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Original poster

Would you report this or find it suspicious.

33 replies

3littlemincemeatpies · 16/01/2020 06:01

I have woke up early thinking about and playing something over in my head that happened yesterday and now wondering if I just being a bit dramatic and silly or something worth mentioning to school.

DC go to a small village school (think pub, church and school being the bulk of it) and B road in and out.

Due to its size other than residents of village and parents of school there’s not really much activity and things that are not quite right stick out, hence me posting...

Went to pick DC up yesterday, they had been at an after school club so an hour after normal school pick, lovely afternoon but starting to get a little darker and relatively less children coming out. I always have the dog and my DC are KS2 so they know to come and meet me at the front of the school. Walk up to school and there is a van parked not only in front of school, but nose up on the kerb touching school low wall and blocking off pavement (weird in itself as children coming out of school would have to walk round the back and onto the road to get past)

Can see a guy in the front and notice he also has a dog as my dog is going mad. At this point just think he is an inconsiderate parent/carer waiting to pick up kids but note don’t recognise him, van, or inconsiderate parking!!

I’m standing directly beside his passenger door (seeing as I can’t get past) and after about 5 minutes he gets out his side, lifts the lid on van and starts tinkering about in the inside. He looks over and mentions something to my dog about his Pup watching mine, seems friendly enough but I am starting to find the whole thing a bit odd...

Next thing he has his dog out on the lead and (without asking) let’s his dog come up and have a sniff at mine (fucking hate when dog owners do that!!) mine has a bit of a growl and a snap at his and he asks how old mine is just as my DC appear and he walks off with dog on lead.

Get the kids all packed up, lunch boxes in bags, wellies on etc and start to walk back up though the village and he is coming back down again with dog, looks over and smiles. We carry on home.

I think it’s relevant to add that we live somewhere quite famously beautiful with good green dog walks at every turn without having to pick a narrow, steep village road to walk up 200m’s and back down.

Would you find this odd, I wondered if it was maybe a partner of one of the teachers coming to pick up, which would explain being in a “prime” (couldn’t get much closer) pick up spot but leaving to take his dog for a walk just as the children are all coming out, but I couldn’t imagine anyone with any links to kids parking so inconsiderately for getting past. I guess he could have broke down and was waiting on help but I just didn’t get that from him.

Am I over thinking things or would you find this odd?

OP posts:
Orchidflower1 · 16/01/2020 06:15

It is odd and I’d mention it to the school. They can send a reminder out about more considerate parking if nothing else.

MissSmith1 · 16/01/2020 06:51

Did you get the number. You could report to the school and mention you are thinking of passing the number to the police (?possible paedo) - then if there is an innocent explanation you should hear it pretty quickly. Otherwise there's no reason to inform you and if you're nosy like me you'd want to know.

Original poster
3littlemincemeatpies · 16/01/2020 06:56

@MissSmith1 unfortunately no, I didn’t even think...

I’d be a shit detective!! 😂

OP posts:
willothewispa · 16/01/2020 07:14

It does seem a bit odd but he's probably just inconsiderate rather than a risk.

Original poster
3littlemincemeatpies · 16/01/2020 08:45

You are probably right @willothewispa I have probably just been watching a bit too much true crime. 😂

OP posts:
Honeyroar · 16/01/2020 08:52

Why do you think it’s odd?

I just see it as a man taking his dog for a walk in a beautiful area. Yes he parked in an inconsiderate way, but if it wasn’t regular school out time he might not have known that children were about to leave. He just sounds like a

Honeyroar · 16/01/2020 08:53

regular dog walker to me. It’s not like he sat in his van watching the kids, he walked off with the dog. I’d not be concerned personally.

lilmisstoldyouso · 16/01/2020 09:00

"Miss"

Ah love the logic

Man outside a school MUST be a Paedo Hmm

GiveHerHellFromUs · 16/01/2020 09:00

He probably assumed he'd be fine to park there as the kids had finished school for the day. How was he to know there was an after school club?

He didn't talk to your children. In fact, he left when they arrived.

willothewispa · 16/01/2020 09:11

Why do you think it’s odd?

Because most parents would have the gumption not to park in a way that forces children to walk in the road.

Mumdiva99 · 16/01/2020 09:15

@willowhewispa which part of the country do you live in where parents don't park in inconsiderate ways when picking kids up. In my experience all sense goes out the window on the school run.... anything is fair game - double yellow lines, verges, tiny streets blocked on both sides... (Park and walk 2 minutes....no there legs might drop off!!! Grin)

Original poster
3littlemincemeatpies · 16/01/2020 09:15

Ok from the general consensus I probably have over thought it.

What I will say is the spaces in front of the school aren’t public parking spaces, they are generally reserved for teachers, the nursery mini bus and a couple of children in the school have mobility issues, they are white lined and clearly part of school properly, the school itself is very small, the front (where I and van were sitting) is very green leading down the front door and children play on it, climbing trees, waiting for parents etc.

There is also 3 small car parks in the village, one attached to the church, one at the play park and the other near the road going out.

We have moved around a lot due to my husband’s job and my DC have been to 3 different school. This man/van wouldn’t have looked out of place or felt odd at any other school we have been at due to the set up/parking/people traffic going through but this just felt a little weird.

OP posts:
Original poster
3littlemincemeatpies · 16/01/2020 09:19

@Mumdiva99 We have now been at this school for over 2 years and I have never seen anyone park the way he did...

Even if he didn’t know after school clubs were on, there was a small stream of parents, going in, children coming out, surely you would think to yourself “I’m in the way here” ?

OP posts:
yogo · 16/01/2020 09:37

I thought OP was concerned he was a dog stealer rather than a peado?

willothewispa · 16/01/2020 09:58

which part of the country do you live in where parents don't park in inconsiderate ways when picking kids up.

@Mumdiva99 cloud cuckoo land

chocolateisavegetable · 16/01/2020 10:41

OP honestly mention it to the school - it's not like he will go straight to prison if you mention it! Mention it to the school and you won't have it on your mind any more. They may already know it was a teacher's long lost brother come for a surprise visit, or they may already have concerns that he's been seen in the area before. Either way, they can decide whether it's worth worrying about it or not.

Damntheman · 16/01/2020 10:58

I don't understand what's odd about a person parking (like an arsehole - not unusual) somewhere beautiful to take his dog for a walk. It's not like he hung around to stare at the kids.

LolaSmiles · 16/01/2020 11:02

I'd think it was unusual, but I am viewing that through the eyes of someone who is a teacher and we've had reports from the police about vans around schools/known areas with children over the years.

I'd mention it to school as unusual without any speculation, they can keep an eye out. If it's nothing then nothing will come of it. Saying something is unusual isn't accusing anyone of guilt.

Cohle · 16/01/2020 11:20

I have absolutely no idea why you think the school would be interested.

GiveHerHellFromUs · 16/01/2020 11:22

@yogo why would she mention a dog thief to the school?

Original poster
3littlemincemeatpies · 16/01/2020 11:43

@Damntheman it wasn’t somewhere beautiful though, my point was there are lots of great green places to walk your dog near by but he chose to sit in his van for 5 minutes, looking onto the school, got out, opened the bonnet and tinkered about in there for another 5 minutes (I was very early)
Get his dog out and walk up the village road for 200m and then walk back down past me, presumably going back to his van.

I can stress how unusual this is for the school and/or where he or his van was sitting, but imagine if you don’t live somewhere rural it’s quite hard to understand. Like I said this would not have looked out of place in any of the other schools and nurseries my DH have been at.

Definitely veering towards not saying anything though, don’t want to come across as paranoid or crazy.

OP posts:
Poetryinaction · 16/01/2020 11:55

A man took a dog for a walk. Your dog growled at his but he still smiled at you. And you can't stop worrying. Yes I think this is odd.

chocolateisavegetable · 16/01/2020 12:15

I also used to work in a school and I can tell you that they'd much rather you said "It's probably nothing, but ..." than not say anything and then later on it turns out to be significant.

Honeyroar · 16/01/2020 12:46

“because most parents would have the gumption not to park in a way that forces children to walk in the road”.

Totally disagree! 75% of parents at school pick ups park anywhere it bloody suits them if it makes it easier for THEIR little darling. Around here they block drives, park on yellow lines, park in the school’s turning circle etc. And it seems a common topic on Mumsnet, so not just my experience.

Damntheman · 16/01/2020 13:32

Oh I misread you OP, sorry!