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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that school run drivers are selfish cunts?

141 replies

GladAllOver · 05/11/2018 09:52

Just that. They park anywhere and everywhere, regardless of other drivers or local residents.

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 05/11/2018 10:58

Worst part is the crazy parking actually makes it dangerous for the children who walk to school as they can't see what's coming at junctions etc to cross the road!

Oh god yes

I've seen people reverse their cars completely oblivious to the fact that some one is behind them trying to cross. And yes I know you arebt surprised to cross between parked cars but it's all up the road so the children have no choice. And of course most the cars are massive so there's no say half the kids will be seen in the rear view mirror.

So dangerous. And selfish.

How does some ones laziness to park just five mins away trump the rights to walk safely to your local school

BollocksToBrexit · 05/11/2018 10:56

I find the school run drivers at DS's school to be polite and considerate. Just the other day I was running late and got to school just as the last place in the adjoining carpark was taken. The mum got out and went to get her kids out but then saw me as I started to reverse out of the carpark. She waved me back in and jumped back into her car so she could give me her space as she knows I'm disabled.

YABU

BloobCurdling · 05/11/2018 10:53

We normally walk, but I very occasionally drive, if I have to drive somewhere afterwards or we're running late for some reason. I do take care to only park legally and safely, and walk from a faraway parking space if necessary (no car park). So it is possible. (I'm not just saintly... I'm also very risk-averse and hate the thought of doing anything dangerous or getting into trouble!)

But I am also amazed by the horrendous parking behaviour of some parents. Loads of double parking, parking on the zig zags, stopping in the middle of the road, and I've even seen people grab the chance to just drive into the playground full of kids, if the gate is open Shock

Our HT often goes and stands in the road outside school in a hi-vis jacket at drop-off time, marching about and scaring people away from the zig-zags :o

Apart from that, it's hard to police it. I think a lot of people genuinely think "I know I'm not supposed to but it's just for a few seconds/minutes so it's OK".

BluthsFrozenBananas · 05/11/2018 10:53

Some parents are selfish cunts before their children even start school. I live on a narrow side road with a nursery on the corner. Quite a lot of my road is double yellows, and anyone parking on them effectively blocks the road forcing cars to drive on the pavement to get past. This doesn’t stop the nursery parents, every single day a procession of people park on the double yellows, if I can be bothered to challenge them it’s always “I’ll only be a couple of minutes” Angry . There’s a car park which is free for 30 mins literally on the opposite side of the main road, but people just have to park as close as possible even if it makes it dangerous for everyone else.

twiglet · 05/11/2018 10:48

There is a primary school at the end of my road (which is a dead end) which is opposite the police station and we still get parents leaving their vehicles in the middle of the road with their hazards on.

The police have even stood outside on occasions just so that the parents can see them and not park like idiots! They also receive regular reminders from the school about this yet still some choose to ignore it.

I do love it though when the police have given them tickets! Worst part is the crazy parking actually makes it dangerous for the children who walk to school as they can't see what's coming at junctions etc to cross the road!

CuppaSarah · 05/11/2018 10:48

I have to drive as we're too far out to walk. We park five minutes up the road and walk down to avoid the madness. I can't stand it and really feel for the residents.

Weirdly though, I live opposite another school and never have an issue with dangerous driving or parking if I drive home during their school run. So clearly it varies.

CarlGrimesMissingEye · 05/11/2018 10:47

Many of them. At our school they have negotiated parking at school run times at two places. One at the top of the hill above the school and one at the bottom. Parents still park like idiots blocking drives and on the yellow zig zags, despite the council and school running awareness campaigns. It's selfish and inconsiderate. There is ample parking around that isn't stupid once the safe on street parking nearby is used up.

SoyDora · 05/11/2018 10:47

When they started to issue certificates for children who can prove they walked to school in the morning (they give ‘walking assignments’) law and behold the parking problem vanished

I’d be pretty pissed off at this, as my DD’s love walking to school and did every day until I developed severe SPD, which isn’t their fault.

Cherries101 · 05/11/2018 10:45

Teachers at the local school have diplomatically suggested it’s because of ‘unconfident’ drivers who only drive during the school run. When they started to issue certificates for children who can prove they walked to school in the morning (they give ‘walking assignments’) law and behold the parking problem vanished.

SoyDora · 05/11/2018 10:45

All of them?
I have to drive, I have severe SPD and a 4 and 3 year old old and walking is currently impossible (live 2 miles away). I drive carefully and park legally and considerately. As do the vast majority other drivers I encounter on the school run.

safariboot · 05/11/2018 10:45

Indeed a look outside just about any school will find numerous parents parking irresponsibly if not outright illegally. Nobody here ever seems to admit it though, so where are all the bad parkers hiding?

We need someone to do "I park where I like to pick up my children from school. AMA."

OscarWildesGreenCarnation · 05/11/2018 10:44

Our secondary of 2000 pupils (which has increased year on year) is excellent at sorting special parking for those who either have disabled children or are disabled themselves. Equally you can apply for a one off place which the school will grant if it meets criteria (i.e., you're picking up 15 minutes early to get to a dental appointment). Hundreds of the young people get buses to and from home, which cuts out much of the pick up need. There is minimal parking which is legal down the street, and yet still there is the 5% of cunty mccunt faces who seem to think that a) it's OK for them to use a special place on the grounds as above when not needed or granted, b) it's utterly fine to double park in the already narrow street, or c) park across peoples' driveways. Granted that there's minimal parking off the street either, but what's wrong with many of the YPs walking 500 metres to meet parents / carers in the town if they live a couple of miles away FFS? Or just walk anyway?!

So OP, YABU to generalise as there are many who 'do the right thing', but YANBU to suggest there are those who are complete entitled nobbers without a care for anyone else!

Snappymcsnappy · 05/11/2018 10:44

Yes, yes they are.

Allergictoironing · 05/11/2018 10:43

In a previous job, I had to drive past the back entrance to a secondary school at around morning drop off time, and much of the parents driving was insane. Parked on zig zags. Parked across dropped curb driveways. Parked overlapping the corner of the side road opposite the entrance. Doing u turns in the entrance to the aforementioned side turn. Pulling out without looking. Stopping dead in the middle of the road to drop kids off. All this on a bend near the top of a steep hill, with trees either side restricting visibility.

BlueberryMarshmallow · 05/11/2018 10:43

Yes people are so inconsiderate! In my old job I had the lovely job of telling people off for blocking drives on a school run- a home of a disabled child that needed to be able to get their car out and take their child to hospital in a morning was parked over every single day. All parents knew and their excuse was always ‘Well I was only 5 minutes’. People are so selfish and inconsiderate.

Notthecarwashagain · 05/11/2018 10:42

I'm a school run driver and not a cunt.

DS has sn and although now at high school isn't safe to walk there on his own.
I take him in the car and park in a nearby street. Same spot, so he can find me safely and doesn't get distressed.

I don't mount the pavement, block the road, cover 'safe crossing' bumps.
I drive 20mph in the school areas, ready for walking parents to cross their children without checking, because they are looking at their phones ( tsk look at me judging them all by the same standards eh?!)

I know people probably judge me for getting there early and driving when we only live a mile away, but I don't care and will always do what's best for my son.

I have seen some terrible, selfish parking, but I think that those people park like that whether on the school run, or at home. They are just arseholes.

Kescilly · 05/11/2018 10:42

It's awful here but I don't blame the parents as there aren't any good places to park. They're inevitably going to have to inconvenience someone. I blame the people who built the school (and surrounding estates) with a distinct lack of parking. And the governments that allow this to continue. It's one thing if your local school is a century old, but this one was built less than ten years ago!

BertramKibbler · 05/11/2018 10:41

I hate them, we walk in, it’s a 20 minute walk. We pass several parents on our walk who are getting into cars to drive.

They all park up on the pavements meaning I can’t get a buggy between their cars and the garden walls. We have to walk out into the road just to get past, often this is really dangerous and they park on blind bends.

I’ve reported it to the police and the school. The police come out and people park considerably for the day and then go back to their dangerous parking. The school don’t give a damn.

Sparklingbrook · 05/11/2018 10:37

I can imagine Orgy. I wondered whether ours was because they didn't want loud schoolkids outside their windows at 8.30am after a late night shutting the pub.

TeddybearBaby · 05/11/2018 10:37

Hahaha thank you 😘. I know what you mean. My kids school is horrendous. People blocking others in. Reversing when you’re crossing, parking on zig zags. Someone drove on the wrong side of the road this morning. Annoying!

OrgyOfSpookiness · 05/11/2018 10:35

@Sparklingbrook

The pub near by our village school did this because the landladies car was damaged TWICE by shit school run drivers who didn't leave details...

SnuggyBuggy · 05/11/2018 10:34

Sparklingbrook, I do have sympathy for that to be fair

Yokohamajojo · 05/11/2018 10:33

I usually walk but on the very few occasions when I drive I park a few streets away and walk! It really annoys me when parents sit in the car with the engine on waiting! so polluting.

Wonkypalmtree · 05/11/2018 10:33

I am a school run driver, I am not a cunt thank you very much. I , I am appalled by people parking over junctions etc, our school often threaten to call the police over illegal parking, there isn't a car park and three schools in a small area. I regularly feel sorry for the residents, I would never buy a house by a school after experiencing this.

Mesmeri · 05/11/2018 10:33

Sparklingbrook yes!! When I was a bus driver, what you described there was a really common occurrence!!! Completely bonkers.