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AIBU?

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Original poster

Parking illegally outside school

144 replies

deviladvocate · 13/03/2012 23:03

Had a big row this afternoon with one of the regular offenders at school - on the zig zag lines, no possible excuse, she was aggressive and entitled.

Head has spoken to the regular offenders, signs have already been attempted, there are regular reminders in the newsletter. All ignored.

We need some constructive ideas for how to address this, help!

OP posts:
MsIngaFewmarbles · 14/03/2012 10:44

Same here. Our school is posh inner city. Very narrow roads that you can barely get one car through when cars are parked both sides so always a bit fraught anyway. Entitled swines parking on the zigziags, in the staff car park which has an ENORMOUS polite sign asking parents not to park in there. Parents blovking the roads, but also the walkers just strolling all over the roads (and there are good pavements).

I do drive the DC to school, we live 3 miles away as we had to move to a cheaper area when DH became ill and lost his job a couple of years back. We live 100m from another school but getting 3 places is impossible. Same parking issues at that school too. A couple of months back a child was run over because of a bastard parent parking on the zigzags :(

YonWhaleFish · 14/03/2012 10:57

There's a world of difference between not being bothered about other people's children and actually putting them in danger.

If you aren't bothered about them, you won't be thinking of their safety though will you? You're just thinking about getting your own children into school as conveniently as possible for yourself, so I doubt these parents have thought enough about it to realise there is any danger IYSWIM.

imogengladheart · 14/03/2012 11:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bigbluebus · 14/03/2012 13:00

I once approached a woman outside my DS's primary school who had parked across the end of the pavement, causing all the pedestrians to walk out into the middle of the road to go around her car and get back on the pavement. I pulled her to one side and made her look at the hazard she was causing to the lives of the school children. She didn't park there again - took to parking around the other side of the school (probaby just to avoid me!!). FAst forward about 5 years, I saw this woman parked in a retail park in our local town the other day - she was in a 'disabled space' guess what - with no blue badge.
Some people just don't care.

Blu · 14/03/2012 13:02

Our borough has little 'smart cars' with a camera on top - they just drive past, take the photo and then they get a ticket in the post. It is a good deterrent because everyone knows it can happen very quickly, unlike the long march of the traffic warden.

Report it to your council.

Beanbagz · 14/03/2012 13:06

Get the local community police officer round. Maybe a parking ticket or verbal warning would talk some sense into them.

We have a few serial offenders at my DCs school so i think it must be a problem everywhere (although we walk to school).

RuleBritannia · 14/03/2012 13:25

MissMarplesSideKick

If you were not getting out of the car, your blue badge would not allow you to park on yellow lines. In other words, those getting out of the car were not disabled so should not have been allowed the privilege of getting out on yellow lines. Misuse of a blue badge, anyone?

SmellsLikeTeenStrop · 14/03/2012 13:34

We had this same problem outside DC3's school. Letters sent out to parents were completely ignored. Now we have parking wardens randomly turn up. They could be there every day for a week, or once a week, or not all. Sometimes they turn up just before the main bulk of parents are likely to arrive, sometimes 5 or 10 minutes afterwards. It's impossible to predict when they'll be there, or to assume that just because they're not there when you've arrived, that they won't be along some time after.

It seems to have worked, the wardens started coming back in September and I can't think of the last time I saw a car parked on the yellow zig zag.

LieInsAreRarerThanTigers · 14/03/2012 13:49

Visited my cousins in Canada a few years ago and there it is common to have crossing patrols operated by the older primary children (9-11s?) helping younger ones to cross the road and stopping traffic. Everybody was very polite and there was no parking anywhere near the school gates. They have very strict rules in Canada (and US?) about passing school buses, etc. Perhaps we need more of a 'community' approach over here, involving the children. I can imagine something like that causing a stir and both primary schools I my dc have attended!

MIssMarplesSideKick · 14/03/2012 14:21

Rule I am going about my business as a lone disabled parent, do you have issues with rules or is it disabled people in general? Did you know that disabled parents can also get other help to enable them to parent children? Not that its any of your business, my children have the same condition as I do, they sometimes need a lift to school. I don't claim any benefits for anything to do with them, I could probably get blue badges for them and probably dla and extra ctc if I tried. The childrens condition isirrelevant as, I was doing my job as a parent!

bemybebe · 14/03/2012 17:27

missmarples
rules is right and strictly speaking you may get fined for the way your bb is used. speaking as the only driver for my disabled dh bb user and a volunteer driver for other disabled people in my area

Original poster
deviladvocate · 14/03/2012 17:45

Anyone know who is responsible for painting road signs, the zig zags are faded we need to get them re-done?

Head was out this morning with cones lined up, parents were still stopping in the school drive and letting their kids out. Ignorant @###!!'s

OP posts:
Pendeen · 15/03/2012 16:56

It's a local authority Highways responsibility.

kipperandtiger · 15/03/2012 17:18

Here's a thing: parking correctly in school is setting a good example to one's offspring. Children are surprisingly astute and many a six year old and five year old have piped up to "remind" their mums about the Highway Code and traffic rules - "Don't forget to stop, Mummy", "Did you give enough warning, Mummy" (not my child, someone else's said this) .......especially when there are older siblings in the car who can spot these things. And no child wants to be known in school as the one whose parent is always a parking menace......they soon find out.

Original poster
deviladvocate · 15/03/2012 21:35

Traffic warden turned up today Grin first time in three years suddenly we have a clear school entrance! Haven't told anyone who might get a ticket at school but our local bobby will be making an appearance soon too

OP posts:
fifitrixibell · 16/03/2012 01:52

DD2 nearly got knocked over by a woman parking ON the pavement directly opposite the school gate as we were waiting to cross the road- I was so mad I shouted alot at the woman ( and I don't shout) and then burst into tears. Angry

We live a fair distance from the school so I usuall y drive the DCs, but we park about a 5 minute walk away, and it is so much less stressful than going anywhere near the school.

There are parents who arrive 30 mins before school's out just to get parked closer to the school - total madness!

kipperandtiger · 16/03/2012 01:54

Deviladvocate - hurray!

sashh · 16/03/2012 01:59

MIssMarplesSideKick

If the blue badge isn't for your children and you don't get out of the car you are not legally parked. It is irrelevant what condition you or your children have, it is relevant who has the blue badge.

Chopstheduck · 16/03/2012 07:58

MIssMarplesSideKick, it is misuse, and you could get a ticket. If you feel your children should be entitled to a blue badge, why not apply?

Also - doesn't the school help you at all? Parent blue badge holders are entitled to use the staff car park at our school.

Mrsrobertduvall · 16/03/2012 08:25

We took photos of serial offenders and sent out a newsletter to parents with "wanted..for putting childrens lives in danger".

We had a huge problem with parents stopping in the middle of the road opposite school, and the children running across the road to school. And of course the child would get tangled up in the seatbelt, forget it's lunchbox...so parent had to get out of car, abandoning the car in the road.

MIssMarplesSideKick · 16/03/2012 08:54

I can't find anything that says using a blue badge to go about your business as a parent is misuse!

Chopstheduck · 16/03/2012 09:06

'Never allow other people to use your badge. Even if you are in the vehicle, if you are not getting out of the vehicle then it should be parked normally'

source

I have a son who is disabled. If he doesn't want to get out of the car, I have to park in a normal space. It would be easier for me as a parent, to still park in a disabled bay or on double yellow where I can supervise him and in case he wants to get out. But it's still misuse.

BTW, I just had to renew his badge, and got his badge without using his DLA award - since I wanted a full two year badge, and his DLA is due for renewal in June. You dont HAVE to apply for other benefits to get a blue badge, you jsut need to show you qualify for the badge.

MIssMarplesSideKick · 16/03/2012 09:09

No one else is driving, I am driving as I am using the badge to go about my business.

Your quote is for someone being used as a passenger to justify someone else driving around attending to their business as I read it.

Chopstheduck · 16/03/2012 10:02

No, it applies to disabled drivers too. It is irrelevant whether you are a driver or a passenger. The whole point is for you to be able to park close to where you need to be, for easy access. If you are not getting out of the car, you are using it for the benefit of your children. It might make your life easier as a parent, but that's not the purpose of the badge!

It annoys me, because it is people who miuse the system, that make life tougher for those who DO use the badge properly. There is so much fraud in the system now, that many people are suspicious and scrutinise genuine users like my ds. I've lost count of the number of snide comments, or dirty looks I've been given.

I have sympathy for your situation, but it does not give your the right to misuse your badge. Why don't you get out of the car when you drop your children off? Or if they are older, park elsewhere, legally to drop them.

sairygamp · 16/03/2012 10:09

I always stop with dd and say loudly, (as they tend to sit in the cars watching their babies walk the two centimetres to the school from the zigzags) 'Look, just remember that this is illegal and very very dangerous' and then glare (passive aggessive me)

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