to want to put big floyurescent notes on all the cars parked near the school on yellow lines

[Peachy]

There's a poor woman lying unconscious in the park across from here right now with paramedics neaxt to her awaiting transport to hospital

Why?

because the usual idiots park across the yellow lines and make it impossible to see the cars charginga round the one way system.

And as I waited to collect DS3 from his group, more people just pulle dup alongside in the same paces

Their is only a crossing patrol there in the mornings now as the lollipop lady resigned due to the risks, and nobosy would cover afternoons (which coincide with senior school kick out - mornings dont).

LAst year DS3 was alomost killed by some prick parking across the lines then reversing back without looking- I have no memory what happened, he must have been thrown out the way by me as I was hit on the hand that ahd been holding him before.

AIBU if every morning i put post it notes stating you are parked on yellow lines on the windscreen (not any disabled cars obv, but fwiw I dont think there are any on the school run atm).

I don't supopose I'd dare but ffs

There's a car park 3 minutes walk away that charges 30p and is always empty. These are no poor families around here. Many of them drive Mercs.

We had this problem years ago when one of the schoolchildren got knocked down outside the school and was killed. We drummed up loads of publicity by recruiting the local press and Tv. This worked and we now have a Lollipop lady, a 20 mile an hour zone and traffic calming. So go ahead and give it try!

Our local paper ran a campaign when they came and photographed all the cars - complete with numberplates and published them in the paper. Maybe you could write to your local paper?

You should go the the local authority get them to do trafic counts, speed checks and to blitz area with wardens at school run times. The road safety officer or Traffic mangt team are the place to start (and your councillor) - they are aware of traffic stats so should be on to this as a problem.

I was a LA transport planner and was involved with several school road safety projects in central london (in my former life).

In order to make the issue broader and more appeling to the school perhaps suggest a partnership along the lines of 'safe routes to school' a project that involves schools addressing some issues regarding how children get to school while council improves traffic management and road safety in local area. see www.saferoutestoschools.org.uk/index.php

Emsie thats right, you've got a fairly similat catchment haven't you, maybe even with crossover?

Taking down car registrations is a good idea, plus DS1 and DS2 are planning to start a nagging campaign at the Schools Coundcil (DS1 is in the leaders form, ds2 joined the council today) to see what they will do. I think Head will be a no-go as she is on the lead up to early retirement now, however I think her attitude hasn't helped (lets certain people get away with things not others iyswim- you can tell by the kids shoes, those who are favoured can wear red shoes and trainers; those not its strictly applied school shoes).

Thanks for all the ideas. About time I did something I think, making me and as I live right near the school Its probably more local for me to pursue.

Just hope the woman is alright really

btw - you are entirely right to be so livid - the kind of selfish behaviour you describe makes me see red - unfortunately people are prone to seeing the other drivers as being the problem - not them!! 'I am only parking for a couple of minutes - what harm can it do?'

ohhh, Peachy. I don't get mad easily, but this sort of thing incenses me. I'm afraid if this was in my village I'd be the local gobshite on the subject.

There really are some good ideas on this thread for tackling this, but if none of them work, hire yourself a very large piece of heavy plant, and drive right over the lot of 'em.

And their cars!

LOL Desiderata

Yes, lots of people who live here go to school there - mine go to the "minority language" school here, so we didn't have the dilemma of where to send them, but I know lots of people who want to move to your village to get their kids into the schools there...oh, and probably also cos it's a lovely place, with many nice pubs!

peachy, you could design a little flyer and copy it, put under the windscreen wipers. say on it that you have noted their registartion no. and that you will be logging any further breaches of parking regs, and passing them on to the authorities. might make them think, you never know.

Funny really, seeinga s I am seriosuly cionsidering sending ds3 to the 'proor' estate school up the hill! Went there and really loved the place! DS3 will be home edded though for the first 2 terms until we know whether he should be there, or one of the SN units in The City.

This drives me mad. You just DON'T park on the zig zags during school pick up/drop off.
I used to walk to drop dd off at the school pre-school, but since have started work and also drop ds off with the childminder, have to drive so can get my head down. BUT I leave early, park in proper spaces, because I know the drop off takes time.
Our school did something similar to Cod's - with the children doing their own signs. But there are still a fair few who seem to think it's alright so long as thy're sitting in the car with their engines running

And the thing that really gets me is that the school has a 350m catchment area (dd didn't get in as we live about 50m too far away). I don't understand why so many people drive. Like I said, 2 of the mornings when dd goes, I work, so I drive. But the rest of the time I walk, and enjoy it. It's quicker than driving sometimes because of parking....

I really think that the local police should do something about it. We have no problems with outside school, but problems in the car park next door. The police randomly turn up and people have stopped parking where they shouldn't (ie where people have to walk across the car park)

I used to take some children to school in a large town in quite a busy area. It was sometimes a nightmare to park. Registrations were noted by a teacher and people were named and shamed in the school's monthly newsletter. I'm sure it would make people think twice especially as there were so many private number plates we all knew who they were!