to be sulking about getting a 'late' fine from hour club?

[SleepOhHowIMissYou]

I was 20 mins late collecting my little girl from hour club after school tonight, she was the last one there. Massive traffic queue due to road-works was the culprit.

They've 'fined' me £5.50 for the twenty minutes. Hour Club costs £3.50 for the hour.
Wanted cash then and there, but only had £2 in purse so they're adding it to bill (which is paid already up to 1/2 term).

Is this legal even? What are the rules? Anyone else have experience of this?

Have a massive sulk on, AIBU?

So basically I think that's a resounding yes! Just in case you weren't sure!

You got off lightly!

It's one of those things I'm afraid. You were late, so need to pay the "fine." Most places do it ime. Did you call to let them know in advance btw?

DD's school have afterschool club from 4pm-5:30pm for £4; then extra if the need to stay til 6pm with tea. Schools ends at 3:30pm for infants and 3:45pm for juniors. So, as DD is in juniors I have 45 minutes grace. I always call if running late - sometimes happens due to incidents at my own school. Not my fault but still have to pay if I am late collecting her.

At my school we have asc which costs a whopping £10 a session!!! We have a late collection duty for about 10-15 minutes after school end. We call parents within that time too if not heard from them. But if they are 15 minutes + late, or persistently late, then the child is placed in asc and the parents are charged the full £10 for the session.

I presume you have accepted you were being an unreasonable and entitled princess ?

Hmm, normally they don't charge for a first offence. Have you been late before?

I was late once to collect ds from asc. It was a night when it snowed heavily and people were abandoning their cars, sleeping in their offices or sleeping in the cars in multi story car parks. I was 45 mins late but there were loads of children there. I wasn't fined as I think they were grateful I turned up at all! I did take a large tin of biscuits in the next day as a thank you. I would expect to be charged if I was late. They are running a business not a charity.

Ds is now at a school where he has a full boarding place so when it snowed this year and I couldn't collect him I just told the school to keep him for the night

You have a sweetie jar?

YABU very much so. You got a bargain, they've charged £5.50or half an hours ot for two staff; plus probably caretake locking up. Not to mention that they all had placed they wanted to be, possibly collecting their own dc

I think you got off quite lightly! It's waaaaay more than that at DCs nursery! Fair cop I'm afraid!

You got off very lightly. At the nursery my friend sends her daughter to, they charge 25 pounds per 15 minute interval. She has had to suck it up and pay it several times. Can you imagine running one of these places if you didn't have such a policy in place? You would be staying late every day for sure. That's just not fair is it?

YABU. My sons nursery late fee is £50 for every 15mins I'm late (I've never been late).

They need to pay two staff overtime, as staff can't be line working with a child, and keep the building open.

If they didn't have late fees some parents would take the piss and be constantly late. If a train is delayed etc we can call ahead and they might wage the fee if you are usually reliable and not going to be very late.

You need to factor extra time into your journey in case you get unexpectedly caught up.

Okay, I have been trying to dodge the question, but no, I didn't call. I was hoping lots of people were stuck in queue with me and she wouldn't be the last one there (puts on flame retardant jacket).

And, yes, I've been late before, last week in fact; that WAS my fault tho as left work too late (ducks, covers head and crawls away).

Doesn't everyone have a sweetie jar/chocolate Tupperware thingy then?! If no, you should!

Have accepted I am an unreasonable spoilt princess, yes
And RUDE not to call, yes as well

And, you're well crap at this Aibu stuff. Honestly.

Don't bother posting if you're just going to roll over and mumble agreement before the first page is out. Where's the fun in that?!

Don't worry though - they'll be going for pages without you, yet.

$10 for the first ten minutes here.

Then $10 for every minute after that.

At both the daycare and the after school care.

It focuses the mind.

So if I was 20 minutes late it would cost me $110.

When I was young my parents ran a dance studio. One lady there was a childcare worker and she always seemed to be bringing children along to the dance class with her because the parents hadn't picked them up. She didn't get paid overtime either. Time's were a bit different back then, so she'd just leave and take the kids with her to where ever she had to be (can you imagine that happening these days?!?). It usually seemed to be the same kids all the time that weren't being picked up on time. I can see why the centre's put the rules in place. It's a pain in the neck, but the staff deserved to be paid if they've had to work late.

Well done for taking it so well op.

I think you got the YABU picture OP

But the people asking if she called to say she'd be late are BU too. Hopefully she didn't calle, seeing as she was driving! You can't decide 'oh the traffic is almost stationary, a quick call is fine', and you can't pull over at roadworks either...

Some London nurseries have a "3 strikes and you're out" policy so if you are late for pick up 3 times, you lose your place. Apparently they had to implement it to stop parents with deep pockets just paying the fines every day.

I have never heard of that Richman, but it sounds like a great policy.

OP, i think you get the picture - yabu!

I have an empty jar. How do you stop yourself from scoffing all the sweets?

Yanbu < runs away laughing >

Pull over and call?
I have hands free through my steering wheel and all voice activated or via wheel, so it is legal for me to do so.

YABU. When I was in afterschool club, my dad once forgot to pick me up because he thought it was my mums turn! Our headmistress gave him some letters to post for her in lieu of a fine! (which would have been £30 - it was £1 per minute late).

I know lots of places have late fees but I disagree that people take advantage if they are not in place. I have been a childminder for many years now and have never charged late fees, most parents aren't late on purpose and are already stressed and rushing. My parents are rarely late and, if they are, they are very apologetic.

I know childminders that charge £10 for every 15 minutes lateness and then moan because the parents always bring their child to them and expect every penny refunded if the minder is unable to work. My parents are flexible, pay me when I am sick, even though my contract says they don't have to, and happily pick up early or rearrange if I need to be somewhere for my children (like parents evenings).

I know which way I would rather work.