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

[noseynoonoo]

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.

The other day I filled up at a Sainsbury petrol station and I used the opportunity to buy some milk and bread. When I got back to my car the old geezer that was waiting for my pump got out and ranted about how I should have paid for my petrol, moved the car away from the pump BEFORE going back in to do my shop.

a) my shop was bread and milk which took all of 15 seconds to buy
b) there were other free pumps but for whatever reason he HAD to queue behind my car.

My point? There are tosser drivers everywhere so why do some people reserve their ire for school run drivers?

Goodness, this is divisive.

Course iff everyone went 15 min early then the same thing would happen 15 mins earlier. essentially you just have to suck it up and accept the parking conditions at your school.

My old school just had a one way drop off system. Gates opened early, leaving your child there or not was up to you but nobody could park you just drove through and dumped the child. Never did us any harm .

Spaggy - Pagwatch just called you spagbog
On purpose an' all!

worra Lazy selfish ones do, of course - but to be fair the vast majority drive and park sensibly and there isn't a problem. I'm not sure what proportion drives to dd's school, but it's not everyone, and there's actually rarely an issue, despite there not being much room.

My point? There are tosser drivers everywhere so why do some people reserve their ire for school run drivers?

I couldn't give a shiny shite about the moany old geezer unless he puts my child and other children at risk.

Lazy, inconsiderate school gate parkers do this on a daily basis...that's why I reserve my ire for them.

Oh and I also reserve a little bit of a tut and an eye roll for those who can't leave the house a little earlier to ease the problem....and for those who think their child will melt in the rain.

Same here. Park the car. Kiss kiss. See you later. Whoosh. Next car. Those F1 pit stop teams are amateurs by comparison.

I suspect that the schools that causes grief are those where the mums park, walks kid to gate and then stay to chat to other mums.

Like it like this rhubarb?
It is BOLOGNESE not BOGOGNESE.

I suspect Pagwatch knows this.

Yes, Worra I look like her too.

I just don't get why people must park as close as humanly possible to where they're going. Why not park a couple of streets away and then walk the last bit? That way you miss the parking malarkey and you get a bit of exercise.

Oops just realised a few others have said exactly the same as I. I shall go and write "I must read the thread before posting" x100.

"I also reserve a little bit of a tut and an eye roll ...... for those who think their child will melt in the rain"

Let me guess, when you was a nipper you would go down the mines, work a 25 hour day and when you got home dad would regularly murder you :o :o

Children don't melt in the rain but their clothes do end up smelling damp.

We regularly have to leave 10 mins earlier than usual, if we're dropping DS2 off at the Nursery next door to DS1's school. It's never been a problem because my children get up at aresecrack of dawn

As for the parking woes - the parents at our school are so bad that we get letters home about once a term reminding people to park properly, i.e. not on the double yellows round the crossroads outside the school.

They also like to park across the lowered kerb (making it a pain to get a buggy & buggyboard up onto the pavement) and - a favourite of mine - with ALL FOUR TYRES on the widened bit of pavement outside the car park. Fucking idiots

Worra has a point.

Yes there are inconsiderate drivers everywhere, but this happens every single day outside schools in the UK.
These are places with a high number of young children who may not have much road safety awareness, running into school inbetween parked cars and behind reversing ones.

If ever you needed road safety it would be outside a school. Yet it is outside a school where most parents encounter road rage and inconsiderate and dangerous driving.

I'm sure that almost every school in the UK experiences a problem with the school run, which means that there is a high proportion of drivers who are prepared to put childrens lives at risk and who are prepared to behave aggressively towards other parents.

In my eyes, that's unacceptable. And if some parents made an effort to get their early, or to park further away then that problem could be dramatically reduced. So I accept no excuses or bleating about the weather, getting to work or there being no other streets or roads to park on. There is always a solution but some people just cannot be arsed. it's that simple.

Kungfu I like your style, i have and will continue to do similar.

Just fucking walk, unless i like you then you can drive.

Sorted!

Pusheed mine walk, and don't end up smelling damp - they wear waterproofs!

'Children don't melt in the rain but their clothes do end up smelling damp.'

I know the horror.

Surely children would dissolve in the rain not melt.

Don't you just love the parents (either sex) that decide that rather than walking perhaps 2 mins further, they will bag the space that isn't a space - because it means that the back of the car is actually hanging over the end of the junction - or indeed, completely on the corner, parked on the pavement at an angle to both roads? Then of course there is the parent that doesn't believe that the law applies to them and, despite other spaces being available, decides that the chevronned area outside the school gates is actually their own private parking space.

How do such parents think that they will bring up children that abide by the law when they set such a bad example?

God getting to school is a pig pain in the arse isn't it. OUr scholl is only 2 miles but dd has tried to walk, scoot and cycle and all forms leave her utterly frozen and worn out. She has some health stuff going on and it's too much for her right now.

I've no idea how dd2 would fair (3)

Tried bus, but it's a 10 min walk, 2 buses then another 10 min walk. Which is bonkers. Takes one hour.

So we drive. I couldn't care where I park.

I really can't stand rudeness and horrible people. Especially in the morning when most people are feeling pretty hard pushed anyway.

YANBU. She had no actual 'right' to be a cow to you - whatever the background.

Pusheed, if you need to be early, you get up early. There's no point in getting up at the same time as usual and expecting to get everything done in doublequick time. God it used to drive me mad at work when people would arrive in late day after day after day. Surely a grown adult knows how to set their alarm 15 minutes earlier?

Yes I can wake up 15 minutes earlier and walk the kids. I can also wake up 15 earlier than that and cook a hot breakfast instead of feeding DCs cereal or toast most days. I can wake up an hour ealier than that so I can go to the gym or have a swim. But at some point I will end up waking up before I go to bed.

The same matter from different times cannot exist in the same place at the same time. A black hole will appear and the Universe will end. Not that you will be around but if you were you would feel pretty silly for suggesting that people merely get up 15 minutes earlier.

MN's a funny old place at times isn't it?

If I started a thread saying my MIL looked at someone smoking a cigarette back in 1982 and now she wants to hold my baby, but I don't think she should because her eyeballs might smell of smoke....I would quite likely be overwhelmed by YANBUs and other general hysteria.

Post about selfish people putting children's lives at risk on the road every single day and some people wouldn't be as fussed.

Touche Pusheed

I guess you don't drive at all then Worra? Which is pretty admirable really.

I know not all my journeys are necessary, I guess we all do. I don't agree I'm putting anyone's life at risk though!