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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Can I and should I park here? (School run)

33 replies

neverquitesure · 04/05/2012 22:24

DS has just had his place at our village primary school nursery class confirmed for September. 5 mornings per week, 9-12.

We live 1 mile outside of the village, a total of 1.6 miles from the school. I will be doing the school run with 3 year old DS (obviously!) and 2 year old DD. I had planned to drive the mile into the village and park on the outskirts at the village hall (where the pavement widens) then walk the rest of the way with DD2 in the pushchair when her legs get tired. However, the last few times I've happened to drive past around 9 I have noticed that the car park barrier is still closed. Now, to be fair, there is a Polite Notice saying that the car park is for the use of the hall etc, etc but the car park is massive and the hall is always bloody empty and I didn't think they'd mind.

So, to cut a long story short, there is a small section of car park (about 4 bays?) before the barrier section with the recycling bins etc. Again, you are lucky to see 1 car there.

WIBU to park there? Surely it's better than cluttering up the roads around the school?

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Original poster
neverquitesure · 04/05/2012 22:25

To avoid drip feeding:

  • The school is surrounded by houses with no car park and on the occasions I've mistakenly driven by at school drop off/pick up it is utter, utter chaos. I'm less worried about the 12 o'clock pick up as that should be fairly quiet but am keen to avoid adding to the bedlam in the morning.
  • The road into the village is a busy but very narrow country road with lots of lorries, tractors & other various farm machines trundling up and down at up to 60mph. There is a narrow pavement but there are two points where it is too narrow for a pushchair. One of these points is over a bridge on a blind bend. The road at this stage is too narrow for 2 lorries to pass (and it's a high kerb, so can't do one wheel on/one wheel off) so taking the pushchair is most certainly not an option. I would also need a bad weather option as the pavement is not gritted or cleared of snow/ice.
  • I did consider cycling but thought it too dangerous, especially since I'd have to put the children in a bike trailer. Again, I'd need a bad weather plan for fog etc.
  • I have asked around at toddler group regarding a lift share, but space in the car is a problem as DD would have to come too.

Sorry for the essay Blush

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cazboldy · 04/05/2012 22:28

I think that sounds like a great idea! Smile

I park in the church car park (next door to the school) along with about 3 other mums while the rest park all over the place just to save a 5 min walk!

BumpingFuglies · 04/05/2012 22:29

If it is safe and legal to park there, do so. From your post I can't really tell. I'm sure your common sense will tell you what to do!

naturalbaby · 04/05/2012 22:30

You might just have to wait and see how it works out. Is there nowhere else in the village you can park? I've got a few spots pegged out in our town as there's no car park for ds2's preschool, so I've got a few options depending on how late I am!

suzikettles · 04/05/2012 22:30

YANBU. And if someone really minds then I'm sure they'll get round to telling you (via note on car).

I guess it would be very annoying if the car park was full of people leaving their cars for an all-day commute, but I can't see how it'll bother anyone you leaving it there for 30 minutes a couple of times a day.

CowboysGal · 04/05/2012 22:31

Sounds like a great plan to me, supposing it's legal to park there.
Wish half the idiots who park outside our school were as considerate as you

WorraLiberty · 04/05/2012 22:31

For that distance can't you get a buggy board so he can walk most of the way and just hop on if he's tired?

It's a good way to build up to it and start as you mean to go on (hopefully)

Original poster
neverquitesure · 04/05/2012 22:34

Well it's safe but you are not exactly supposed to actually leave the car park there, it's for using the bottle banks. However I checked last time I dropped the bottles off and there's nothing saying that they can fine or clamp you so that's kind of ok? Right? It is still perfectly possible for another car to pull up in front of the bins.

It is actually opposite the church, I think the church goers use their main car park as the church itself is on a bit of an incline and only has a few accessible spaces round the side.

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AlbertoFrog · 04/05/2012 22:35

I'd much rather you parked there than join the idiots vying for spaces within spitting distance of the school gates. You take your life in your hands just trying to drive passed. Does nobody walk to school these days?

YANBU

Original poster
neverquitesure · 04/05/2012 22:36

naturalbaby - I thought I had the perfect spot so hadn't looked for any others! Think I might have to do a walk round next week and see if I can find a few back ups!!

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LoopyLoopsTootTootToots · 04/05/2012 22:38

Sounds fine, but why not walk?

Original poster
neverquitesure · 04/05/2012 22:40

Worra - I have a Phil & Ted's inline double so DS can hop in the 'jump seat' as we call it if he's really tired. It's not the distance from home it's the fact that I'll have to push the pushchair on a busy & dangerous section of road where the pavement narrows too much (so on the actual road itself with the cars).

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Original poster
neverquitesure · 04/05/2012 22:41

Loopy - I don't think my 2 year old DD could make it on foot and the pavement from our house into the village is too narrow for a pushchair in places.

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Stellarforstar · 04/05/2012 22:42

Ha ha, YANBU. I have asked our local bobby if he wants to give a few tickets out near our school. It's bloody ridiculous and someone is going to get hurt, so it's a good idea to keep out of it.

WorraLiberty · 04/05/2012 22:43

Oh I'd try to get a smaller buggy off ebay and a little board then.

It's a shame to have to travel such a short distance by car every day and bloody expensive too Lol!

Original poster
neverquitesure · 04/05/2012 22:45

Half of me wants to contact whoever manages the hall and ask if it's ok, but then if they say no I can't claim innocence if they catch me!! It just seems like the lesser of many evils, but I know I shall feel very naughty and waiting to be told off every morning!

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Original poster
neverquitesure · 04/05/2012 22:48

Worra - it's over a bridge and there's are rocky bits sticking into the pavement. It's literally only wide enough for one slim person to walk on and step over the sticky out bits as they go. I would honestly rather walk all the way - far less faff than loading 2 kids into carseats, driving, parking, getting pushchair out boot & assembling, kids out carseats etc etc but there is no buggy on this Earth that will make it on that pavement.

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Original poster
neverquitesure · 04/05/2012 22:49

Sorry about the awful typos tonight - am typing one handed on phone whilst pacifying poorly toddler!

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PrisonerOfWaugh · 04/05/2012 22:50

YANBU, but maybe you could approach the school with the view to the hall car park becoming designated school drop off parking. Our school has negotiated similar terms with a village hall car park and a church car park (on opposite ends of the school property). Each car park is at least a 5 minute walk from the school, but they are heavily used and have eased the congestion on the road outside the school considerably.

Greenshadow · 04/05/2012 23:02

Was going to say exactly the same as Prisoner

Original poster
neverquitesure · 04/05/2012 23:03

You are right of course Prisoner, I'm surprised there isn't already something like this but I suppose these things don't happen until someone steps up and makes them happen. I have also heard of walking buses so I suppose that's something that might be tied into it too.

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Original poster
neverquitesure · 04/05/2012 23:09

In the meantime I shall be staking out the village for more prime spots Grin

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r3dh3d · 04/05/2012 23:10

DD2 goes to ballet classes in a church hall in a neighbouring town. She's moved to a later time recently, which has been a huge relief because unfortunately her class used to co-incide with the tail end of the local school pickup.

The carpark is a private carpark, owned by the church and it says VERY clearly on the sign in front of it that it is reserved for people (eg the dance school) using the church hall. Every week we'd struggle to find a parking space because the local mums used it as their free carpark for school pickup and quite often we'd have to park a fair way away and walk DD2 in ballet gear to the hall, arriving late and often soggy (because sod's law is the day that you can't get a parking space is the day it rains).

Sometimes I've had to take DD1 with me to DD2's ballet class - DD1 is severely disabled, needs her wheelchair and can't walk without huge amounts of assistance. The church hall carpark has 3 disabled spaces. They are always occupied by school run mums (without disabled badges) who take the view that as it is "their" carpark and none of their kids are disabled, clearly nobody important is using the disabled spaces and they are free for them to use as they see fit.

The amount of huffing and puffing and entitled-Surrey-mummy bitching I got when I had the temerity to catch one parking up in a disabled space and ask them to move on so that I could get my disabled kid out of the car so that my kid who was actually entitled to use the car park could get to her dance class was unbelievable.

So yes, ime YABU though I can understand why it doesn't seem like it. I'm sure in our carpark it started with one or two mums parking there and it seemed quite harmless at the time. But fundamentally it is private parking and you have no idea who is relying on it, or when they will need to use it.

WorraLiberty · 04/05/2012 23:11

Have a word with the council too

The Government and LA's are making a big thing about walking to school, so really they should do something about the pavements.

Original poster
neverquitesure · 04/05/2012 23:15

Oh no Sad, that's exactly the sort of thing I'm frightened of, plus I'm quite likely to cry if anyone actually confronts me.

I'm going to blame DH for pusuading me to buy a house in the sticks surrounded by beautiful countryside.

What age are they when you can just open a door and chuck them out?

Maybe homeschooling is the answer?

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