To ignore the school parking diktat?

[Ginmakesitallok]

I drive to drop off andpick kids up from school - too far to walk and on my way to work. Its busy, but i usually get a space in the street beside school.

Theres a note in a recent school newsletter to say that parents shouldn't drive into this street, that there's no parking for parents there and that the yellow lines are for kids safety.

Now - it's a public road, no restricted parking, only yellow lines are at junctions where I'd never park. Surely the school can't think that it can stop parents parking where they want if they are parking legally??

I am on both sides of the fence here. Firstly I sometimes drive my kids to school I do try and walk sometimes but it's a 4 mile round trip crossing some rather busy roads without crossings so we try to walk when it's dry but if it's wet or icy I think 2 miles is quite a long trip for a 4 year old on the way home after a long day at school. Our school routinely puts notes in the newsletter asking parents to park considerately. There are several streets near the school which have parking I don't overly mind which one I park on and I always make sure I A: don't block any driveways and B: not on any yellow lines curbs etc. So only legally and as considerately as possible. The problem is time and time again it's the same cars that are parking inconsiderately blocking drives or even parking on the pavement right outside the school. There's always 3-5 of them and it's always the same ones. So if the OP is parking considerately and legally and driving carefully then I don't see the problem. I can also understand how frustrating it is to live near a school because I live opposite a college. This means all the students park in our little close. On mornings where it is raining I will leave my parking space for the school run and there will be students sat in their cars waiting to take my space even though I will be coming back and would actually rather like to park in my space outside my home since I don't have a driveway. Unfortunately because it's no time permit only parking there's nothing we can do not the police nor the college. So really it's a tough one for everyone concerned and there will always be differences of opinion on it.

People cause absolute havoc with parking at our local slimming world... because they all want to get as close as possible to the main doors...
Its slimming world ffs... surely the walk would do them good.

If everyone else adheres to the school's request, then it's selfish if you think you are better than everyone else and can therefore flout the request. However, they can't enforce it and of course you can ignore it, but you won't be very popular with the other parents nor the school. Our school did the same, as children sometimes run out into the road unexpectedly and there had been several near misses. One day that might be your child that gets hit by a car who ignored the school's request.

You buy a house next to a school then complain about the school traffic not parents problem. As long as you are in the right and parking legally nothing anyone can do. but I wouldn't do anything out my way to upset anyone if there is an easy way to park that suit you

If I might just saddle up here, I used to park close to school when daughter was in reception, and early years. Then I learned what a twerp I was being. Now I allow more time and park further away if I need to drive - but I jolly well walk with the dogs over the common most days. Now I feel I can 'tut' at the young mums who feel they must park right outside and run in at the last moment. They will learn to set an alarm in time and get the kids dressed before breakfast. Bless them.

You have not been uniquely singled out. This goes on all the time. In my area of London, every school is an absolute nightmare at pick-up & drop-off time, due to cars. Residents complain, there are near-accidents, pollution levels are high, especially since the government foolishly decided to encourage diesel. The school/residents could probably apply to the Council for greater parking restrictions, but perhaps that expense could be spared by asking you all nicely. I know it isn't easy, but you should make an effort to comply.

This drives me insane, the same parents who Park stupidly and crowd the school entrances, would be quick to blame the school if it was their child caught up in an accident. People just should get off their arse and walk or at least Park at a safer distance away.

wow, I agree that parking in a place that is not restricted is fine. Also agree that this sounds like complaints from residents. Shame the head teacher has taken this on. Trust me I had a business opposite a nursery school, the nursery arrived some years after me, parents thought it was ok to park on my driveway as did cab drivers, They complained that they needed to carry their children if they parked further away ( some 25 yards). I complained that I paid commercial rates, they stopped my clients parking who then had to walk the 25 yards to do business and they and their kids had legs which were made for walking. IF I lived or had purchased a site near or next to a school I would have accepted the situation. My circumstances are different however, I would ignore residents who complain as long as your legal, as should the head. ps if you don't like aircraft noise DONT buy close to an airport. Same applies to schools.

If your parking normally and legally I'd ignore it. That said I have complained myself about parking near school and school and the council introduced more parking wardens and additional yellow lines, so it's not quite right to say nothing will happen if everyone ignores the request. My complaint was about idiotic and dangerous driving however, basically my son and I had nearly been run over that many times whilst waking to school because other parents were mounting the pavement then blindly driving round a particular corner whilst on said pavement (!). I'm sure mine wasn't the only complaint! But very shortly after a written complaint it was yellow lined and there is less space to park as a result. Our school also issues badges to kids that walk all the way or park a bit away and pretend to, but whilst I walk I understand that when time is short who wants to park miles away!

You buy a house next to a school then complain about the school traffic not parents problem. As long as you are in the right and parking legally nothing anyone can do. but I wouldn't do anything out my way to upset anyone if there is an easy way to park that suit you

And conveniently ignoring all those of us who have said that situations change where we live and now have to deal with awful parking

Parking is not just an issue with schools - in our road we have parking issues when the local doctors is open so that's all hours of the day - so I park considerately but I don't worry about parking on local roads at pickup time. In the road I grew up in the issue was people parking for free to go to work in the local town. People who live near schools are not the only ones with parking issues. It all comes down to the same thing being considerate about it - if its legal then no one can stop you.

The problem with this and everything else in life is the "entitled idiot fucker" factor.

The EIF considers it ok to ruin grass verges, block drive ways, park like a cock sucker so that offspring don't have to walk.
This same type of person may or may not be wasting NHS resources for a runny nose, parking in disabled bays at the super market, claim benefits because it once had a job and now think the world owes it, is the reason queuing barriers were invented in banks. The entitled idiot fucker is the reason why the rest of us have more difficult, expensive, time inefficient lives because we all have to make allowances for idiots.

OP- my suggestion is that you park further away and walk- things will then go back to normal, until the entitled types start messing with things once again.

Ignore it - yes for excersize blah blah blah but if you're rushing to throw them in to school with a tiny window to get work then you have to do what you have to do.

This 'Entitled' really is the new hot MN buzzword isn't it? Well op - you're entitled to drive down that road if you wish to - carry on.

As someone who has been involved with design and construction of primary schools - someone mentioned access for emergency vehicles. Today's fire engines are much bigger due to the amount of equipment they have to carry. It means that an engine requires 3.5m clear space in order to get to the emergency including turning radius. I've had a car written off by a fire engine. My Ford Ka was legally and considerately parked but the takeaway opposite had its delivery vans obstructing so my car got hit.

Message from a resident here. We bought our house BEFORE the primary school was built. Luckily we are further away than many of my neighbours but it is a complete nightmare in the morning and at pickup. We try to organise our trips out to avoid these times. There is restricted parking, single and double yellows. All completely ignored by parents and council alike so basically they can do as they like. One day I saw a large car parked on the double yellows outside normal school drop off, no other vehicles around so she could have parked legally. Surprisingly there was a 'blue meanie' (warden) on the other side of the road and I called him over and said why aren't you booking that person as their parking meant overtaking cars were forced onto the other side of the road at a blind entrance to the road due to hedges. He said they were disabled. No blue badge I pointed out. Just then what I can only call a yummy mummy skipped out and WAVED to meanie got in car and drove off!
They park ON people's drives although since being blocked in for a full day by one of my neighbours they seem to have reduced the incidence of this. The double park to have a chat and if you 'beep' them you get the finger and they talk for longer so we've learned to keep quiet and let the ladies chat.
If you ask them to not park across drives or on double yellows, for the safety of other road users and the kids it is a barrage of four letter words.
Appalling behaviour - such great role models for their kids - there is nothing we can do but move.

BTW, another one here that had schools built recently! We moved in ten years ago and there was one secondary school two streets away. Most kids bussed in or walked and traffic was minimal. Seven years ago they built a special needs primary school backing onto our house and a college one road away. We didn't 'sign up for this' and our house price has dropped considerably as a result. To those who think all schools were here 'first', consider the dramatically expanding population and ask yourself if it's realistic to think new schools aren't being built all the time. We live in a cul de sac (so to whoever said that there's 'not many dead-end roads around' can be assured that actually there bloody are) and we've had two instances in the last year of ambulances not able to reach elderly residents and carers unable to find a parking space. Is a little bit of consideration for the people in your school's community really too much to ask? In answer to your question, OP, yes you're legally entitled to park there despite your school's pleas, but no, you're not reasonable to.

"gnore it - yes for excersize blah blah blah but if you're rushing to throw them in to school with a tiny window to get work then you have to do what you have to do."

Conveniently ignoring the numerous posts on here about the safety aspect. But then it won't be your child who gets knocked over as you scream up to the school gates will it?

Park wherever you want if it's legal, nobody can stop you. Wouldn't it be lovely if we could all take a nice stroll to school every morning..

To those saying, 'we lived here before the school was built'. The policy of the council I work for- we build the new school in the playground/playing fields. Once it's built, we pull the old school down and create the new sports pitches. The regulations that we have and the awards that the designers strive for, such as BREEAM - points are given for bike racks and public transport routes. Car parks are frowned upon and to be honest, kids should be walking more to school. A school in Scotland was having problems with lateness in a deprived area so the school started a 'walking bus' and they've reduced lateness. So instead of this 'entitlement' for parents driving to school - how about volunteering to start a walking bus and see the benefits that it gives your kids. Otherwise kids will grow up to think they can do the hell they like!

They can't force you not to do it, but that doesn't mean you should. Take on board their reasons and then maybe you could acquiesce.

I wouldn't suggest anyone park inconsiderately, but for those who say 'get some exercise, walk or park further away' - it's not always that simple if u work..
...The earliest u can drop children off at my DCs school is 8.35am, and driving straight to work I am then 20-30 mins late, every day. I have an understanding employer who allows this if I make the time up. Sometimes there are 9am meetings and I rush and just get there in time.

If I park further away, I will just be later for work (because we can't get to school any earlier), so that virtue of getting more exercise would make me later still, and understandably be seen as me getting slower and later by my boss.
The school regularly has 'walk to school' weeks where children are rewarded if they get their parents to walk them to school - it seems they don't understand that some parents have to go to work either!

People aren't talking about parking miles away though just a street or two further away.

If I have to drive ds to school I park further away, in the time it takes me to walk back to the car I would have still been sat in the traffic getting away from school if I fought to park close!

If the reason it's kids running out etc / perceived risk, and a child was to run out in front of you, then I guess you have to ask yourself how you would feel if something bad happened / would you constantly beat yourself up, (albeit not your fault), that you had not been prepared to inconvenience yourself for a few minutes walk for child safety.

My DD was following a car driving in the road where our local primary school is situated and the next thing she knows the car stopped ten feet from the green traffic light and a child about 8 years old gets out, runs down the road side of the railings to get to the pavement to go into the school. I thought this was really bad parenting !