To be dreading leaving the house shortly and running the gauntlet of the parents who pick up kids from school in the car

[Ilovemyself]

Our road is near a popular school. Each morning and afternoon it can take 15 minutes longer to leave our road due to the double and sometimes triple parked parents.

The cars are parked on a junction, sharp corner, and across people's drive way.

And one of the most annoying things ( other than the parents that leave their car parked on the road all day whilst they go out for the day) is that at lease 5 people live within a 5 minute walk but still take their kids to school by car ( and then drive straight home!)

if they are blocking the driveway then take photo's with a camera that records time and date and make sure you get the number plate as this is illegal and the cops have to deal with it as it is blocking access to your property - my parents don't live on a road with a school and have similar parking issues - all the houses on their road can fit at least 3 standard sized cars on them but most residents park one on drive and at least 1-2 others on the road, it is a bloody nightmare!!

one of the schools local to me has had a massive campagin running after a couple of kids were knocked over by the bus mounting the pavement as it couldn't get round the corner due to the way the idiots park and another by a parent who just pulled up onto the pavement and never looked. The school has an obligation to act to protect the kids.

try relentlessly bugging your local council and getting some action that way - if enough of you complain they cant ignore you forever!

Wimblehorse - if you want to avoid the parking chaos around the school, could you find somewhere you could park easily (and considerately and legally, goes without saying), between your house and the school, and walk from there?

I know it would be extra hassle with buggy and children in and out of the car, but I am willing to bet it would be less stressful than trying to park near the school.

I was one of those mums who used to arrive early to pick the children up, so I would get a space - I had depression, and that was the best way I could cope with the school pick up.

One problem is that blocking a driveway is illegal only if they are blocking someone leaving the driveway but NOT if the driveway is empty. Weird and infuriating at times I know but that is the situation.

If we need to drive to school (eg going on to swimming) we park within five minutes' walk of school and walk the rest. The car park we use is empty at school run times. We've watched people drive past us walking and still reach the playground after us.

School car park is absolute hell. Some of the furthest and trickiest spaces in it are further from the classroom door than our non-school car park. It's currently worse than usual because the school has builders in, all of whom and the architects/suppliers etc park on the school car park having been banned from the church hall car park opposite.

We used to live round the corner from a big sixth form college though. Dear God. The only thing worse than a thousand 17yos trying to get into 500 on-site spaces, then abandoning their Golfs and Micras all over the neighbouring roads... is two thousand potential parents trying to fit their 4x4s and people carriers into the same spaces for Open Evenings!

Rooneymara , most schools were built at a time that parking wasn't considered an issue .

I've spent the last two weeks placing cones outside my local school to keep the turning circle area clear for parents to drop off their children.

All parents sign an agreement when their children start at the school to say that they will not park on the road the school is on (a cul de sac) and will not park within 50 metres of the school gates at either entrance.

At the moment, I think I'm the most hated person in our village, but the children entering and leaving school are safer. Obviously I can't do this forever, and next week, will leave them to it and see where they are parking.

There is a sign at the entrance to the cul de sac which clearly says no school parking, but I guess a lot of the parents are too thick to read it :(

Oh, and I'm not just a do gooder parent, I'm vice chair of the governors and we are trying something a bit more proactive than a bit in the news letter and a text message every so often!!!

There was some fuss about a PC who asked parents to move their cars outside some school during the school's nativity play just before Xmas.

Parents complained that he was heavy handed and I think one idiot even went on air. But when you looked at the detail, the cars were badly parked on a narrow road, blocking a surgery car park and other bad parking. But the PC got plenty of support, especially from people who were used to other people's bad parking near other schools.

I can't now remember the name of the school, but I recall googling the location and spotting a large car park only a couple of minutes away from the school (not the surgery car park). In other words those complaining parents just had to park as close as possible and didn't want to actually walk just a couple of minutes.

It's that mindset that needs to be overcome. Then those people who do need to drive to school might actually find it easier when all people are parking nicely and considerate to each other.

Our school had an exactly the same issue and residents were always comping to the school . Our school have now said that you can drop children off from 8.30am and collect as early as 3pm to ease congestion and I tell you what it's working ! As the early parent leave the late drop off's/collectors nab those spaces. It's still busy but no where near as chaotic :)

Parking at schools is just never going to be sorted is it? We actually have a library car park on site, accessed by a very short road from school to car park and people actually park on this access road ( double yellow, about five car lengths) when there are loads of spaces in the car park. Drives me nuts. Three near misses so far - one near reversal into my child, one direct contact with his bag and one when he ( as a toddler) ran into the path of a car.

Also I live 2 miles from the school and we either cycle or walk when we can to school where as several people who live 5 mins away drive , no wonder out children are becoming obese !

I live on a road with a school one end too, its so frustrating as I work part time and get home just as school lets out so theres NEVER anywhere to park GAHHHHH drives me crazy!!

Its also the nearest street to town with free parking so I cant go out in the car on weekends unless its for the WHOLE day as the 2hr free parking means coming home is maddening.

..needless to say I'm planning on moving soon!

Yanbu - Our school was ridiculous, parents arriving an hour or more before the end of school to pick their kids up at primary school - there was about twenty kids if that in the whole school who lived off the estate the school was on so no more than a 15 minute walk for any of them. Absolutely ridiculous.

Secondary wasn't much better, despite four free busses parents insisted on arriving at stupid o clock to collect their precious darlings and driving like lunatics down the main road where large amounts of children were walking home.

Some people are just pathetic and lazy.

Frumpet, I know.

I can see why some feel that there are excuses to be made for this behaviour but I have to say that there is no good reason for parking illegally and that's what all the parents waiting outside our house for ages are doing.

The lane is too curved and narrow outside the school to allow any parking, let alone the double parking they attempt. Turning on hazzard flashers does not give anyone an automatic right to park or inconvenience other people.

Entitled parents who feel they have a right to break the law in case their precious darlings get rained on have no right to imperil the safety of others. There is no good reason to do it. None whatsoever.

I have 4 schools near me within walking distance, 2 primarys and 2 seniors. the traffic chaos at picking up time is ridiculous. I wont go out the shops during this period as you can spend 30 minutes not moving anywhere as they double park on the main road and block nearly every side street in their quest to park as close to the school as possible.
There is a small shopping area with a car park at the back that is smack bang in the middle of the 4 schools. They ram it full then double park on the entrance to this car park and disappear to get their precious darlings, blocking the exit for anyone already in the car park.
incredibly selfish.
The schools ar served by about 5 different bus routes that all stop outside the schools.

When we lived in London we lived close to 2 quite upscale schools, one primary and one girls combined.
I saw some really shit parking and was almost ran over on the pavement more than once but the worst I ever saw was this:
A woman accelerated past an other woman to get to the empty disabled parking space outside one of these schools. The woman she accelerated past had a wheelchair in the back of her car which was clearly visible. When the mum with the wheelchair bound DD remonstrated the first woman had the brass neck to say she'd only be 5 mins so it was ok for her to wait. And then she stopped to chat to her pals as her wee girl skipped off into the playground leaving the 2nd mum and her DD still waiting to get into the only space they could get the wheelchair out in. I'm rarely stuck for words but I was gaping. The 2nd mum said it happened to them quite a lot

Itchy. Was there room to block her in the disabled bay and then " only be 5 mins". I would have.

Miaow. I guess it stops being outside the school for too long, as they will be charged by Tesco if they are caught on camera for being there for over 2 hours lol.

Sounds like a great solution, and you are right. Tesco must win hands down!

itchy we have a blue badge for ds and that happens quite alot.

My days of school runs are over thank god but our primary school parking was insane. Yellow lines outside the school were completely ignored.

Ds has mobility problems, I used to park on yellow lines right outside the school gates.
I would also arrive an hour early to ensure a space. Ds can't walk far and needed the car as close as possible. He hated using his wheelchair in front of his classmates, would struggle on without it and be totally exhausted by the end of the day. I would have parked outside his classroom door if i could.

Often a traffic warden or two would appear and move on every other vehicle parked on the yellow lines. As i was parked legally, mine would end up being the single solitary car left by the gates, surrounded by crowds of cross parents who'd been made to park elsewhere.

I must have been so unpopular!

no-where else to park? not near our school. I have watched parents drive past perfectly reasonable parking spaces to park on double yellows at the corner, I have watched parents who live nearer than we sometimes park, drive their child to school and park on the double yellows at the corner, some park over dropped curbs. aa whole bunch of them park on single yellow lines.

' they are so concerned about their precious kiddies but couldnt give a shit about anyone elses! '

^ this is so true!

we drive because it is 2 .5 miles to school. dd has mobility issues where walking can be painful. ds is disabled and although can walk, sometimes will not walk and having a full on violent meltdown on a bus is not going to get us on a bus in future.

forgot to add, that even so, when one is poorly, i still park legally, and carry the other for drop offs. parents offer to take your well child in too.

I am lucky in one respect. I am moving to an area that is not near a school and only has one primary so we know where our kids are going. They will NOT be taken to school by car unless it is an emergency.