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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think it's rubbish to have parking rage at another school mum.

196 replies

noseynoonoo · 14/03/2012 09:55

This morning I was taking my chiildren to school. I usually park in a road that has parking on both sides so cars have to wait at one end whilst the line of travelling cars come through. Today I was travelling through whilst there was a car at the end. Towards the end of cars I saw a space and took it. Cue mum in car at other end flashing her lights and saying something to me. I'm no good at lip-reading but checked I hadn't parked over a drive way and all seemed ok. I got my children out by which time she was out of her car having a go that it was her space, that she had been waiting for it etc. I explained that I had not realised that she had the intention to park there and since she wasn't indicating there was nothing to suggest it. She expected me to put my children back in the car and drive off to vacate the space. She then said that if I parked properly we could both fit in (clearly not the case because her car was huge and there was just 2metres left) and then starting saying, 'It's people like you...'

Now frankly, I have had a rough few weeks and don't need the antagonism. There were other mums around and I felt embarrassed that she was trying to get me into an argument (I stayed very calm) and my children had to experience it. On top of that, we have children at the same school - we're going to bump into each other. I understand that she might have been stressed but surely IANBU to think you don't started kicking off to other school mums.

OP posts:
TheRhubarb · 14/03/2012 10:51

That's 3 of us advocating parking further away and arriving earlier. But as with all these AIBU threads there will be an excuse as to why she can't possibly do that and she has to roll up at the same time as everyone else, try to bag a space as close to the school as possible and then appear shocked when other mums get irate.

WorraLiberty · 14/03/2012 10:51

Focus Worral. The thread is about Road Rage Mom Smile

Oh thank you so much Pusheed for bringing that to my attention.

And there was me thinking the thread was about Bulgarian lap dancing Guinea Pigs....

LauraShigihara · 14/03/2012 10:52

Our little village school used to block the main road with the parents parking, arguing about parking and doing bizarre manoeuvres in the middle of the road. The slip road into the school has double yellow lines as does the road alongside the school but no one took any notice.

Now the school is regularly patrolled by traffic wardens, suddenly most parents find they can walk after all. Mind you, we are in a pretty unique situation as most of our families have at least one parent at home.

TheRhubarb · 14/03/2012 10:52

x-posts. Glad that you are taking a sensible approach noonoo

frumpet · 14/03/2012 10:53

Can you not do what i do ? i have taught my children from an early age how to exit the car safely whilst still moving , that way you just slow down near the school gate , note slow down and not park , and out they jump . Drive up road , turn round and throw whatever has been forgotten out of window as you pass by again , this has been invaluable in helping DD master some of the more tricky aspects of eye to ball co-ordination sports Grin

justalittleinsane · 14/03/2012 10:53

This happened to me, about getting though the single lane, she was coming out, I was going in, I thought she was trying to get through, she was trying to park. It was a simple misunderstanding.

Didnt stop her following me through the playground screaming at me in front of the DCs

I calmly carried on walking ignoring her rants, luckily the DCs didnt realise she was screeching at me.

I usually walk, however a 5 minute walk, turns into a 45 minute walk now the youngest wants to walk and go in buggy, and I havent always got the time to walk there and back at that pace.

Pusheed · 14/03/2012 10:54

Whoa! Someone is a bit uppity this morning. I should have saved the smiley face.

Methinks I'll leave you to rant about Bulgarian lap dancing Guinea Pigs.

startail · 14/03/2012 10:55

YANBU to expect another mother to keep her mouth shut in front of the children, regardless of the merits of the situation.

Parking around schools is always going to raise tempers and get people hot under their collars, it is pointless.

After almost 11.5 years of it I can assure you that, the residents will moan, the school will send out letters, the totally wet PCSO will appear, the HT will put out cones and absolutely nothing will change!

Two things would change the situation.

  1. a school carpark, there's plenty of grass to make one, but the council won't! We are supposed to walk to school, rural area with no pavements and a 4 mile+ catchment.Hmm
  2. Two mini buses instead of one large one doing an insane route. 4 yearolds are hardly going to use a bus that takes an hour for a 10 minute journey. The roads are vile, half of them would be sick.

This bus is very socially decisive, only those DCs without two cars use it everyday and they get left out of a lot of things organised at the school gate.

WorraLiberty · 14/03/2012 10:55

You do that Pusheed and thanks again for the heads up Wink

Original poster
noseynoonoo · 14/03/2012 10:55

There might be 3 of you advocating that but you are assuming I park really close to school and leave it to the last minute aned all because I am 'bonkers, idle, selfish,inconsiderate and a wanker'.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 14/03/2012 10:56

What I don't get about people who find it necessary (for whatever reason) to drive to school...is why they don't park 10 or 15 minutes away from it?

Surely not everyone has to park either on top of the school or even in the surrounding roads?

Pusheed · 14/03/2012 10:58

.... but what have you got against Bulgarian lap dancing Guinea Pigs? And can you provide a Youtube link?

TheRhubarb · 14/03/2012 10:58

Erm noonoo, I think you'll find that I didn't actually say that. Your thanks should go to Pagwatch.
And I did post just after your last one commending your for your sensible approach.

Do keep up dear Wink

PeanutButterCupCake · 14/03/2012 10:58

In answer to you're OP YANBU to think she was unreasonable. Sounds like she wasn't indicating or near the space.

I collect DM from a school where she works (8miles away from home) and if I get there at chucking out time it's like he'll on earth!

Cars on zig zags, parked blocking drive, lots of stressed parents scowling and hand gesturing.

frumpet · 14/03/2012 10:58

Please note that my last post was a total fabrication , i park in the school car park like a good parent , will wander off and look for the bulgarian guinea pig thread

Morloth · 14/03/2012 10:59

He is 7 and a half, only road he has to cross is ours (and I do cross him over), not very far and there are a bazillion other kids walking as well.

I am in Oz though where kids are allowed to walk from a much earlier age than in the UK. If we were still in London then he wouldn't be walking alone I think.

Pagwatch · 14/03/2012 10:59

Woooah!

Noseynoonoo. If you read my comment I was talking about the people I see regularly fighting over the school gate parking spaces.

And I am pretty sure most of my posts are obviously Grin

Are you spoiling for a fight?

TheRhubarb · 14/03/2012 11:00
MadameChinLegs · 14/03/2012 11:02

Try living on the streets opposite the school. A frigging nightmare if I try and park 8.30-9.15 and 2.30-3.30.

Jajas · 14/03/2012 11:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

aldiwhore · 14/03/2012 11:02

Ignoring the normal bumface responses about whether it would kill you to walk or not (an argument with plenty of right and wrong answers) the other woman was in the wrong. If she's not indicating then you have no way of knowing what her intention is.

I would have told her you're not a mind reader, that she's at fault for not indicating and that she shouldn't be swearing in front of children. Smile sweetly, walk on.

(for the record, we drive we have to, there's no bus service and no other roads to safely park on - its not ideal but we do what we have to to get the children to school, plus the gates don't open until 9.55am so within five minutes there are a LOT of cars about)

badtasteflump · 14/03/2012 11:02

YANBU. I see this so often outside my DCs school.

I need to drive to work too as I then go straight on to work. My solution is to park a little bit further away - literally one street further away means I get a space really easily for an extra minute of walking - leaving everybody else fighting over spaces Confused.

Kewcumber · 14/03/2012 11:02

we have a car park [smug emoticon]

That doesn't really help does it.

Pagwatch · 14/03/2012 11:02

Blimey, this thread has got everything now, including gerbils.

AIBU re school parking never disappoint do they?

Pusheed · 14/03/2012 11:03

Not every one is SAHP. Some of us drop our kids off before heading off to work/train station. Parking 15 mins away and walking is not an option because of the need to get to work on time.

I say again, why do you assume that every parent that drops off by car does it because they are too lazy to walk?