AIBU to think schools should not threaten parents with not allowing vehicular access to the school and with clamping if this doesn't work?

[TattyDevine]

They have some double yellow lines for the school bus. I wholeheartedly agree that people shouldn't park on them, as the school bus does need to park somewhere. But people do occasionally. There is no signage saying don't park there. The school do not yet own the land (its a Public Private Partnership type arrangement).

They have threatened parents who park on them that they will have a note left on their windscreen and a 2nd offence means they will not be allowed to drive into the school. Who on earth would enforce this? Would the police even be interested?

In addition to this, the headteacher ended the note by saying "if this more draconian approach does not work, we may take up the offer from a parent to introduce clamping". I thought since October 2012 clamping on private property was considered unlawful?

Or am I wrong about that?

The head teacher also asks parents not to park on the grass verge opposite the school (which is the highways agency responsibility and nothing to do with the school and not private property) because it leads to complaints from the parish council and local residents. But they don't own this land, and it is not illegal to park there.

I find it slightly worrying that a head teacher would threaten parents with something unlawful, regardless of their bad behaviour, without checking the legal position first. What are your views on this? Do double yellow lines on private property even have any legal weight? (I'm pretty sure they don't without signage).

Just for the record, I never park on the double yellows, because its obvious the bus needs to park there, but I am still left dumbfounded by the bizarre rant.

AIBU?

People should park considerately near schools but there are always a few that don't. I've witnessed people blocking driveways, parking in disabled bays (when not disabled because I know the person I've seen doing it), driving round the car park on mobile phones ... The school sends out communications about it but still get ignored. So I think YABU

Ouryve, I don't even park at the school, unless I am there later for a meeting, I park in the Village hall carpark where I collect my daughter, then go and collect my son on foot. You are making unfair assumptions on the basis that I am questioning the head's method not the outcome!

Hairylittlegoblin - well said.

Can I just make the point that this is not because I am personally being inconvenienced, but because I am concerned about the head teacher taking the law into their own hands without checking their facts !

it's a complete myth that you can park on double yellow lines for any time what so ever. you cannot.

Glaikit you would assume a name and Shame news letter would work but sadly it doesn't.

I had parents literally wait behind me chomping at the bit to get in the space while I got my dd out if the car with her crutches.these were able bodied bastards. I am afraid I lost it on one occasion.

Surely the safety of pupils is the most important factor. At our school, parents continually park on the Keep Clear areas and drive their cars into the staff car park.

The HT has sent home numerous letter pointing out the dangers, but sadly I think it will take a serious incident involving a child for anything to be done

The issue for me as a parent IS the legality.

If a head teacher thinks they can enforce their will in any way they like, regardless of law, what if this thinking filters down to how they choose to discipline children? Or not stick to the national curriculum? Okay, I think the head teacher is at wits end and means well but I'm just surprised they didn't do a little more research.

Your main concern is that they haven't checked the legality? How much time do you think the head has to devote to this? Perhaps the governors should forget about appointing staff, balancing budgets, preparing for ofsted inspections and instead spend their meetings googling, "How do I stop selfish bastards from parking where they shouldn't -legally sound methods".

Oh the joys of the annual parking letter and the visit if the wettest PCSO on the planet.

Total, complete and utter waste of time, has been going at least 13 years and nothing whatsoever has changed.

Thanks K999.

Think I probably better leave the thread before I get deleted. (I'm not even a teacher!)

Tatty, I totally understand where you are coming from, and yes, the HT does sound at their wits end with the parking situation.

Maybe the should hire a sniper to stand on the school roof and take out the tyres of anyone parking inconsiderately! The law abiding parents could then all point and laugh!

Body, I would be ashamed if I was in the newsletter, but i realise I'm not like some of the twats that park like idiots!

I think your time would be better spent supporting the head's attempts to make the school grounds safe.

They could just shoot the parents I guess Glaikit, not legal either, but I guess they don't have time to check that kind of stuff out whilst balancing the budget

How should I do that Morgause?

Apologies - forgot to ask. Or maybe I've missed it but how do you not know they've not checked the legalities/taken advice etc??

Kids should walk to school, end of. I find it especially embarassing to see 16-18 year olds still being ferried about by their parents.

K999 because they have threatened something that is illegal, and according to my research the double yellows are supposed to have a traffic order notice which they do not.

Or Traffic Regulation order

Parking on double yellows is an offence? (unless you have a disabled badge). What is a traffic order notice?

Do you mean parents etc are parking on zig zag lines??

Otherwise people would just paint double yellows outside their house so nobody parks there I'd imagine!

Basically, if you have double yellow lines on private property (i.e not highways or council owned) then they need to have a Traffic Regulation Order and signage. Its not the same as a public road.

the school are trying to combat fuckwit lazy arsed parents - I wsh they could clamp them

I work on land that had a ACCESS ROAD for SCHOOL STAFF through our private car park. I use my car a lot to visit clients etc - at certain times of day I can not get out of our car park due to idiot parents parking on double yellow lines, parking OVER our entrance and generally being huge dicks - who can't possible WALK to 2 mins from the FREE Asda car park up the road

Worse still we have child height cones - which we have to replace monthly due to these twats reversing over them - trust me it is only a matter of time before the maim or kill a child

If I could clam them I would

(I wont even mention the verbal abuse, racist abuse and threats of violence our staff face if we ask them to move)

Of course the school are trying to combat lazy fuckwit parents - that is obvious. They are also concerned for the safety of the children using a school bus. This is a good thing, for sure.

I'm just concerned that getting a school dad to paint them on and sending out a letter that ends in an illegal threat isn't the best way of going about it, and wonder if that reflects well on the school, or badly, or just neutrally.

I think the heart is in the right place, for sure.

I'd like to paint double yellow lines on the cars of the lazy, inconsiderate fuckwit parents at DDs school. On most days I am at how selfish they are.