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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

179 replies

TattyDevine · 10/02/2014 20:53

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?

OP posts:
K999 · 10/02/2014 21:58

And I suspect that's not "legal" either but it doesn't stop me being tempted to do it Grin

bodygoingsouth · 10/02/2014 22:10

well Euphemia if course blue badge holders can park in double yellow lines!! thought that would have been stating the bloody obvious so didn't.

Tatty really your main concern is the HT researching his facts. I do get your point but heavens above like gordy it gets you at your wits end.

my dd and me were revved by a wanker in a jag as he wanted to park in the disabled space to drop off his son as he didn't fancy the walk, my dd was shaky due to her back/neck and head injuries. he fucking revved his ducking engine.

I actually was quite scared of my hatred towards him. I saw dd into school and let him have both barrels. not dignified but felt good

Original poster
TattyDevine · 10/02/2014 22:15

Our school, despite being new, doesn't have any disabled spaces! That's not great is it.

OP posts:
bodygoingsouth · 10/02/2014 22:16

glaikit sniper idea is bloody ace.

bodygoingsouth · 10/02/2014 22:18

no Tatty that's not good.

Original poster
TattyDevine · 10/02/2014 22:18

I can totally see how they are at their wits end. They used to put cones out but aint nobody got time for that! Double yellows should have solved it but they persist. IMO they were silly for threatening clamping which is illegal. They lost face.

OP posts:
Original poster
TattyDevine · 10/02/2014 22:20

Now imagining them illegally clamping a blue badge holder who can park on the double yellows...complete with long faced child and outraged parent pic in The Mail Grin

With head teacher munching mini cheddars in the background.

I will be sure to update if that happens!

OP posts:
Original poster
TattyDevine · 10/02/2014 22:21

Do mini cheddars fit in a Nerf gun?

OP posts:
tiggytape · 10/02/2014 22:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bodygoingsouth · 10/02/2014 22:25

I would think they are perfect in a nerf gun.

I second the school up thread with a barrier control. not a teacher or blue badge holder sir/madam.. fucking walk then.

NoodleOodle · 10/02/2014 22:35

There's a little village not too far from me where the village folk have put up signs that it's a no parking area with fines. If you park there, a village elf puts a 'fine' on your window. It's totally unenforceable and just makes you want to park there every now and again to get one, or show incredulous friends that the village people really do give you a fake fine.

Yes, the head is probably at their wits end over parking and wants to control it. No, threatening things that they aren't likely to follow through with are probably not wise.

clam · 10/02/2014 22:38

Your main concern is whether the Head has considered the legalities of her rant?

How about you direct your concern at the wankers who, in persisting in parking dangerously, are putting the lives of your children and their friends at risk everyday?

5OBalesofHay · 10/02/2014 22:42

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

bodygoingsouth · 10/02/2014 22:44

Noodle sounds like hot fuzz!! Grin

and I found that the parents who parked like this, indeed the bastard twat who revved his engine are the first in there to complain about anything and everything concerning their children.

kungfupannda · 10/02/2014 22:45

I wish our school and nursery would get a bit more heavy-handed.

If white blingy 4x4 woman is on MN, is there any chance of you desisting from abandoning your massive car anywhere you feel like it, regardless of how many entrances you obstruct or people you block in?

I think we'd all club together and pay any fine the school got for illegally clamping her.

bodygoingsouth · 10/02/2014 22:52

KungFuPanda I find myself dreaming of such cars being completely and utterly rammed by a tractor or similar while said fuck wit parent has swanned into school and to be able to see their faces and enjoy the reaction.

sweet dreams.

kungfupannda · 10/02/2014 22:56

It's just the level of complete obliviousness (obliviosity? oblivation?)

Oops. Am I blocking you in? I did not see that coming when I parked my car across the entrance to the carpark containing five other cars. Tee hee silly me!

Or How strange. When I parked directly opposite another car in a really narrow street, sticking out into a main road, I genuinely did not realise that I would bring two roads to a complete standstill.

They beam at you so delightedly as they return to their cars to find that the whole of south-west England has descended into gridlock, and then get decidedly pouty when everyone doesn't beam back.

I'm kind of resigned to it on the day I do the school run at normal time. But the 8am carpark blackings give me the enormous rage....

kungfupannda · 10/02/2014 22:57

Car park blackings? Not sure what one of those is.

Car park blockings even.

GlaikitFizzog · 10/02/2014 23:11

We have blackenings in the northeast of Scotland! Think being tarred and feathered, but with treacle and sawdust! That might stop her if she came back to the car covered in crap!

Mia4 · 10/02/2014 23:12

NoodleOodle agreed. Sounds very ood on the issuing of 'fines' in that villages case.

I do know someone who lives by a school, they have a very irate neighbour who always gets blocked in by someone and has almost been knocked over by people turning partly into his drive. They are all well aware what he does to these cars that park so badly or dangerously, eggs and that flora stuff that you cook with are artistically arranged on the windscreen. Not the nicest of things but I do know my friend could have applauded him when he did it to the arsehole that reversed into her car when doing a 'pull in and turn' on the drive.

cupcakedream · 10/02/2014 23:12

On public highway, Double yellow lines are backed up by a traffic regulation order as this is required under the road traffic act. You used to have to put up signs accompanying double yellow lines but as they are widely recognised they no longer have to be accompanied by signage.

Disabled blue badge holders are permitted to park on double yellow lines provided there are no kerb blips painted over the kerb (these look like small stripes that run at a 90 degree angle to the double yellow line). Blue badge holders can park for up to three hours on a double yellow line provided they display their blue badge and time clock correctly.

Private land is a can of worms. They can pay someone to enforce the lines but it's not likely a school would do this.

MidniteScribbler · 11/02/2014 01:27

I'm sure the letter you received was much nicer than his first draft of "stop being fuckwits and use your fucking legs to walk your precious little darlings to school."

MrsCakesPremonition · 11/02/2014 01:40

Why are some people so keen to fight for their right to be fuckwits against all common decency and sense?

In an ideal world the school could have painted sky blue polka dot wavy lines where the School Bus drops off, asked people to keep off them and people would do as they had been asked because it makes things simpler and safer for everyone involved. But no - some numpty always thinks that polite requests and instructions don't apply to them.

MrsCakesPremonition · 11/02/2014 01:43

It's the equivalent of the HT teacher saying "Please don't park there" and the parent saying "Oh yeah, says who? Whose going to make me? You and whose army?".

horsetowater · 11/02/2014 01:51

Lol! What a bizarrely self-righteous original post.

So what if your little darling was run over by a car pulling up outside the school.

Would you sue? If so, who would you sue? If there are no notices then the car was well within their rights to be pulling up there and your child shouldn't have been on the road.

As it is, with notices and clear rules, the likelihood is that compensation from the insurance company will be obtainable to cover the unnecessary damage done to your child.