School pick up

[trinity0097]

So I live next to a junior school, end of the day is 3.15pm. All well and good, I'm a teacher so never at home normally for the parking chaos outside, one of the reasons why we didn't care. They don't block us in or anything and we have a white bar line across our drive on the road to avoid that anyway. However I'm only working part time at the moment as I am ill, and discovered today Mum's parked outside when I got home at 2.40pm, ok, fair enough if you went to waste your life away by the side of the road, but they had their cars running. AIBU to think that they should be turning off their engines if they are parked up?

[BurnTheBlackSuit]

@trinity0097

Thank you!

[IAmAGnu]

What do all you people who can't see a problem with leaving your engine on think your cars are powered by? Fairy dust? Fumes from cars are a massive pollutant, you are adding to that by not switching your engine off. It's like standing next to someone and smoking.

[trinity0097]

I've not noticed any awful parking yet, there is an unofficial one way system for the parents to help ease things.

They obviously have money to burn.

Why not park up, then go for a brisk walk around the block, get a bit of exercise in. Ironically the car right outside switched off their engine just at actual pick-up time to get out to fetch the child/children from the gate!

[KathArtic]

... and in the summer they sit with the windows opens and music on

[Twopeapods]

I don't know what the obsession is with being parked the closest. We live next to a primary school 100 yards and I actually laugh to see parents sitting for an hour before school finishes. At most they are saving themselves a 1 minute walk as there is plenty parking. I can think of many things I would rather do for an hour.

[Forkrightorf]

30 minutes before the end of the day is practically dawdling round here. Our school finishes at 3.10pm and some parents arrive at 2pm to get one of the 5 spaces outside school. Heaven forbid they should subject themselves to the 5 minute walk from the large car park that the school hire just down the road. Bonkers.
YANBU op, leaving the engine running is v environmentally unfriendly.

[trinity0097]

I've just looked it up. Rule 123

www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/general-rules-techniques-and-advice-for-all-drivers-and-riders-103-to-158

[melj1213]

Regardless of the illegality of sitting with the engine idling for ages, it's bloody annoyng to have the sound of a car running just constantly outside the door, especially if it's a car that has a loud engine.

As I write this, a neighbour of mine has had the car running for ages, he brings his three kids home from school and pretty much every day at least one of the kids, if not all of them, has an after school activity. Rather than go in and wait, he waits in the car for them to go in, get changed and come back out with all their kit. On days when it's just one kid it isn't too bad, but if all three of them are going to activities he can be sat there for easily twenty minutes. It wouldn't be so bad but his engine is LOUD, if you didn't know better you'd think that it was in the room with you.

I don't mind as usually I am either at work or getting ready for a late shift anyway, but for the last week or so I have been off work ill, like the OP, and it's loud enough that every day it disturbs me from napping/resting and there's very little I can do but grit my teeth and wait for him to leave so I can get some peace and quiet back. But going to say something just sounds petty, and an argument I really can't be bothered getting into.

[BurnTheBlackSuit]

Can I just ask about this law that's being cited. Can anyone quote it please?

I just looked at the Road Traffic Act 1988, section 42 as cited in the article from confused.com on the first page and it's nothing to do with not turning off engines:

[F142Breach of other construction and use requirements.

A person who—
(a)contravenes or fails to comply with any construction or use requirement other than one within section 41A(a) or 41B(1)(a) [F2or 41D] of this Act, or
(b)uses on a road a motor vehicle or trailer which does not comply with such a requirement, or causes or permits a motor vehicle or trailer to be so used,is guilty of an offence.]

[LadyWhoLikesLunch]

Regardless of whether or not its cold outside it is illegal to sit with your car engine running. Also sitting outside a school is particularly bad adding unnecessary exhaust for children to breath in.

[Mediumred]

Jesus, it's illegal, as pp says it is massively polluting (and in a lot of U.K. cities over the past few days we have had dangerous levels of particulate polluting) and there's just no need for it. If you're chilly bring a coat to put on or a blanket to put over your kid if they're asleep.

[Coffeethrowtrampbitch]

It is utterly disgusting.

Some cars sit outside my house for half an hour running engines in order to get their kids from the school at the end of the road.

They drive off within 45 minutes of arriving, but the whole street stinks for two hours afterwards, and every child leaving school and nursery has to walk through filthy air.

It is also illegal to run your engine within 200 yards of the school gate in our LA but it doesn't seem to stop anyone and there is zero enforcement.

But despite the number of deaths due to pollution, and the fact that it is especially dangerous to children as emissions are expelled to the height that they can breathe them in, and indeed it even being against the law, I can see how serious it is that car owners might become slightly cold .

[BurnTheBlackSuit]

You might live close(ish) to a school, but need to drive because you need to go to work. This is also a reason for arriving early to the parking before school drop offs and pick ups (i.e. Needing to make a swift get away to get to work and not having time to go home after work and get back to the school in time are two examples).

[trinity0097]

I have no issues with parents parking up legally, as most of them do. It's busy at drop off and pick up, but only for 10min or so of proper busy, this isn't the main entrance to the school, just the back gate.

Interesting the number of people who consider it OK it sit in an idling car for ages.

My experience as a teacher has told me that 99% of the time the parents who arrive at school well before pick up have children that tend to take their time to come out and those that have kids who come out promptly tend to be later and the kid might hang around for them a couple of minutes.

[Goingtobeawesome]

On the odd occasion I have to pick up my secondary school aged children I have to get there 30-40 minutes before they finish as there is nowhere nearby in which to legally park. My children can't walk home but I never block a driveway nor have my engine running.

Two schools, 2200 children. No parking between 10-4 on one estate and no parking on the main road 8:30-9:30 or 2:30-3:30. What do you, and the council expect parents to do?

[notangelinajolie]

Living outside school or not, it is bloody annoying having people sitting in cars outside your house with the engine running. And yes, it is an offence.

[Bushymuffmum]

What bothers you, is it the noise? I have people doing this outside my home and can't honestly say it bothers me or that I really notice(I'm a sahm so in house most of the day). I think maybe the change in your routine has made you over sensitive to what's going on outside at a time you're not usually there?

[Allthewaves]

iv had a little sleep before if iv been early for pick up (usually small person is snoozing in the back). it's too cold without running the car and if i have the radio on my car battery goes flat super quick as my cars rubbish

[trinity0097]

I didn't do anything, I'm too fragile for a confrontation at the moment, but the one right outside my house was just a lady by herself, no kids to keep warm. So it wasn't me on FB!

[Looneytune253]

Lol funnily enough someone on my fb was ranting tonight about an old busybody tapping her window and telling her she shouldn't be leaving the engine running. She says she needed to keep her kiddies warm. Never really thought about it but I hate the whole subject of cars on the school run. Round where I live it is completely ridiculous with dangerous parking etc etc. There's just no need. It's a small town. Most of them live locally and could easily walk.

[WorraLiberty]

Same as you, op. I'm a part time teacher. Live next door to a high school which let's out at 3.05.
Always one parent right opposite my house in first space after the bus bay at 2.30. Why??!!

Because they've come straight from work and live to far away to go home and make it back again by 3.05?

[Reality16]

Really reality? What do you think all the parents and kids do who walk to and from school? I don't think anything, why would I? My comment was about sitting in a car for ages in the cold. Nothing to do with people walking