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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be furious at this school run parking nightmare woman?

327 replies

missced · 05/01/2017 15:54

So, excuse me while I try to calm down..... it has only just happened you see! Angry. Usual scenario,, busy residential street, school run parking at a premium. I always scrupulously avoid parking over residents driveway exits where there is a single dropped kerb. I have just been told off by some van driver's wife (house has four cars parked out front) for parking over part of their double dropped kerb. Their kerb is twice the size of everyone else's, no doubt to feed their car collecting fetish, but my point is, as I made politely to her, that I had left an exit for her. It just wasn't the one she wanted to use. I know tempers get inflamed at these times, but our local situation is terrible, and I try my best not to upset anyone. I used to live on the same road, it's a small community, and I don't want to be unreasonable but this woman was so condescending and entitled and told me off like a six year old with a toileting problem. If it was a question of access for pushchairs, wheelchairs or the blind it would be different. Why should she assume she can have two free spaces on the street outside her house when everyone else gets one? I am looking forward to tomorrow's parking battle Shock.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 06/01/2017 20:08

Very likely that roads near schools have single yellow lines at least.

Not in my experience.

Livelovebehappy · 06/01/2017 20:10

Tbh, she probably has to deal with crap everyday, living near a school, so was obviously very uptight about it which is why she ranted a bit. I used to live near a school, and watching out for people parking accross my drive, on my drive and reversing up my drive was a full time occupation for me at one point. Hence I moved house and made sure I didn't live within two miles of a school.

thewalrus · 06/01/2017 20:19

Just been out to check, we have a dropped curb outside, never realised only we are allowed to park there. Yay.

cariboo · 06/01/2017 20:23

She had no call to be so rude but people often are when they're annoyed. It's not her problem if you or anyone else can't find parking to pick up their children. Both spaces are hers and she doesn't have to share. Also, it's not like this is a one-off problem. You should ask the school about finding a solution. I've been through this nightmare myself for years - so glad it's over now my dc ride the school bus - and it is horrible. Hope you find a solution.

tortoise401 · 06/01/2017 20:47

I park a 15 minute walk away. Problem solved.

HemseyWhemsyWooChoo · 06/01/2017 20:47

I have had similar problems like this with my Mum's neighbour and difficulties parking in their road now there are more drop kerbs that space to park in their road. So my Dad ended up talking to the Police about the problem and they told him that providing you move your car to allow that person to either get in or out of their driveway, you ARE allowed to park in front of a dropped kerb. The Police explained you cannot prevent them from entering or exiting their driveway. So I would say that as you weren't blocking their entry or exit I can't see the problem. It's when people park inconsiderately and feel entitled that bug me. When I have to use the car, I park a few roads away and try not to park in front of people's houses as I understand how they feel living outside a school and not being able to park anywhere near my home. Consideration is paramount.

SallyDapp · 06/01/2017 20:48

I am disabled and use a wheelchair so getting to and from school can be difficult but I can understand how people who live near schools feel as my father lives opposite a busy secondary school, it is hell at collection time as the poor little darlings can't possibly walk anywhere. What is wrong with parking a reasonable distance from school and 'walking' the last few hundred yards, you won't die of exhaustion neither will your children. You endanger all children when you're trying to park so close, the mayhem involved when children are trying to cross the road against parents trying to get that extra metre closer really isn't worth the possible tragedy. Get off your butt and walk!

Blu · 06/01/2017 21:01

So my Dad ended up talking to the Police about the problem and they told him that providing you move your car to allow that person to either get in or out of their driveway, you ARE allowed to park in front of a dropped kerb

This does make sense. Having a dropped kerb installed (and people do take it upon themselves to do their own) does not mean you own the road outside your house.

Olympiathequeen · 06/01/2017 21:08

001000001. You are not the RTFT F'ing police.

I did fwiw.

MrsC45 · 06/01/2017 21:32

I live very near a school that has its own car park, the parents use it and no problems for me! If someone did block my drive, any of it, I'd be furious ( unless they'd asked first and I wasn't going out), even a bit of over hang can make getting out of the drive difficult/impossible. My Aunty lives a street away from a school and when she and her elderly husband both had cancer and both had hospital appointments to go to, selfish, rude, self entitled twats would just block her in and refuse to move, until they'd completed dropping off/picking up their LOs! Also had a friend, who was a nurse and had to get out for shifts, she moved house owing to the nasty sods who who block her drive, be rude to her, make her late for work etc. If you buy a house with a drive, you have the right to use it at all times, and just because the drop down is large doesn't mean it can be restricted without permission! Of course it's annoying when there is no parking space near school, but tough luck, walk , park further away or get there earlier when there are still some spaces! She had every right to get cross with you. PS I Google police guidance on this, which brought up a 2016 police press release and it is an offence.

TippyT · 06/01/2017 23:00

I lived opposite a very busy oversubscribed Grammar school and I caused on more than one occasion a traffic jam. As I would refuse to move my car if I was blocked from my driveway.... yep the parents would park in / on my driveway!!
As the little darlings where not local but from all over up to 30-45 miles away I had not guilt or compulsion making the mothers move their cars sorry not sorry

DontTouchTheMoustache · 06/01/2017 23:19

I've just caught up. Op that was a bit of an anticlimax...please could you flounce? Just a little bit? I read 12 pages...just a little flounce?

taxiforme · 07/01/2017 00:05

I live next to a school and very near an airport. It's a dropped curb, parking there is unlawful. I have lost count of the times over the past 8 years I have been unable to get out of my drive and also seen near misses (narrow road and no pavements) and gridlocks every day (parking on the zigzags as well) from "entitled" parents. Many, many residents have complained to the school who say they have tried to abate it and send out regular emails to parents. We/the school are fed up of it. Police have tried to intervene. There was a total road block recently where they were called.

YABU. Trust me.

caringcarer · 07/01/2017 00:13

We are in a similar position. We have 2 adult children living at home so four cars and a van and a double dropped curb that we paid to have. The people opposite us only have a drive big enough for one car but have two cars so park across our dropped curb and it drives us nuts. It is at the bottom of a steep drive and when it is icy I am always afraid of clipping my neighbours car that should not be parked there. YABVU.

lashy · 07/01/2017 00:16

You could park your car a little further away from the school gates, avoiding the 'premium school run parking' and a boat load of stress. Simple.

KarlosKKrinkelbeim · 07/01/2017 00:20

Bemused by this paying for a double dropped kerb thing. Why would you do that? How many cars can you drive at once? Weird.

FourToTheFloor · 07/01/2017 00:43

What happens if there just isn't any parking? I'm not saying park over a dropped curb just that in my area of London there are 2 primary schools near each other driving parents have to park, cant do drop and run, and 90% of the houses have dropped curbs so very little on street parking.

I walk as I can't be arsed with the parking but it's a drivable distance and all my neighbours drive.

I think councils have a responsibility to make sure there is some parking and that it's not gridlocked.

VivienneWestwoodsKnickers · 07/01/2017 00:54

I massively disagree four, they can't create car parks from nothing. If there's no land, what do they do?

The responsibility is on the parents and no one else.

GimmeeMoore · 07/01/2017 00:55

If no immediate school parking for drop off,leave earlier,park further away and walk

purplebunny2012 · 07/01/2017 01:36

CotswoldStrife, I hate people parking outside my house as that's where I park, but I would never dream of asking someone to move!
Chances are they won't be there overnight so I can park further away and move later.
I may have ranted about it on social media, but that's more to vent my frustration.
You were very nice to move

FourToTheFloor · 07/01/2017 07:40

Gimme in my example it wouldn't matter to leave earlier. There just isn't any car parking. And yes it's on parents to some point but every house with a dropped curb?

SoupDragon · 07/01/2017 07:44

it's a drivable distance and all my neighbours drive.

Car share
Walking bus

Better options than expecting the council to Magic up parking out of nowhere to solve a problem that is of our own making. It never used to be a problem - everyone walked when I was at school!

At some point we have all become lazy and car reliant (and I include myself in this!)

Annierocks · 07/01/2017 07:50

Here is a point of view from a owner of a dropped curb. I am a nurse who is in and out if my drive for work and generally having a life. I paid for the drive and the kerb. You really have to try and understand the frustration of trying to get out of the drive when some thoughtless lazy cow has blocked it because she is in a terrible rush to get to school.Get organised leave earlier try having a little walk to school. I have the drive blocked on average 6 times a week. By the way I am a Cancer Support Nurse my patients need me at the time I say I will be with them. So think on all Mums about your parking. Thank you. My rant is now ended.

Swippy · 07/01/2017 08:00

I've been screamed at for parking in front of a drive way that doesn't have a dropped kerb, she even put a bin on road to stop people doing it. However if someone had paid for a dropped kerb, I don't believe you should park in front regardless of how big it is. I assume if there are vans they possibly need more room to get out and they would have paid more for this. I got cross with people who don't pay for a dropped kerb yet expect people not to park in front during busy school pick ups

SoupDragon · 07/01/2017 08:11

So think on all Mums about your parking.

You seem to have spelt "parents" incorrectly there.

The twats who park on the double yellow lines at a busy junction near our primary are mostly male. They are often the ones sitting in their car over dropped kerbs whilst someone else goes into school to get the children.