To think that if you object to parents collecting their children from school...

[EvilTwins]

...you shouldn't buy a house near one?

My DCs attend a large and popular primary school, built in the 1950s, which is at the end of a cul-de-sac in the middle of a large, privately owned, mostly 1950s and 1960s housing estate. The school has asked parents not to park on the actual cul-de-sac when they're picking up their DCs, and this is adhered to. However, it means that parents park their cars in neighbouring residential streets. Obviously everyone arrives at pretty much the same time, so there is a 20 minute period, twice a day, when the three or four streets surrounding the school are full of parked cars. About twice a term, we get letters home telling parents that local residents have complained about this. We're never offered a solution.

This only really affects me on a Friday, as my DCs go to after school club Monday-Thursday, but even considering that, I'm starting to get fed up with the letters home telling us off.

So AIBU? The school must pre-date the majority of the residents. If you choose to buy a house within spitting distance of an enormous primary school, shouldn't you just accept that parents might need to park in your road to drop their children off?

Go on then - how many miles is it?

Bit late to correct my typo, but I'm horrified by it, so I will anyway. proble problem. I'm crap tonight, sorry!

Same problem at our school.

There are some flats near the school which have a surfeit of shared parking spaces. There appear to be about 7 out of 30 that are actually used by residents at any given time.

However we are repeatedly told not to park in them. Ok fine but accordingly people park legally in the immediate vicinity which leads to congestion in the area as a two way road is reduced to single traffic.

Local residents are constantly complaining that the area is too busy and asking us to park further away from the school.

Perhaps the school could set up a 'walking bus' type initiative? Maybe suggest that the next time you get a letter home from the school?

Hmmmm.... it depends.

I have almost the exact same situation. We moved her earlier this year, a nice house in a cul de sac with a primary school at the end (oooh I wonder if it's the same one - SE London?). Anyway, each house has one carparking space, allocated and clearly numbered. The bloody parents dropping off their kids at the school ALWAYS park in our clearly alloacted residents parking spaces.

I frequently come home after driving across town to drop my dd at school to find someone in my parking space. I wait, I beep (school is 2 doors from my house), they chat, then they come along and have the cheek to give me "the look".

I admit I have got out once and shouted at the driver who mouthed "fuck you" to me after parking in MY space and I have also got home after a night shift, dropped dd at school, waited 5 mins for parent to move car and not come back, and parked mine in the only place available which blocked her in. I then went indoors and went to bed, her car was still there when I left to collect dd from school but gone by the time I returned.

When my friend moved into her house by a school 15 yrs ago the school only had 5 classrooms. These days it has 10 so the school has doubled in size which has meant a doubling in pupils.

How far is 'not walking distance'?

There should be a school bus provided if you're not within walking distance.

The school is just over 2 miles away. We don't actually have a school within appropriate walking distance for a couple of 4yos. Also I work, so generally the parking thing doesn't affect me personally - I drop them at breakfast club on my way to the school I teach at, and pick them up from after school club. On Fridays, I get them straight from school - there is a 15 minute difference in the time my school finishes and theirs does. It's just enough time for me to get them.

I can't walk to school with them. I have no idea how many other parents could and/or should. I just get pissed off with the letters we get telling us that the residents have complained again, but not offering any solutions.

EvilEye - we applied to our local school (new to area) but didn't get in because it is a highly sought after school. I think this is the case a lot of the time now. More and more children cannot attend their local schools, because of parental choice.

TattyDevine

Here are a few things that would help enormously:

a) never park in someone else driveway, or so close to it that it becomes impossible for residents to manoevre in and out.

b) never, ever, ever mount the pavement when manoevreing.

c) never, ever, ever park on the pavement

d) do not park on junctions (this is also illegal)

e) if you scrape or otherwise damage a residents' car, put a a note on it with your full contacting details

f) let your children stand outside the school gates for a few minutes, so you do not need to use sucvh a narrow, stressy time frame

g) do not swear at residents, especially when they have their own children with them.

h) lobby your school for better early room provision and staggered starts, to avoid the real crushes.

Does that help?

Council are going to introduce controlled parking to overcome complaints from people who live on road where my ds's school is.

I've seen bus drivers have stand up arguments with parents because they can't get up the road between the parked cars.

I drive to school (excuse variously distance that we live from school, 1/5 miles, and that I work part-time).

But I'm also aware that I have no automatic right to park on the road and if enough parents piss off enough residents, then controlled parking can be introduced anywhere.

The letters are probably more aimed at the parents who live a 2 min walk away rather than you though, Evil no? Suggesting a walking bus for the kids that live closer might be a solution for you in that there is less congestion because others aren't driving their DCs in?

People forget that there has to be someone to walk them there, and then have time to walk back home before getting on with their life - i.e probalby going to work. Its just not always possible unless you live round the corner, but I'd be really, really surprised if that were the case - if so, they'd be the very residents that were complaining.

I don't really see why there should be a walking bus initiative though.

I really think if you move near to a school you have to accept that there will be a lot of traffic at drop of and pick up.

Our first house was facing a school and it was a nightmare, I would never buy a house near a school again, looking back I don't think we thought it would be an issue, but we could never get a spot outside our house and the traffic at drop off and pick up was crazy and this was a village where everything was in walking distance, saying that I have been on the other side, I have had to park near houses when picking my kids up, it's a no win situation really......those who can walk should.

Walking bus is a good idea - DN's school does this and it works well. Perhaps I will send a letter back next time we get one home.

If the letters are aimed at parents 2 minutes away, surely that is the very residents who are complaining?

Sorry but YABU!

I live near a primary school, in a cul de sac, and people NEVER adhere to requests not to park in the street. If you are not there Mon-Thu, you don't know that the letters are not concerning parking directly outside the school, which believe me is very dangerous.

I've nearly been run over twice, once when pg with a pram, another time when with a toddler and a baby. Two little girls were knocked over, one had a broken jaw and lay screaming in the street. Utterly horrible to witness, distressing beyond belief, all because some parents can't park even one street away, and don't seems to drive with care near a primary school anyway.

I don't care one jot about parking, I don't even own a car, but the danger of dozens of parents driving in and out of one street makes me very concerned. I couldn't afford to buy a house anywhere else, and worked full time when I bought it, so I didn't consider the school a factor when buying the house.

I do sympathise that the school don't offer a solution, the local council refused our school a lollipop person after the accident (nearby secondary has two ). But would it be worthwhile parking further away than you do already? I know it means more of a walk, but how would it make you feel if you were to accidentally run over a child? Even if it was their fault, it would be a horrible experience. And at least then you would know that the letters home definitely weren't applicable to you!

Walking to school is fine if you're going home afterwards, or if you are lucky enough to work close to school, and you don't have a job that involves travelling during working hours.

My office base is within walking distance of home and school so it's possible to walk on days when I'm office based, but if I need my car once I'm at work I don't have time to walk home from school to pick up the car and then go onto work.

The 1950s/60s estate where the school is situated backs onto a newbuild estate. The residents in the older estate (lots of bungalows) are generally, but by no means exclusively, "older". The newbuild estate is full of young families so a lot of kids from that estate go to the school. I get the impression that the complainers are more the older generation from the older estate.

Agree with others its the mad driving, lurking etc that bothers me. But tbh it doesn't phase me as much as lazy fuckers who park to go to station(I live in only roa with non residents parking- there is no where locally that is not 10 minutes walk from station so unless you are disabled or heavily pregnant or similar I dont see why you need to drive).

I imagine, that if you bought a house near a primary in the 50s / 60s / 70s, you would probably not have taken excessive driving and parking into account. What is deemed to be an acceptable distance to walk has changes, as has access to cars and likelihood that most parents will be working and therefore in a rush in the morning.

I don't blame those residents who complain. It must be a nightmare to not be able to park near your home twice a day. Perhaps parents should consider parking further away and walking a bit further, which would be better for everyone in the long run.

Loopy - I take your point. The problem in parking further away though is that it just pisses off a different set of residents - the school is in the middle of such a sprawling estate, sandwiched between 3 main roads, that parents are always going to parking in someone's street.

I suppose there's not really a solution, and given that it only affects me once a week, perhaps I should just not bother to read the letters telling me that the residents have been complaining.

Ominolap , it probably doesn't help parents who aren't doing any of those things who genuinely need to drop their children off at school in their cars and are being asked not to but have no other solution.

So no!

I am not one of them, I have no school aged children.

I am not defending anyone doing bad parking or illegal driving, simply those who have to use their cars to drop their children off at school and are in the wrong by default simply for doing this.

Is it possible to speak to the school about setting up a walking bus and a cycle lane. Disabilities and dc less than 9 months aside, anyone can cycle 2-3 miles to school. Does the school have a secure bike shed? That would leave the limited car parking free for parents who can't work flexitime and need to get straight to work.
I think YAB a bit U. I would guess that the majority of parents don't have to drive for drop off and collection. Even if everyone just drove for one of them it would cut the traffic a lot. It is the schools problem not the residents and I can see why it might annoy them, especially if the parking makes it dangerous. It's not very helpful if all the school do is send letters home though - they need to be a bit more proactive about encouraging people to walk and cycle.