Parents (mostly mums) taking the mick dropping kids off to school (PARKING)

[Anotherragingmorning]

Another morning another battle trying to find parking outside school. With mums mainly huddled around in playground or standing outside their cars talking while other parents struggling to find parking spots.

My DC primary school on a road with one end busy road, other end parking restrictions. Opposite school houses with driveways that now (over summer hols) have had double yellow lines installed due to parents blocking driveways. School has opened up their car park to help out but only a few spaces available about 10 and road has about 15 so In total about 25 parking spots. Causing a huge lack of space now. Takes about 2-3 minutes to walk kids in and drop off. Yet cars are parked up for 10-15 minutes at times. I know it's parents because as soon as the bell goes all the cars disappear.

Since school started I am having to drive up and down several times before finding a slot. Lucky if someone pulls out just as I come in otherwise a constant battle.
Yes this is a 1st world problem but one none the less I am having to live through almost every day. Since school started 2+ weeks ago my 2DC have been late 4 times. This morning being 4th time, and been told by office next time they are it will be marked as late.

AIBU to think this is pure inconsideration for other parents needing to drop their kids off too? Do parents really think this is their slot for however long they choose to have it?

Can secondary child walk/bus/cycle to school? Then can get to primary school at 0830 (as you said at 0835 already to late to get a place). Even if parking places all taken, park further away and walk. Or better still... older child gets themselves to school and you walk with younger ones- it's only a mile.

Can your older dd not get a bus? Even drop her a bit early and there must be tuck/breakfast or just hang around form/playground. This happens all around the country. I have to set off 8.15 to go just three miles to dcs primary to get there for 8.45/9. And I park a little further away, driving past the queues for the tiny car park. Whats wrong with having to walk a few minutes in?

Older DD takes a taxi and you walk?

I feel your pain I have trouble parking and I work there. Some parents are even cheeky enough to park in the staff car park or park in the middle of the entrance so no one can get in. As there are so many children at our school I have to be in half an hour early to ensure a space. Some staff have their own children to drop off before school too. So they have a problem too as our car park is small only about 8 cars can get in so we sometimes double park. I can't park elsewhere because our streets are all two hour parking.
On the other hand some parents like to catch up or arrange play dates which is understandable. I just wish those that live two streets away would walk.
It is always a problem around schools. You should see where I live
the parents there are really dreadful. They park on the two junctions. On someone's driveway ( big house, long drive to gates) on the corner of the TJunction( I kid you not), on the village green which wreaks the grass. On the othe TJunction on both sides so that the Secondary bus can't not negotiate it on the way home so all the kids are late home/ sports. I saw one guy tell the bus driver that she needs to learn to drive and it was him blocking her turn! Arrogant! They park rigt out side my house and someone comes in quite fast mounts the pavement then reverses back. If I came out of my house at that time I would be a goner. As it is I am always worried they will hit our house or next doors. I have witnessed this more than once on my day off. Going to rant at them next time.
I suggest you park a couple of streets away if you can't go earlier. Walking will benefit children and be less stressful then driving around and around.

We live round the corner from DDs school and it is a nightmare every morning and even in the evening. It is an all-through school and even the upper school pupils are driven to and from school.
Parents park right up at the gates and double park. There is very poor visibility. Some parents volunteer as crossing helpers at peak times but at after school club there’s no support and parents double park to collect kids from sport. The number of times we’ve had to creep round cars to try and see if anything’s coming... parents don’t slow down or stop if they see us trying to cross the road. I don’t know what’s got into people these days.

What were you doing about parking before your DD moved to secondary school?

Write to the school. Suggest they try out a "drop off zone" as someone above mentioned. You can't be the only one having this issue.

If they won't be helpful the only option left open to you really is to drop your dd off earlier. Umbrella for the rain.

Like others have said, get your eldest to secondary earlier. Or just let her make her own way.

Sorry I didn't want to drip feed as I didn't want my original post to be so long winded.
I was just annoyed at the struggle of finding a parking spot taken up by inconsiderate parents who felt it was their personal right to hang about using up space needed by other parents. Not to advise me of leaving earlier which is not really doable. Or park elsewhere because if I really had that option I wouldn't be so annoyed and posting on here.
Just that surely the parking available outside schools Is for the purpose of picking up and dropping off kids and is to be shared responsibly and with consideration by parents NOT provided for a means of socialising. KEY POINT!!

So mums will park there in excess of 15-20 mins and meet up with their mummy friends and gas bag while other parents are struggling to get their kids into class on time. For me that's Cheeky F'ery and absolutely entitled selfishness on the whole. If I was standing outside my car door chatting to someone and saw another parent indicating on the opposite side obviously for my parking spot I definitely would not be ignoring them and carrying on with my conversation. Just common consideration.

I'm struggling to believe people acknowledge the yellow lines. I live near 2 schools and school drop is a parking nightmare, not only do they ignore the double yellows they park completely on the pavement forcing us peasants who walk onto the road...

So yes it's annoying but hey at least your kids aren't in danger of being hit by cars twice a day...

Just park a little further away and walk.

I live by a school and the dangerous parking by parents is appalling. A child will be killed here one day, mark my words.

This! Honestly it's shocking how entitled and lazy some parents are when dropping kids off at our school. The whole of the yellow school markings are covered in a row of cars with children having to get out of the car on the road side because of the railings while the lazy parent sits in the car with the window down chatting to somebody else who's standing in the road blocking the whole thing.

And then the ones who will just park straight across my drive. I don't mind the ones who pull up and say can he park here for a minute knowing that I also have to go and drop my dc off anyway. If they don't ask they get moved.

Sorry op bit of a rant on your post but it just maddens me. Agree with what others have said about just parking a little way away.

Where do you live if it's so dangerous for your DD to walk to Secondary? I live in London and my Y7 DS walks 1.8 miles to his new school. Yes there have been robberies and I am sure that there are men in vans but they have to be independent one day surely? Are you going to drive her throughout secondary?

Those fucking mums hey? Gas bagging with the mummies. Probably off to watch day time telly all day.

Bet the dads would be more efficient.

You are patronising and entitled OP. Park further away and walk.

I don't get this. Most secondary children, including girls, make their own way to school, walking in all weathers or getting public transport. Ok you don't want to do that. Lots of secondary children get to school as much as 30 minutes early because that's when their bus or train arrives or because that's a good time to be dropped. You don't want to do that either but you do think others should stop chatting so you don't have to do what you don't want to do ?

The problem is the school and council can hardly fund lollipop people now, let alone provide extra staff for drop off zones and these would cause queues/traffic problems also.

I also don’t understand why secondary school children get driven to school. When I was a teenager I’d have died of embarrassment. I liked being independent (and meeting my friends for a smoke on the cycle path.)

If you can make it to the primary for 8.35 and it takes a 2-3 min walk what's then issue there? Or have I misunderstood?

I'm struggling to believe people acknowledge the yellow lines. I live near 2 schools and school drop is a parking nightmare, not only do they ignore the double yellows they park completely on the pavement forcing us peasants who walk onto the road...

I wish I could walk kids to school. Use up so much petrol mostly waiting in traffic.
Yes some parents do park over the double yellow lines when they are getting desperate and the minutes are ticking away but these seem to be 2 adults in a car. Car sharing or couples. One stays behind the wheel in case the traffic warden pops up. Or they drive to the end of the road turn around and come back up.

YANBU

I think lots of people feel that if they have the legal right to do something that means they shouldn't worry about whether or not it's considerate or fair. Obviously they're legally entitled to do this but it's equally obvious that it's inconsiderate.

I'm afraid since people aren't likely to change you'll need to get there earlier (which just means someone else's children will be late instead of yours) or find a street just far enough away that most parents don't bother to park there.

I think YABU and YANBU

YA because of course legally they can park for however long they like, and its none of your business

YAN because it’s bad manners, If I saw other parents struggling to drop their kids off then I wouldn’t hang around – but not everyone has the same moral compass…

Can you not get there earlier? Or, park somewhere else? Do you HAVE to walk them into the school? I used to just get out of the car and walk to the gate myself.

YANBU imo. I often long to lean out the window and slap them shouting, "Get a fucking job or do something useful with yiur time!" I dont5 of course but I often think it.

And it actually kinda IS their personal right to stay there as long as they want as long as they aren't on the lines, blocking people in etc.

if I saw someone indicating to park where i was and it's clear I'm not even in the car I would suggest it is they who are of the cf kind. And PA too. And I'd move when I was ready to.

No-one needs to be late. Just park further away! (this is where we're told the school is actually on the M1).

calpop, not everyone works 9-5, I do nightshifts, am done and home for 7.20am.

Do you not think maybe the parents that stay for a bit do so to wait with their child and see them in, not as solely a social opportunity? My children are key stage 1 and I am certainly not in and out in a couple of minutes whether I chat to other parents or not. I wait until the doors open and they go in. Which sometimes is 10-20 minutes.

I have to drive to school, it's a village school with next to no parking. I have to park a fair way away and walk in. There are lazy parents yes who park on the yellow lines and block junctions/driveways. But that doesn't seem to be your issue.