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??

neweymcnewname not at all I travelled with a group of other children and was dropped at the bus stop by my mum. Not all of us could afford an SUV. this was 35 years ago however. I'm sure there was the same amount of perverts out there than there is now. Parents have gone soft. I teach my kids to be safe and be street smart.

38 you said this: "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."

Doesn't sound particularly safe to me.

And anyway, the point is if even a quarter of parents did this at the average primary school you could have say 40 cars "rushing to throw them into school".

Really, I am not sure why this is so hard to understand. And if the ops school isn't like that it's because everyone else is being considerate and following the heads request.

anyway night all, for those that no choice but to drive, as your kids cannot travel due to distance fair enough. For the rest of you shame, all your doing is adding pollution, causing disruption and being a right F*ing pain in the as for everyone. Sort your Sit out.

Oh my days, this brings back memories. Round my kids' former primary school, it was like the Wild West re parking and mums in 4 by 4s charging at you on a narrow road. Consideration there was none. I in the main avoided it by walking. But was lucky I could do that as didn't start work til pm. My kids generally moaned about the walk, though. About a mile, poor things!

To add, some dads were parking on the zig zags by a very ticked-off lollipop man, too.

But 35 years ago there was a lot less traffic around - everywhere is so much busier now - so whilst it may well have been safe for you to travel to school as you did then, it wouldn't be safe now, @Michaela2017.

Perhaps if parents with kids took better care of their little ones when entering or leaving the school, things won't have to be so problematic! It's a two way responsibility. There are lots of lazy people out there, that can't be bothered to leave their home everyday just 10 minutes earlier, and cause this issue at our local school. However, there are cases where parents had a certain situation and were delayed for a good reason, and end up rushing, but that's a one off situation. It's sad that it's all gotten into a big mess and out of control. And lead to a lot of negativity and stress for everyone. No kid wants to see his/her mum being told off in the morning just before school. And no mother wants to see her kid get run over by a rushing careless parent in a 4 wheel drive. My husband sometimes forgets about this issue and parks near the gate, and we get into an argument about this. But he's better now. I believe its best to think of the kids first, whether you're driving or walking with your child, both have to watch out for kids. This is not about us, it's about our babies. Lets not forget the objective of this. There are mothers volunteering to help keep our kids safe, so the least we can do is appreciate their effort.

People are too selfish to think of others.... they should ban parking by schools . It is far to dangerous for the little ones. A 5 minute walk would also help the environment.

I think you prob needs gransnet Michaela you are living in the past.
The point is - working mums who have the sort of job where hours are not flexible have no choice but to drive. Maybe your mother could start her scrubbing 10 mins later which enabled her to use public transport? I can't and I have no choice,
Now - would you like salt with that chip on your shoulder?

Carry on parking. There is absolutely nothing that school or the local residents can do. If that couple of minutes is so problematic to them then they could raise the issue with the local council and get lines or resident parking bays put in.
I used to move cones that residents had took upon themselves to place on a public road...they were stolen cones for a start. Lol. Anyway, a public road is for public use. Irritating for residents but absolutely nothing they can do.

...and yes Nupro, it is too dangerous to let my 4 and 6 year old negotiate the rush hour traffic or go anywhere without a responsible adult. What a ridiculous comment.
I use my car as a means to get to work and transport vulnerable clients for my job. Arriving late at work due to school drop off is bad enough when our start times coincide. I agree about there being some very lazy parents but there are also lots of misconceptions about the 4 wheel drive or car driving parents too. How dare anyone try and stipulate what happens legally in a public place anyway. Makes them sound rather jumped-up and stupid.

Hahaha. Do you own a caroll or have used one recently to support with your life. OMG. Your comment is mad.
Public transport is great if it is compatible with working arrangements. Life ain't that simple!

In my experience at our school, the argument of needing to drive to school because of the rush to get to work is obsolete anyway. Because of the road layout and two schools close together it would be far quicker for these parents to park further away and walk the last bit of the journey rather than park on the school road. But they don't. They drive all the way parking on the school road and then sitting in traffic trying to pull out onto the main road. There is a pub car park less than 5 minutes walk away who are happy to help but very few use it, why should they have to walk to ease the congestion and make the road safer round the school.
Someone opened the car door onto us a few weeks ago, hadn't looked who was coming and belted us. Cars mounting the pavement while parking and not checking for people walking along the paths.
Blocking the bus stop. Parking on corners so the buses struggle to get round the corner.
All because they are too lazy for a 5 minute walk. And yes, that is what it is, laziness.

Local government money needs to be allocated to provide ample car park space in safe car parks. My daughter's school car parking situation is an accident waiting to happen. Our childrens safety is more important than is currently being valued.

I used to live very close to my kids primary school and walk to collect and drop them off. My husband would work away and I HATED when parents parked in front of our house as although it was not illegal there were quite a few times when my husband would return and the road would be so jammed up he couldnt get onto our driveway. When I asked one lady who used to park directly infront of my window, to move along a bit, she got extremely aggressive and started doing it with her minions ion tow - for intimidation purposes. She did not make an effort to move and would sit looking into my window. I ended up getting a police report etc and she was asked to stay away from the house.
I wanted to see my husband return from 6 months/3 weeks etc away with a positive start - not irate and upset because getting into out of our own driveway was such a drama.

I think when the school asks parents to park away sometimes, its because the residents daren't ask them to do it themselves for fear of the backlash they would get - as I did.

I live between two schools and my road goes from being fairly quiet too like a race track at school times.

Because so many parents and children have to cross my road to get to and from the 2 schools the council put in yellow lines where the majority cross to make crossing the road safer. There is a pathway through to one of the schools just by my house which is why so many cross close by.

I and my neighbours had no problem with that even though the yellow line being outside our houses means, obviously, we often have to move our cars at school times.

So what happens? Every day without fail any residents' cars are moved only for parents to park all along the yellow lines. Some just drop their children off, some park there to walk their children to and from school. Some sit there for 20 minutes if not longer.

If anything it makes crossing the road more dangerous as the cars that are only dropping off or picking up are pulling in and out often without seeming to look before moving.

There is only one small section of the road that has yellow lines (about 8 houses) and most days there is parking along the rest of the road but no, the lazy selfish parents can't possibly park further away.

Even the ones that do park on the rest of the road have to park each side and then proceed to fling open the car doors on the road side making it difficult if not impossible for cars to drive past.

It honestly is chaos most days. I have no problem with parents parking sensibly and considerately but it seems for many of them that is not possible.

I have complained countless times to the council but they have never even once sent a parking warden round. My argument is what is the point of paying for yellow lines if they are never going to be enforced? If a couple of people got tickets I am sure the word would get round and they would stop parking there at least for a while
Mind you outside one of the schools is even worse. Parents park on the zig zag lines every day and often get there an hour or more early to make sure of a close spot! The need to get a life springs to mind

With this thread in mind, when I did pick up yesterday, I had a quick look around. We had 5 cars parked on double yellows, the road its on, means because of those cars no emergency vehicles could get down the road.

But the ultimate piss take one, was car that was half in a disabled parking bay, half out. (no blue badge.)

user it might surprise you to know that not all lines are enforceable. I learned this last year after a big meeting with our school and the school next door, parents, councillors, police and wardens. Basically every line they paint has to have its own individual legislation behind it, they have to do the paperwork, send it to the government, who then have to do what ever they do, approve it and send it back. This whole process can take up to 18 months and is expensive. So a lot of councils now only go through this process for a small amount of lines, most of them actually are unenforceable so even if the police are called, they can only make them move if they are causing an obstruction!

I would not expect little ones to walk alone and I would advocate for disabled drop off points. My comment is not rediculos to those that are subjected to inconsiderate drivers. The police were out side the school on my road again this morning stopping parents blocking driveways and pulling them over for illegal u turns. Many of us have jobs to go to but it should not be at the peril of others.

There don't have to be yellow lines. If a vehicle is causing an obstruction it can be given a ticket with or without lines. We often have enforcement officers in the lane giving out tickets. On one memorable occasion the governors organised a fire drill before school and the fire engine couldn't get to the school. Every single parked car got a ticket that day.

Residents have been told to take photos of vehicles causing a problem and to send them to the parking officers. They get tickets.

It's nowhere near the problem it used to be, I'm delighted to say.

2 suggestions:

1- if parents drove and parked more considerately, there wouldn't be anything like as much of a problem. Some sort of mad devil seems to get into drivers around schools that makes them behave in a way (I suspect) they don't at other times. It seems to be me, me, me.

1. Schools near other schools should agree to stagger start times. We have 3 schools near each other in my neighbourhood, who refuse to consider this. Even though they moan all the time about the parking.

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

Don't be ridiculous. The issue isn't people who need to driving their kids to school.

I drive my DD to school. We didn't get our catchment school. Or any of the next nearest. There isn't a bus to the school she's at. It's too far to walk especially down unsafe country lanes. What would you suggest? Maybe I could helicopter her in?

But what I do is park on a road that causes no obstruction/issues to residents

Had this issue where my DS went to school, guy came out (from local council housing) and told me that I couldn't park there that it was resident only parking. I apologised and said that I didn't see any signs, if he pointed out where it said I could not park I would find somewhere else...mumbled something about calling the police so I continued to park along the road ....he came out another day ranting about calling police so I took photos of the car, how parked, distance from the kerb etc and waited for police to arrive at my house. Funnily enough they never did. I made sure for the next year (until ds finished school) that I parked in that exact spot if I could.

If the resident had said to me, would you mind parking up the street/down the street instead of lying I would have obliged.

The issue he had he was spouting rubbish laws and threatening to get police re illegal parking....what he didn't realise is I am a Police Officer

Did the note in the newsletter say why they are asking you not to use that street?

The school undoubtedly has a reason, but if they haven't told you what it is then you (and a % of others) are going to wonder why. If they tell people why they are issuing the instruction then more people are going to comply, unless it is a poor, or poorly explained reason.

I don't mean naming and shaming, just "there was an incident on Tuesday when a child was hit by a car" or "We have had many complaints from the residents about drives being blocked" or "the bend in the road makes crossing safely difficult when cars are parked both sides" or ... whatever it is.

Sometimes it is assumed that because a group of parents know something, everyone does, or that people should not be told something even though it is well known in some groups.

Issuing an instruction without an explanation, and without the right to enforce that instruction is at best unwise, and asking to be seen as a diktat, and not followed.

Switchedonmum - "Carry on parking. There is absolutely nothing that school or the local residents can do. If that couple of minutes is so problematic to them then they could raise the issue with the local council and get lines or resident parking bays put in."

Honestly, does anyone RTFT? This is often not about residents its often about the fact if a significant number of cars all try and park in one small road in a very small window of time, whilst int he region of a couple of hundred children are trying to cross the same road to get to school, there are going to be problems and potential accident. The head hasn't asked for the sake of it.

But not one person who has come back and said "carry on doing it" has commented on that. Wonder why. Oh, perhaps it's because their child doesn't have to try and cross a road with entitled and inconsiderate parents jostling for space.

Only this morning someone obviously far more important than the rest of us was in a desperate hurry and reversed all the way out the road our school was on because two cars were doubled parked outside the gates and nobody could get by. A child had slipped on the ice whilst crossing the road and her mum literally had to pull her out of the way. Stupid woman in the car didn't even notice. Where were her kids? Safely through the gates.