To be incensed that a drunk mother is collecting her kids by car and not being stopped from hurting herself or other innocent children?

[PantiesInABunch]

My child catches the school bus to his primary school.

On occasion when I'm able to leave work early I collect him.

I met up with an old friend whose child also attends the school and we were talking and she was upset that yesterday she'd approached the headmaster because another mum was so pissed that she couldn't walk properly down the road and then she promtly got in her 4x4 and raced down the road, drunk.

The head said that there was nothing they could do? WTF?

My friend and another mum who joined us confirmed she was "stinking" of booze and wobbly down the lane.

I was baffled and asked why nobody said anything to her, or why not just call the police.

I'd be wracked with guilt if she knocked down and killed a person whilst drunk in charge.

I have name changed because I dont want to be identified. If I called the police anonymously to tell them there's a parent doing this- do you think they'd go down a couple of afternoons to see if she does this again? Ive been told it's not every day.

Another parent had also told us that he'd stopped to help her during the summer holiday because she'd crashed into a tree (smelling like booze)and wrecked her car but wouldn't accept his help and she didn't want the police involved (she'd told the dad who stopped to help that a taxi cab had run her off the road)

It's really awful if the lady is having problems but surely it's best- someone says somthing? If I wrote to the school surely they have to do something?

I would discuss it with the PCSO for the area. They often patrol outside our school to stop parents parknig on the zig zags. Maybe they would do the same there and that might be enough to prevent her doing it again, if not, they will catch her at it.

PantiesInABunch

According to your OP it was two other parents who said that she smelled of booze after joining the convosation.

I am just offering a suggestion, if you are really bothered report.

i'm really at the teachers response

-if he knows the parent is drunk, then he shouldn't release the child

It'd consider removing my kids from a school, where the head teacher showed such little regard for safe-guarding

There are various medical conditions which make you act/sound as if you're drunk but AFAIK none of them make you smell of alcohol.

Boney- do you have your condition now?...you are getting very aggy.

I will report, but wasn't sure how I should do it, hence the starting of this thread.....

guaranteed poorly controlled diabetes can make you smell--and the smell is sometimes mistaken for alcohol

kidney failure
persistent vomitting....anything that makes you ketotic....emits a pungent smell.....its a possibility I suppose....given HT lack of action

I believe that Gestational Diabetes can make your breath smell like alcohol.

But, with all the best will in the world, you didnt actually witness any of this, so what can you report? My friend said etc etc.....

If they were so upset, why didnt they ring?

ketotic breath

I witnessed exactly the situation, reported it school and they called social services. This is a child protection issue and the head should be taking it more seriously IMO.

PantiesInABunch

Not aggy at all

Just offering an alternative to drink/drunk.

MrDobalina

xpost

tell the head it is a child protection issue. they should be alerting SS if a mother is turning up pissed to collect her children.

A person with ketosis so bad that they cannot walk straight is in no state to parent either - it still needs investigating.

YY charlady indeed. But they don't need reporting to the police or social services...which is what OP is asking

I think you need to have a meeting with HT OP...because if this lady is drunk, she is posing a serious risk to kids at the school; and his lack of action is crap...and both her and the HT could do with investigating...

However if HT is privvy to the womans medical condition, which he would not be able to share with you...that would explain his lack of intervention, and maybe he could just reassure you that it is all in hand

Not sure on the legal side of things but we have things very clearly in place which keeps the child from the parent for long enough for the police to arrive first. We have it in place for various reasons, not just drunk parents. It's all to do with keeping a child away from the parent for as long as it possible and to keep the child safe.

Even if it is ketosis (which is unlikely IMO) I think the police and/or social services should be aware. The person in question should not be driving in that state as they are putting themselves, their children and other people in danger. And alcohol issues need to be ruled out.

Just tell teh police car number and make and colour. They will look that up and know who it is in minutes.

Am sure they will deal with it pretty quickly - imagine headline ' school children in car accident despite local Police bieng informed of drunk'

Tbh this all sounds like a bunch of school gate gossip and ' apparently she was drunk or so my friends husbands cousin said'.

The logical reason your friend didn't call the police would be that she is embellishing the story. I can not think of another reason that you would let this person drive away.

MrsMiniversCharlady
"And alcohol issues need to be ruled out."

For Whom?

The school may already know hence the "attitude" of the HT, and frankly if it is medical it is certainly not the business of the playground gossips.

If the OP sees the woman and is still concerned she should ring the police.
If the "friend" comes to the OP and says the same again then the OP should tell her "friend" to ring the police.

If the OP sees the school hand over the child when the woman is in this "state" and confronts the teacher and is told that it is none of her business and she is still concerned she should ring the police.

Maybe she does not collect her children while drunk everyday, but she has been seen driven while seriously drank at least twice, and we all know that is extremely dangerous. She needs help, so if I knew her family I would tell them, if not the police.

SORRY BUT I had this come up many moons ago when i was a childminder
and this very scenario came up.

YOU HAVE TO LET THE CHILDREN GO BY LAW but what your supposed to do is call the police they will then allow the mum to get in switch on the engine then they will pull her over.

this is what we were told when being trained

Instead of pearl clutching why doesn't someone just report this to the police?
How shit would the OP feel if this woman knocked down and killed her kids because she was pissed behind the wheel? More shit than this irresponsible woman going to prison I'd wager.