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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this was really rude? Kids left in car!

86 replies

Twistedpantsagain · 03/08/2017 18:01

So I popped to a friends earlier who lives on a busy road full of double yellow lines unless you have a drive just to add some perspective.
As I was leaving, a neighbour was welcoming her child back from a play date, all done at the doorstep may I add.
Must have been a one minute conversation at the most before the little girl then realised she had left her jacket so both mums and the girl head back down the slight hill towards the car.
A woman is standing beside the car ( not sure if on phone to police? ) but is circling around and looking in the window.
Mum had obviously decided not to get out the 3 other children she had with her in order to drop one child home which I wouldn't have given a second thought, they all looked at least 6 years old up to about 8/9.
However as the mum got in to drive off this woman gave her a massive mouthful, about parking on double yellow lines which are outside HER house, which I do understand but also said she is a neglectful mother " to top it off "
I guess from where she was stood as its downhill she may not have been able to see the mum but I would have thought she would have heard them as only 2 doors down.
Mum left crying after asking if she was ringing the police to be told " she would find out "
Just felt it was really OTT but as soon as I said it to hubby he said the kids shouldn't have been left so she was in the right! What do you think?

OP posts:

Shadow666 · 03/08/2017 18:06

Well, it is illegal to park on double yellow lines.

ChelleDawg2020 · 03/08/2017 18:11

Shouldn't have left the car on double-yellows, end of story. The woman was justified to be concerned and to verbally remonstrate with her - if a driver is willing to commit one offence (the parking), who knows what else they are capable of doing?

The fact that it's "a busy road" or that it is difficult to park legally is irrelevant - it's the driver's responsibility to find somewhere to park legally.

Floggingmolly · 03/08/2017 18:13

She was parked on double yellows. She won't do it again...

Crying, really?

Original poster

Twistedpantsagain · 03/08/2017 18:14

I didn't actually think maybe she was more concerned about the parking of the double yellow lines! But yes I suppose you're right! It's odd it is double yellow lines there to be fair though as half is and half isn't but not the point!

OP posts:

MoonShapedPool · 03/08/2017 18:14

Surely it's not safe to leave a car full of kids on a busy road parked illegally? As in - where other motorists are not expecting a car to be parked. I had a car written off by somebody smashing it off the road while it was parked legally at the kerbside on a quiet residential road. Just wouldn't risk it

PizzaPower · 03/08/2017 18:16

As other have said it is illegal to park on double yellow lines, however it sounds as if she was unloaded (which is certain circumstances is permitted).
"Loading and unloading is permitted on single and double yellow lines, provided you do not cause an obstruction and there is no loading ban"
And dropping somebody off is certainly classified as loading!

PantPlot · 03/08/2017 18:17

Well it wasn't the brightest idea in the world to leave three small children unattended in an illegally parked car on a busy road, was it?

But all the talk of crying, and police-threatening makes me think that the drama llamas were on a day out.

WonkoTheSane42 · 03/08/2017 18:18

if a driver is willing to commit one offence (the parking), who knows what else they are capable of doing?

God, yeah, she probably deliberately runs over hedgehogs and takes part in illegal street races with Vin Diesel.

Firesuit · 03/08/2017 18:20

it is illegal to park on double yellow lines

What is the definition of parking, as opposed to dropping off? I suppose if the driver leaves the car. Though I think I once worked out that picking up furniture from a repair shop I was technically within my rights to leave car on yellow line and go into the shop for a minute to fetch it. (Not 100% sure I was right about that...)

theymademejoin · 03/08/2017 18:20

Chelle - seriously? " if a driver is willing to commit one offence (the parking), who knows what else they are capable of doing?"

Parking for a minute or two on a double yellow is not always a prequel to mass murder! Nor is leaving kids age 6-9 for a couple of minutes while you are still close by indicative of bad parenting.

LetsSplashMummy · 03/08/2017 18:20

It's not the leaving them unattended though, which you imply with their ages, downhill, and the hassle of getting them out, it's leaving them in a dangerous place where other cars won't be expecting them. If you can't see 2 houses away because of the steepness of the hill, then it sounds a really stupid place to park.

Mumof56 · 03/08/2017 18:21

A Busy Road with double yellow lines is not the place to park a car full of children.

itstoolateforthisbollox · 03/08/2017 18:23

if a driver is willing to commit one offence (the parking), who knows what else they are capable of doing?

Yes, anyone that stops on double yellows for 2 mins is clearly a serial killer. Obvious, innit?

MissionItsPossible · 03/08/2017 18:27

God, some people should just mind their own business (re: snooping and looking in the car) but if your friend was parked on double yellows outside this woman's house then the woman deserved to be angry (not call her a neglectful mother though).

Floggingmolly · 03/08/2017 18:30

You do get about with your bollocks spreading, don't you bollox?
Rein it in, fgs. Serial killers...

AboutAGallonofDietCoke · 03/08/2017 18:31

Shouty neighbour was clearly in the wrong. Talk about OTT

And getting kids out of car and crossing busy road is probably way more dangerous than leaving them in tbh.

Lweji · 03/08/2017 18:32

I doubt it had been a 1 min conversation.
She had parked on double yellow lines, out of sight and having a chat...
The woman might have exaggerated but she wasn't in the wrong to be concerned.

Whether it was in front of her house or Buckingham Palace is irrelevant.

blackteasplease · 03/08/2017 18:33

Wouldn't have bothered me if I'd been passing tbh

BackforGood · 03/08/2017 18:35

Completely OTT.
No issue with stopping for 2 mins while you drop off or if you are loading something.
No issue with leaving dc of that age in the car while you give a message to someone in a house.
'Reporting woman' was being ridiculous, but then also completely OTT reaction by parking Mum. (Of course, we know this could have been the last straw for someone having a shitty day on the back of a shitty week, etc.,etc., but, just going on what is posted)

allegretto · 03/08/2017 18:37

Really OTT! What a cow.

God, yeah, she probably deliberately runs over hedgehogs and takes part in illegal street races with Vin Diesel.

Lweji · 03/08/2017 18:39

I think the key here is how long it was. Unreasonable if 2 min.
What if it was actually 10 and they didn't realise because they were chatting?

itstoolateforthisbollox · 03/08/2017 18:39

You do get about with your bollocks spreading, don't you bollox?

Did I have to set off an irony klaxon?

And bad form to trail between threads. Have you no manners at all?

Original poster

Twistedpantsagain · 03/08/2017 18:42

Sorry neither are my friends, I was leaving my friends home when saw this altercation.
It is on a hill so I'm not sure if neighbour would have seen the mum if she was standing right by the front door but it was a minute - if that as I was leaving when she knocked - this neighbour is the friend I was leavings direct next door neighbour if you see what I mean! They had a really brief chat of what she had eaten; then the kid remembered she forgot the coat and off they went back to the car and off I went to mine.
This is what I meant as there are no lines where I parked but double yellows where she was. I hadn't actually realised it when I turned up today but luckily there was a space right outside my friends house and I didn't park where I shouldn't have!
Mum who cried seemed a tad over emotional but maybe she had already had a stressful day but the screaming of the other lady would have probably reduced me to tears too! It was more the whole " you'll see " regarding the police that seemed really OTT to me

OP posts:

Shadow666 · 03/08/2017 18:47

But you don't know the full story, maybe the shouty lady had her reasons for being upset too. The double yellows must be there for a reason. We used to live in a village with a blind bend. Every week it seemed like there was another accident there including one that almost killed my neighbor. It's upsetting. Maybe there had been a bad accident there before.

Original poster

Twistedpantsagain · 03/08/2017 18:53

True, although not a blind bend as about half way up the road.
I guess half of me thought it was so OTT as I actually can't make out why there are double yellow lines there but she was wrong to stop there of course

OP posts:

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