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 grew up living next door to a primary school. I saw all the twattish behaviour from parents who thought they could drive and park however they liked.

Asa consequence I try to be considerate now I'm a parent. Parking IS available on the street next to school. It's legal, but it is inconvenient for resident and dangerous for kids if you park there. The school have an arrangement with a large pub 5-7 minutes walk from the gates for parents to park there. I use that offer. But the number of people who still park where they like is phenomenal.

It's basic me,me,me entitled selfish behaviour. Just because something is legal doesn't make it right, or considerate, or socially responsible.

Just because you can park somewhere doesn't mean you should park there. So many people these days have this sense of self entitlement and such a lack of respect for other people and their needs. You have been asked not to park somewhere so you should respect that. It may not be down to your inconsiderate parking but you can't account for everyone else's parking. You sound incredibly self centred and selfish. I see everyday how dangerous parents in their cars can be as well as witnessing near misses with kids on a regular basis. All because they feel they are entitled to park as close to the school as possible. Have some consideration for someone other than yourself.

Seriously, SixthSense? Not round here (South London borough). We've had to send our daughter private to ensure we got a place nearby/near a station!

I'm in a S London borough and wouldn't have stood a chance of getting a place in a state primary that wasn't within walking distance, as the catchments are so small. Unless we had been in a 'black hole' and had to go to an undersubscribed school a distance away.

The secondaries we could get into on distance are also within walking distance. All the state secondary kids I know who can't walk to school go to faith, selective or lottery-admission schools. Again because the catchments are so geographically tight.

A couple of minutes walk won't hurt anybody or take that long, and I have been told many times by teachers and lollipop ladies that they often ask parents to park further away to improve visibility and hence safety outside the school. This is not unreasonable.

It is easier to park when you haven't got idiots who can't reverse properly trying to back into spaces, especially the ones in huge black vans cars more suited to the the FBI. I always used to park well away from the school and walk.

If unreasonable parents continue to park there the school is quite justified in getting the council to paint yellow zig-zags and then inconsiderate parents like OP can be fined.

This is a perennial problem for most schools. I taught from 1970 - 2007. Initially many parents and children walked to school, quite a lot of Mums were not in paid work, so there wasn't the pressure of time in the mornings, and there weren't the safety concerns of children walking unaccompanied that there are now. By the time I retired the parking conditions were appalling and frequently dangerous for the children. A lot of parents were considerate and thoughtful, but there are always the selfish ones who will exercise their perceived right to park where they want to, regardless of inconvenience or risk to others. If the school has asked for a change in parking it will be on safety concerns. School can't enforce their request , only flag up an area of concern. If possible try to comply if you can, even if others ignore the message.