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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parking Wars AIBU to expect school to help do something!

211 replies

Parkingwarsaga · 08/12/2017 18:10

OK have name changed as very outing.

We live a few doors down from a primary school. The school has a carpark at the church next door possibly 30 foot from school. We are in the other direction.

Our flats have a car park. It can not be closed off with bollards as the end property and a property across the back road are business and have spaces there.
Spaces are included in our rent.

We however have signs up informing people it is a private car park and each space is numbered to a flat. Some spaces are up to peoples front windows.

We have contacted the school endless times and they have asked parents not to park there and to park on the church but they continue to park there filling every space.

We had had residents with babies, small children and disabled residents who haven't been able to park in the spaces included in their rent, people coming home from work who can't park in their spaces. A registered disabled relative of a resident who can't walk far and had to park the other end of a long road.

We have faced abuse numerous times when politely informing people its a private space. Former residents in the past have been told they can park where they 'fucking well want'

One neighbour got annoyed and blocked someone in who was parked right up to his front window and was told he better move now or else cause the woman had a baby. The same women who had blocked another actual resident from coming home with her newborn previously.

Parents drive in to the car park at speed. I've been beeped at for not moving quick enough across the car park so parents who shouldn't be there can park. I've put my bins in my space so my disabled father can park when he comes that morning and they've been moved.

You might think it's only a few minutes but some people come half an hour early and wait or stay half an hour later and chat playing loud music or with their kids running screaming and shouting disturbing shift workers. It's every morning at breakfast club then school time, after school, after school clubs, every book club, every after school play or nativity or music lesson. it's infuriating and I'm sure half the people who do it would go bonkers if people parked up to their front window blasting music.

We have spoke endlessly to the landlord and the school. The landlord has told us that if we want it sorted we have to pay hundreds of pounds for an automated barrier with passes for all including the businesses one of which is currently empty and I currently don't have the money to do this.

School have basically said oh deary me we can send a letter home but nothing else we can do. (they have parked on peoples gardens and hedges before now!)

Surely rather than cause hassle with neighbours a couple of mornings of some member of staff walking the few feet to our carpark at the main time for ten minutes a couple of times would put a stop to it.

Their tag line is all about giving to, being part of and being an asset to the community which is a joke.

OP posts:
Lweji · 09/12/2017 10:20

But what if no one moves?

Say one car is on fire or has been damaged by a truck?
That would be fun.

justalittlelemondrizzle · 09/12/2017 10:24

I'd take great pleasure in blocking in any car in my space by parking behind them on returning home and finding them there. Imagine, in a block of flats it would take them ages to find me and even when they do, I'd take my sweet time before releasing them. Not before giving them a piece of my mind!

StealthPolarBear · 09/12/2017 10:27

What's the usual advice when someone comes home to find a car on their drive?

FrancisCrawford · 09/12/2017 10:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bonfireheart · 09/12/2017 11:45

Honestly the local papers will have zero interest unless there's police involved or people are brawling in the street!

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 09/12/2017 12:56

Penners GrinGrinGrin

crazycatgal · 09/12/2017 13:18

Buy that cheap bollard that a PP linked upthread.

Boysnme · 09/12/2017 14:02

I’d let them park there over the nativity then block them in and turn off your buzzer.

grannytomine · 09/12/2017 21:08

there is no point getting wound up about it, the only person that is damaging is you Not always true, my elderly neighbour was dying and ambulance couldn't get through.

QueenDaisy · 10/12/2017 00:08

This may have already been suggested, block them in & when asked to move, say you can’t as you’ve had an alcoholic drink (this will only work if you don’t have to go out in your car again that day) & don’t move your car, if they’ve any sense they’ll not park in your space again.

KeepServingTheDrinks · 10/12/2017 00:31

3 cars that parked in my sisters allocated parking place burst into flames. So strange.

I'd LOVE to hear more details on that one!

There was this amazing lady on here once on a thread like this. She called out some woman for parking on her actual drive. The woman told her to feck off and that she'd "only be 10 minutes" (everyone says this, but it's way closer to 30 twice a day)

Anyway, by the time the woman came back with her DC, the poster had jacked her car up and put bricks under it, so when the woman tried to drive off, her wheels weren't on the ground and she couldn't go anywhere. The woman had to jack her car up and take the bricks out (breaking all her nails in the process). I believe she never parked there again.

I wish I'd saved that post as my wallpaper. No clue as to the posters name or anything, but I think she's awesome!

WishingOnABar · 10/12/2017 00:37

I once saw a video of a car being covered in post-it notes for parking like a twat, although it would take some patience on your part op.
Personally I would put on some rubber gloves and smear some dog shit under the drivers’ door handles when no-one was looking, but I’m petty like that

Andrewofgg · 10/12/2017 00:39

I once had a regular drive blocker with a note in the window “back in five” and if the car happened to be off the drive she would even park on it.

So one morning I moved the car off the drive and sat across the road waiting for her to move on; then I blocked her in and left a pre-written note in the window saying where I lived and that car such-and-such was on my drive and I would back “soon”.

Then I walked to the High Street and had a leisurely coffee.

When I got back nearly an hour later she was beside herself about being late for work. She never did it again.

notapizzaeater · 10/12/2017 00:54

Our HT publishes the Reg of the bad Parker’s, they just ignore and carry on.

Original poster
Parkingwarsaga · 10/12/2017 01:52

Thanks I am looking at all these bollard links.
Just to answer questions the landlord has been down to the school.
The neighbours have blocked people in on several occasions and faced a lot of abuse and you better move now or else threats.

I'm always waiting for our windows put in as immediate neighbour kicks off at them and it's not clear where our flat starts and his ends and they've already threatened him!

OP posts:
tempuser123 · 10/12/2017 08:11

I'm always waiting for our windows put in as immediate neighbour kicks off at them and it's not clear where our flat starts and his ends and they've already threatened him!

That is the problem with all these solutions that involve vandalising or blocking cars. You live there and can easily be the target of some sort of revenge attack.

Physically stopping the cars parking there is the only solution that will really work.

Figgygal · 10/12/2017 08:17

We have the police involved as it's so bad near our school both streets where you can park are complaining about dangerous driving and inconsiderate parking we have 2 pub car parks within a minutes walk they've both banned parking now due to their deliveries being blocked and someone crashing into a fence this week. One car park has staff in the car park at 3pm to stop people. This week a teachers car was hit in the staff car park at the end of the nativity.

It's utterly ridiculous!!

ivykaty44 · 10/12/2017 09:15

Andrewfogg 😂😂 wicked

Was the person apologetic?

Andrewofgg · 10/12/2017 09:57

No, she was angry, and the more I laughed the angrier she got!

ivykaty44 · 10/12/2017 10:45

I do wonder what goes through people’s heads - that behave like this- why do they think people won’t get their own back, their self entitlement knows no bounds 😂

TeddyBee · 10/12/2017 10:45

Our school posts the reg numbers of repeated offenders in the school newsletter. I really feel for you op, it must be awful.

FrancisCrawford · 10/12/2017 11:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Parkingwarsaga · 10/12/2017 11:53

'there is no point getting wound up about it, the only person that is damaging is you'

Or my disabled father who ended up in pain because he walked three streets with his walking stick because some selfish twunt thinks they deserve the place more?

OP posts:
user1471447863 · 10/12/2017 11:57

Part of the problem is that when schools are designed they fail to take into account the reality of drop off/pick up - like it or not it will be done by car. You can have all the lovely ideas about walking/cycling/flying unicorns or whatever but the reality is parents will drop off by car on the way to work etc so a workable drop/pickup system needs to be planned for or it becomes a problem.
Mums (generally) don't give up work and stay at home and walk the kids to school anymore so there is no point pretending it is still the 1970's

thetemptationofchocolate · 10/12/2017 12:45

User I agree, but then most schools (the ones round here anyway) were built back in the 60s (or further back than that) when walking to school was the norm. I doubt anyone back then would have even considered parking for parents. And now the surrounding area has been built on with more housing there is nowhere to put a car park or even a drop-off area. I'm not sure what the solution should be tbh.

I work in a school, and there is another school opposite. Hometime is awful, and I have seen the road completely gridlocked more than once. Even when police come to monitor it they get abused by parents. Schools can do their best, as can the police but the only people who can really change this is the parents themselves.