/07/2009 10:10

omg - this is my worst nightmare, the amount of parents that park on the pavement opposite the primary school i walk past with DD in the morning. She is on her scooter on her way to school. I tut and glare but never say anything.

Maybe this will spur me on to make a complaint - local council i think? Its an accident waiting to happen.

katiestar · 09/07/2009 10:11

The OP is parking at a distance.She is not creating a hazard near the school.

OrmIrian · 09/07/2009 10:11

"I don't see why your reason for driving is any more valid than anyone elses"

No I don't suggest it is. But my contention is that no-one has to park right outside the school. Unless they have major mobility problems.

OP posts:

posiedullardparker · 09/07/2009 10:12

What you need is commission based parking inspectors near the school.

OrmIrian · 09/07/2009 10:13

The police were definitely involved. There were 3 police cars in the street.

OP posts:

JesuslovesCatholicSchools · 09/07/2009 10:14

lobby the council to get some clampers round there

blueshoes · 09/07/2009 10:15

OrmIrian, I agree that the parents should try to park further away, like you do.

But as for driving, you drive because you are on your way to work, I drive because I have to do a split school run which is more than an hour's round trip to do on foot, despite ds' nursery being only 8 minutes' walk away.

The driver will be in hot soup now for mounting the pavement. Hopefully, this will be the wake up call needed to allow the school to clamp down on traffic congestion at the schoolgate.

idranktheteaatwork · 09/07/2009 10:15

It's down to the school to make it impossible for parents to park there. We have had a similar incident at our school, the school now have cones stopping people from parking where they shouldn't/or will cause a hazard.
The PTA raised the funds for the cones and we had a very strong letter sent home explaining why the action was taken.

Can you get a group together to do something similar? For a time we had the local bobby there at school drop off and pick up times to reinforce the message. Perhaps that could be done as well.

crokky · 09/07/2009 10:20

Could the double yellows be changed to yellow zigzags (for some reason I thought that parking on zigzags was a worse offence than double yellows?) - might this dissuade people from doing it? My DS's school has zigzags - people still go on the double yellows but don't go on the zigzags.

crokky · 09/07/2009 10:22

Oh, and I drive to school because it is way too far to walk - the nearest school were not interested in helping DS (aspergers) so I had no choice but to go further away.

OrmIrian · 09/07/2009 10:24

crokky - they park on the zigzags too

blueshoes - I agree that some have to drive. I was in your position a few years back. Had to do CM, nursery and school before I went to work.

OP posts:

sleeplessinstretford · 09/07/2009 10:32

I know some do have to drive but I reckon we are all way too reliant on our cars in general in this country.

screamingabdab · 09/07/2009 10:39

Orm. This is a bugbear of mine. A very few people park on the zigzags when dropping their children off, when there is a space on the other side of the road !. So for the sake of their little darlings not having to cross the road, they make it more dangerous for everyone.

There are other hazards around here (typical loopy London driving).

My DCs are IMO old enough to walk to school together alone, if it weren't for this mad driving.

Luckily, the school has started a consultation with the parents to address some of these issues, but in the meantime, it is only a matter of time before something like this happens here.

blueshoes · 09/07/2009 10:40

The best way to stop such anti-social behaviour is to have traffic wardens patrolling the area at pick-up drop-off time. It is the only thing that will strike fear in drivers' hearts and news of this will spread like wildfire amongst the illegal driving community.

OrmIrian · 09/07/2009 10:45

screaming - DS#2 is only 6 so too young as yet. But DD frequently does - I can check she has got here OK as things stand.

sleepless - I totally agree with you. And beleive me I walk whenever I can. When I work from home we walk to school and back, the DC walk home from school with their dad. But I can't get from home-school-work on foot by 9am. Once DS#2 can walk to school I will walk to work because I will be able to leave in time.

OP posts:

OrmIrian · 09/07/2009 10:46

We get the traffic wardens patrolling once or twice a year it does the trick - for about a week.

OP posts:

blueshoes · 09/07/2009 10:46

I appreciate that space is a constraint especially for London schools, but why are schools so badly designed in terms of drop off points for children?

Fine in a utopia where all parents live locally and can arrange their lives to walk their children to their local community schools and 2 points in the day. .

Otherwise, more thought should go into planning how to make it safer for parents to drive and drop their children off near the school.

blueshoes · 09/07/2009 10:48

OrmIrian, is it possible to have more frequent patrols especially in the light of this incident.

If they work on commission, it would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

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