aibu? parking at school pick up time

[crymeariverwoo]

okay, I don't actually have children but do the school run quite often to help someone out. So I would say mostly 4/5 days a week, sometimes more sometimes less. Anyway, there are 2 entrances to the school, near one entrance there is a small car park (literally 25 card max), then by the other entrance there are 4 spaces on the road (there are a few local shops here so there is space for those, although anyone can use them) this is a 1 hour max stay. then there are several off roads that you can park on. I nearly always park on the off road as there is plenty of room and takes absolute max, 1 min to walk to the school gate. Now what passes me off, is the amount of people who park on the double yellow lines!! so the place where there is space for 4 cars, you will often get 6/7 cars parking there, and then on the off road it is double yellow lines close to the corner then free parking for all, so many people will not drive a few more metres but will park on the double yellow lines, which makes it seriously dangerous to try and get out because you can't actually see what's comjng and the traffic is quite busy at this time! does this happen where you are? what can be done about it? It actually infuriates me so much. I don't really know why but I get more and more annoyed every day, I just think why are there rules in place if nothing is followed through?

As we live very near the primary school, our culdesac is one of the closest places to park, it generally doesn't affect us too much as most people have a two car driveway and there are also some free spaces to park, usually I'd get back to collect my own children just as school was getting out and would simply pull into my driveway and walk round - as my children got older I'd not not necessarily rush to get to the playground, as long as I was back in time for them walking round it was fine - street was generally busier and I'd often have to wait at the traffic calming bit to get through as cars were leaving the street.

For a while there was a woman who was clearly always running late who used to drive really fast into the street to drop off even though they only lived a few streets away - she was reported and cautioned by the police.

The only time I was really annoyed though was when we were getting some work done and the joiner had his van on our driveway and was using the other half to cut wood and the plumber had parked across the driveway so as to keep the parking free for residents. I cam home and after battling through to get into the street, there was nowhere left for me to park - i had to drive round the estate and come back later.

I'm now back a bit later so never have an issue now - as i say, most people seem to be considerate.

School parking is very hard on local residents; it was the issue that came up most frequently during election canvassing. So many meeting, so many suggestions, so much inconvenience and so much time wasted, and all down to a percentage of mothers who will not park in the nearby car park and walk their children to school. (yes, mothers; I have monitored parking as a school governor.)
The latest suggestion is to concrete over the school playing field (!) to make a playground so that the existing playground can then be used as a car park, and a one way system created round the back of the school and out through the other entrance. This suggestion was made by a SAHM who lives five minutes maximum walk from school.

wow thanks for all the replies and nice to know I am not being unreasonable. I might contact the local community officer. how do I go about it? Do I go to the local police station?

Thanks for all the stories too, some schools have really taken great steps in stopping it. There are already at least 4 cars I can picture in my head who do this every day!
Just a note to the posters who are moaning at those who drive to school.... The children I take to school do not live within walking distance and I know most parents go to work straight after (this area hasn't got the big waiting lists for schools etc... that I know some areas have). But I still think people should park legally and just walk fast back to their car if they need to get to work.

It is grim. Massive show of selfishness most mornings. Another reason I am so glad I am done with primary school

YANBU, but unfortunately it seems to be a common problem. I drop off early and pick up late most days, so don't see it at it's worst, but on the 1 day I am there at the busy times it's a complete nightmare! It's bad enough being a parent trying to get your children to school, so it must be intolerable for local residents.

the only kids who need to be dropped off right outside are those who physically cannot walk further, or who are escorted by someone with the same problem.

those who have to use cars (due to driving to work and dropping off en route) can park a few minutes walk away.

the zigzags and yellow lines are there to protect the children, who cannot be guaranteed not to run out into the road. Hence there must be a sightline for passing drivers. We all know to go dead slow outside schools because kids by definition have no road sense.

One day a child will get killed because of lazy parking. I just hope it hasn't already happened.

It happens everywhere. But they always put their 'park anywhere' lights on, so that makes it ok

I wonder if badly-parking parents were penalised by being denied tickets to school plays etc if that would make them more considerate parkers? My friend's DCs school used to put 'parking tickets' written by pupils on the cars, but that didn't make any difference

I would ban parking from all roads around schools tbh.
Unless they have a car park, shouldn't be allowed, far too dangerous.
the amount of parents who think they are beyond the law, just because they want to collect little Johnny, walk ffs or choose a school you can access easy without pissing everyone else off
I have seen residents parking cones outside their homes when they have permit parking. Some parents think they'll be a minute but the residents returning home have nowhere to park.

This does seem to be universal!

Our local primary school "moved house" to a brand new site earlier this year. It takes me only ten minutes to walk there (I work there!) and there is an equal divide of people who will walk and those who live nearer than I do, some of whom I know for a fact are SAHP. So why do they drive?

I don't know the answer, whether it be laziness, disorganisation or another reason. Other people who live further away walk or cycle, and there's the very lovely and polite but clueless woman who stops on the zigzags every morning.

There have been messages sent out to parents, and visits by the traffic warden have increased lately. The school does have a car park, incidentally.

My kids school is a 3 minute walk from Lidl. So parents can park in Lidl's car park and walk down, But of course hardly anyone does. And cars are parked all along the road, up on the grass verges etc.
Thankfully mine are bigger now so I park up at Lidl and they walk down themselves and then after school I meet them there.

Our school crossing patrol person has to put cones out or the same few parents will park blocking the crossing.
They must have no shame to sit there in their cars clearly blocking the way refusing to move.

School parking drives me mad. The disabled bays at ours are on the staff car park. School have put an electric gate which needs a fob to open it to stop parents going into the car park and blocking the spaces. I have a fob along with another mum whose child also uses a wheelchair. The idiots now park right up against the gate so that you can't even get through it. There is parking for about 6 cars at the side of the school and a free council car park about 2 minutes walk away.

I think it's a problem at most schools. I'd hate to live on the same street as one. The ones that really annoy me are the ones that pull half onto the path just as I'm walking past with the DC's. Why not wait two seconds and then you won't risk running us over? Selfish.

Happens at my school too. They park on the pavement, on the bends, corners of junctions, over drives. Over the disabled spaces so they can't be used. It amazes me it really does. If an ambulance or fire engine was needed it wouldn't get anywhere near.
I walk 99% of the time but on the odd occasion I drive, I park tucked down the road.

A good swear is often the best option, OneMagnum :)

Schools must know who these parents are. Heads should be given full autonomy to say "if you insist on putting children's lives in peril with your selfish and dangerous parking then your child/children will no longer be welcome at this school" - no parents going to Daily Mail with sad face and no complaining to governors either.

I remember once being unable to access the school with a double buggy because some lazy fecker parents were parked bumper to bumper all round the school. Huge car park just a few metres down the road these drivers were far too busy (lazy) to park up and walk.

My two are in a tiny village school with parking for 5 cars outside - no other parking in the village, all narrow lanes, most of the children are driven to school as it serves a rural area. Drop-off seems to function ok but pick-up... the road outside the school turns into a badly organised car park and I frequently have to wait for several cars to move so I can leave (I try to arrive early to get a space). there are only 43 kids in the school but I would guess 90% are outside walking distance.
I don't know what the solution is, they let the infants out 10 mins before the juniors but with most parents picking up one of each that doesn't help much.

I get the rage with people who 'spread out' in the parking area and take up two spaces, and the handful of parents who do live within walking distance but still turn up in their car!

YANBU
I bloody hate those people who think the yellow zigzags don't mean them!
I does put children's safety at risk.

It does.

I am a school crossing patrol so as you can imagine this is the bain of my life!

'park anywhere' lights .

Schools must know who these parents are. Heads should be given full autonomy to say "if you insist on putting children's lives in peril with your selfish and dangerous parking then your child/children will no longer be welcome at this school" - no parents going to Daily Mail with sad face and no complaining to governors either.

I love this. When Our school was built a few years ago, they let in lots of out of catchment because numbers were low. We now have a multi-year bulge population, this would be a handy way to get our numbers back down to where they should be!

This is why my mum had gates put across her drive as parents would continue to park on it as her house is next to the school.

Me and my friend where trying not to laugh last week, as the road next to the school was closed for resurfacing and we had traffic warden outside for 3 days last week. The amount of parents complaining about the cars parked on the path and how hard it was to walk down the road to school. This was after they had finally parked their own cars further up the road, rather then them blocking up the road right outside the school.

SisterMoonshine Come off it - you know perfectly well that the zigzags mean Nobody else allowed so that my special snowflake does not have to walk - the problem is the other parents who don't grasp it.

I used to live near a school. I once found a car on my drive, blocking the garage door, with a note in the window saying SORRY - BACK IN FIVE MINUTES.

But I found it when I got back from a journey in the car, and it was a big drive, so I put my car behind the stranger with a note in the window saying SORRY - BACK IN FIVE MINUTES.

And went for a stroll.

When I got back the mother concerned was frantic about being late for work and I bloody well hope she was.