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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ignore the school parking diktat?

456 replies

Ginmakesitallok · 25/01/2017 10:28

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??

OP posts:
Forris · 26/01/2017 19:27

A polite message now in the school newsletter, this is the first stage the school is trying to ascertain if parents will accept a gentle reminder. Where we live due to this 'message' not being received well by parents there is now a complete ban on cars driving down the school road let alone parking with a £100 fine if caught doing so. I would try and help the school on this matter to stop it escalating.

Meinmytree · 26/01/2017 19:28

My commute involves driving right past a primary school, at dropping off time, and people parking right outside cause so much congestion on a not very wide, but busy road, especially when there's a bus trying to get down too.

There have been wardens a few times trying to stop people parking right outside, and that has helped so much - it means traffic going up the street can pull in instead of a 50m stretch on the wrong side of the road, a nightmare if no-one stops to let you go.

The houses across don't all have drives.

Now what was very frustrating was parents from the local private school using the local residents only spaces (for which we needed permits from the council) for picking up their kids, meaning if I got home at the same time I couldn't park on my own street. I presume someone had a word with the local wardens as it very suddenly stopped. Just down the road, about 50m further on, was a carpark, with a very cheap 20min rate.

38cody · 26/01/2017 19:41

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?

Erm - did you read op's post? Or mine?
I didn't say scream up to the school gates - I said drive up the street as it's perfectly legal to do so. At no time did op suggest tearing up at 60 mph - just that the school ought not to try to override parking laws.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 26/01/2017 19:49

Why can't the parents take public transport to work? Driving to work is not compulsory.

Coulddowithanap · 26/01/2017 19:55

"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."

Have you considered that the note in the newsletter wasn't specifically for you? Maybe other parents have been parking on yellow lines in that road?

We have a road near our school that has parking one side and single yellow line on the other side. Still a few people ignore the restricted parking signs and park on the yellow line 'as it's only for a few minutes'

PickAChew · 26/01/2017 19:57

I suppose you're assuming that every has a bus that will take them to work, Chardonnay. If dh did that after school drop off, it would take him 2 buses run by 2 different companies to get to within a mile of his place of work and he'd get there around 11am. Alternatively, he could drive and be in the carpark not long after 9:30.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 26/01/2017 19:59

Bus, train, rail, tube, tram.

Sirzy · 26/01/2017 20:02

Bus, train, rail, tube, tram.

Only one of them in an option here. And takes an hour to get to the next town which is a 10 minute drive away.

I think it's safe to say for people in a rush that unless you live in a central city centre location public transport probably hang going to be the best option!

MagpieMay · 26/01/2017 20:08

We live minutes from a primary school and the only issue I've ever had with parking is when one bitch inconsiderate woman parks blocking my drive... whilst my car is in there. I leave for work during the rush. I avoid parking on the drive as it's difficult to see the kids running up the street and I really worry that when I pull out (not matter how slowly) there might be an accident. My OH normally parks there as he leaves a lot earlier.

We chose to live near a school... I can't see how residents can complain unless people are parking dangerously or illegally.

FrancisCrawford · 26/01/2017 20:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

flumpsnlumpsnstuff · 26/01/2017 20:15

We have 3 schools behind me, a pre-school, primary and secondary. They stagger the start times and finish to accommodate traffic and yet parents turn up and park up to 2 hours before school finishes to waitAngrywe have very little off street parking so if I have the day off I time going out to make sure I'm back before 2pm at the latest or I will have to wait till 3:45 to be able to park ! So not 15-20mins. We have also had 3 children injured by cars this year due to not being able to see when crossing and yet parents still stand and argue about being 'legally ' allowed to park there.

Patch19 · 26/01/2017 20:22

Zzmy oh worked on buses some parents used to park at2pm to make sure they got near school and at some schools he TRIED TO PASS they parked opposite each other some parents are lazy and inconsiderate to other road users a nd people that live near school they don't think about emergency services having to get through. Rant over

Michaela2017 · 26/01/2017 20:24

I remember when I went to school I used to take the bus or walk. Maybe dear Tarquin or Portia can get off his or her ass and do the same. One it will save the environment and leave the roads free of congestion with massive suv's

38cody · 26/01/2017 20:54

I remember when I went to school I used to take the bus or walk. Maybe dear Tarquin or Portia can get off his or her ass and do the same. One it will save the environment and leave the roads free of congestion with massive suv's

Well maybe your mother wasn't a hard working teacher who couldn't get her child in the local primary schools and HAD to drive them to school to be there for 8 so that she could use the car to get to work for the morning briefing at 8.35.
So get off of your high horse and take a reality check.

unlucky83 · 26/01/2017 20:56

Ahh parking on the zigzags... the back gate of our school comes out on a residential road/cul de sac. I would say about 50% of the children use it, especially the ones who walk. And they have to cross the residential road. There is a barrier to stop children running straight out and into the road and the road has a red 'crossing' place marked on it...obviously there are zigzags around the gate and this 'crossing'. Lots of parents park along that road to pick up and generally there are no problems.
But there is one parent that used to make me so angry I wanted to scream and in fact did nearly cause a child to get hit by a car.

They have one older DC at the school and they live less than a 10 min walk away. About 90% of the time they drive. Here lots of DCs walk to school on their own from quite a young age (nice, community minded small place) - no reason why this child can't - and they have a friend who lives practically across the road from them who walks every day (bar torrential rain)...so they could even walk with someone...
But worse - the mother sat in her car up the road and when she saw her DC get to the gate drove down, pulled across the road so they were on the gate side and stopped on the zigzags - just in front of the crossing - so the DC didn't have a 15 sec walk along the road... and she did it every time. (and the DC had to go into the road to get in -so not even very sensible for their own child Confused)
Once she did it and her DC was talking to someone so didn't get in the car straight away...meanwhile another parent was coming down the road. A child started to cross but couldn't see the car and the car couldn't see them because of this stupid mother (do I need to say she has a massive 4x4 type car too?) - the other car had to emergency stop... the mother kind of waved an apology but continued doing it! (I think the other driver/someone said something to the school cos something came out about sensible parking and not on the zigzags in the next newsletter). I think that mother didn't think it was aimed at her - she didn't park on the zigzags, she parked up the road and just stopped on them for a few seconds...Hmm) To make it worse the mother is now working at the school as a helper -but at least that means they are no longer picking up at the back gate ....

Sundance01 · 26/01/2017 20:57

I am sure it's annoying for the resident's for the 15 mins every morning and evening ....NOT..... try living near a railway station like I do...it 24 hrs a day 356 days a year. I have absolutely NO sympathy.

BigGrannyPants · 26/01/2017 21:02

It's not 15 minutes though, it's usually over an hour by the time people arrive, park up, walk to the gates, chat and walk back and then get stuck in all the traffic trying to leave. I'd hate to live next to a train station too, or anything like that. I have sympathy for anyone who has to deal with people driving and parking like tossers. As always the point seems to be missed, the safety of the children is paramount but no one seems to give a shit about that.

Sarahrellyboo1987 · 26/01/2017 21:03

Legally you can park there.
But morally....should you? I grew up on a street next to school and regularly hasn't people blocking our car in, driving over our lawns, inconsiderate driving etc etc. It might not be illegal but you are a PITA!
Just park further away and walk.

neweymcnewname · 26/01/2017 21:30

Why can't the parents take public transport to work? Driving to work is not compulsory
Because it would take a bus, and a train both ways, and take around 1.5 hours too! A lot of people don't live in a city, and lot of rural areas don't have more than 1 bus a day.
Schools and workplaces operate to fixed schedules, it's just daft to say people should walk/catch buses/trains/trams, when they would be massively late. I can only guess that the people who think those are simple solutions that we're somehow missing haven't actually had to drop off children AND go to work the same day?!

Michaela2017 · 26/01/2017 21:30

no she was a hard working cleaner, working at the hospital cleaning floors and toilets and my dad worked night so we could eat and go to school. hard working teacher seriously get over yourself.

Michaela2017 · 26/01/2017 21:34

I remember when I went to school I used to take the bus or walk. Maybe dear Tarquin or Portia can get off his or her ass and do the same. One it will save the environment and leave the roads free of congestion with massive suv's

Well maybe your mother wasn't a hard working teacher who couldn't get her child in the local primary schools and HAD to drive them to school to be there for 8 so that she could use the car to get to work for the morning briefing at 8.35.
So get off of your high horse and take a reality check.

no she was a hard working cleaner, working at the hospital cleaning floors and toilets and my dad worked night so we could eat and go to school. hard working teacher seriously get over yourself.

PickAChew · 26/01/2017 21:35

Chardonnay - we only have bus, out of those options, and the faster bus is only every half hour. The slower one is only hourly. We're pretty well served by public transport, these days, compared to many communities our size It's improved in the past few years, thanks to Arriva taking a risk and investing aggressively in their local routes - it paid off, as passenger numbers rocketed). My parents have 2 buses a day, where they live.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 26/01/2017 21:38

There are quite a few schools where I live and perry much all kinds of public transport.

I understand it's an option everywhere, but it certainly is here, yet the school run traffic jams are epic.

neweymcnewname · 26/01/2017 21:40

Michaela, if you caught a bus at primary school age, that sounds unusual. I understand that your parents may have had no choice, and you feel it worked well in your family, but certainly where I live, the school won't release kids without an adult to pick them up...And I suspect if there was a thread saying 'i'm going to get my 5yo to get bus to school by themselves, AIBU?', the answer nowadays would tend to be 'Yes'. People don't stick small kids on a bus any more.

Bestthingever · 26/01/2017 21:41

The ultimate prize for laziness is the woman who I saw parking outside the school at 8am on the day of the school sports (when obviously lots more cars are outside the school). She decided it was easier to get there 45 minutes early rather than have to park further down the road and Shockwalk!! I don't know how she managed to keep the kids sitting in the car so long. Mine would have gone ballistic.