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?

@mummyhaschangedhername

Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately it's quite a rural area side of the town we live In and most of her friends from primary have gone to another secondary school which she couldn't attend, A) I would not be able to drop her to that school distance wise. B) the secondary school she is at is within our catchment. A bus ride would entail her having to catch a bus to the main town centre and then catching another bus that drops off one road behind the secondary school. So. 4 mile round journey approx. Taxi charges extra in our area before 9am and again not affordable.

This issue cannot be seen as parking in a car park, as no one is charged for the parking, if someone is paying for parking In a car park then quite rightly they paying for the privilege of parking there. No matter how long it is for.

Breakfast club is not affordable (@£7 a day) and secondary school does not have one plus not something that serves my purpose as I work from home most days. I don't earn much but it's flexible hours and gives me time to care for my elderly parents who still live in their flat.

The issue isn't me feeling I have more right to park there over others. I think many people are missing the point here. It's about the parking being available for everyone equally for the one and only purpose, for dropping and picking kids up from the school and some people abusing that.

I'm not in any way entailing that I have more right over them in the same context I am saying they have no more right then I or other parents do. Quite frankly the parking is for the convenience and the safety of the children, their parents have a place they can use to drop their children off safely. so really once their kids are safely inside the school those spaces are being held up whilst there are children still needing to be dropped off.

Many many parents are going through this issue at my kids school not just me. There is a petrol station at the bottom of the road to pull in/out of and a mini roundabout at the other end that I and many other parents use to keep driving up and down until someone pulls out. Which is usually the case. However it would help so much more if those parents hanging around after the purpose of their parking there has been fulfilled and they would have the common courtesy to free up the space.

Park further away and walk your kids in. Better for them, better for traffic fumes around the school. I would like to see parking exclusion zones around all schools, say at leat 200m . Would spread out the parking problems for residents , make roads outside schools safer for pedestrians ,make kids walk a bit instead of sitting.

Obviously concessions for parents/kids with mobility issues, but by and large would be a good idea.

The single parents thing is irrelevant, I wasn't a single parent but I was the only one that could do drop off and pick ups.

I don't believe for one second that you cant walk from further away. Resident Park or restrictions do eventually filter out. I also don't believe you cant drop a 12 year old off at High School earlier. Most High schools, unless private, have over 1000 pupils. You DD will not be the first one there.

It just seems that the OP is calling everyone else, entitled and selfish because there isn't a space available for her to just slot into at the time that suits.

I would imagine that chatting in the car park mums are waiting for the doors to open so they can see their children into school. They either got up earlier, dropped their teenage children off earlier or parked and walked.

I can't understand someone sending a child to a secondary school without a plan for them to get there independently, at least at some point, if not on day one (notwithstanding any SN). We are in a rural area, and I'd been looking at travel routes to school for at least two years before DD1 was in Y7 and could tell you how to get to five different high schools at least off the top of my head.

But op the bottom line is they can park there as long as they like, and if they are having a chat then the purpose for parking that day is to drop kids off and a quick gossip with a mate.

The school could well step in but if anything it would only change for a few days and then go back to normal and rinse repeat. So you'll have to find another longer term solution.

I have even asked if there could be a drop off point where children could be escorted inside their building. Before we moved here 3 years ago. (To live closer to my parents). My elder 2 DC went to primary school back then that had a designated drop off zone where teacher would be standing with a group of year 6 children who would each safely escort younger children the short distance in full view of the teacher of course into the school.
I walked my DC to school with younger one in her buggy then though, but it was something I remembered and I suggested something like that too but was told they have no place this could be done safely unfortunately.

It just seems that the OP is calling everyone else, entitled and selfish because there isn't a space available for her to just slot into at the time that suits.
This^^

It's about the parking being available for everyone equally for the one and only purpose, for dropping and picking kids up from the school and some people abusing that.

But it's not! The spaces the school have opened up in the car park, yes. The spaces outside on the road are not for one and only purpose and anyone can use them however they like!

*TwinMummy1510
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Does a school have a legal right to FORCE you to move? Well, obviously not. But you've got to be a bit of a dick to not respond to a bit of a gentle reminder to be considerate. I can't think of many parents who'd dig their heels in and refuse to budge

This ^^
Thank you. Helps me not feel like the 'OOHHH HOW DARE SHE SAY THIS!!'

I think this is one of the time people just like to have a go at OP. The school provided parking is clearly not provided for people to stop and have a chat. If people are driving around looking for parking spots it's clearly selfish to take one up for longer than you need to. There will be other people besides OP who don't have a lot of time in the morning and have to drive on to work.

The school should probably have a 10 minute policy in the car park drop your kids and leave. Or they should have the car park only for parents of younger kids. The older ones being dropped off at a drop off point then making their own way to classes (obviously with the exception of SN).

Surely if every parent has to personally hand over their child on the dot of 8:40 then they can't rush off anyway.. if you are there before 8:40 then there would be the same issue of parking anyway. I think you should double check drop off arrangements with school - if a child of 9 was living a few doors away I find hard to believe that they would insist a parent has to walk them in...

Ah the school run frustrations.

Is there a library nearer your daughters secondary school that’s open and you could drop her to in the morning a little bit earlier so she can browse/read for a bit before school? Or even a coffee shop if you give her a couple of quid each morning to sit and have a cup of tea before school starts? Could you make use of the breakfast club the primary school may offer? I agree it’s frustrsting. I have a disability so walking to school isn’t an option and it’s fine in the morning as my son is old enough for a drop and run but the afternoons are a nightmare

Have you asked the school about having a walking bus , would that help ?

Yes, schools absolutely can and they do this. Regularly. No, they're not enforcing a legal right but they're out there encouraging parents to be considerate of each other
As I said, they can’t impose rules on a public road. Schools generally only get involved if there is a safety issue with parking / drop off. They won’t get involved because the OP doesn’t want her oldest child to walk anywhere and refuses to drop her at high school earlier.

As long as they are legally parked they could stay all day if they wanted too. Yabu.

What pissed me off is the parents that park like twats/block the bus route/park on the grass verges and block the residents drives.

Our school don’t axtually have any parking the parents use onroad parking that was actually provided for a different building. You see them sat in their cars for upto 40minutes before the gates open ignoring the signs that have restrictions in place purely at School drop off and pick up times.

@YeTalkShiteHen
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But as evidenced on this thread they get very defensive and aggressive when it’s pointed out to them. Me, me me. Seems to be the popular attitude now eh?

Rather than parents not taking up one of a few parking spaces at drop off time for 10-15 minutes you must change your entire routine and juggle things round them* *

Utterly ridiculous.

We park further away and walk the last bit to make sure we’re a) not late b) not inconveniencing other parents doing drop off and c) not being such a selfish arsehole as to put children at risk.

But hey, it’s their “right” you know, and precious people get awfully wound up if you suggest otherwise.*

I have a similar problem, so I park one road away from the school entrance and walk about 2 mins. This particular road can still get a bit congested, but it's nowhere near as bad as the entrance.
There is a person who lives on the road I park on and she drives her child to the main entrance. I feel like asking if I could park in her drive every morning then. Haha can't believe someone lives 2 min walk away and still drives.
Brand new Merc mum, you know who you are...

We mainly walked and now at secondary DDs walk over 2 miles..

Op you are complaining about their me me me attitude but you are also being me me me! You want to drive eldest to school and youngest to school without any compromise in terms of money, inconveniencing your DD and so on...

Those parking and chatting don't want to give up their social time either.

As a busy frazzled Mum myself, I do feel your pain....but I do also think YABU.

People can park for as long as they want if it is legal and safe to do so. I work, so I only drop off twice a week, and I really value the time on those two mornings I have to chat with other Mums after the kids have gone in.

I think there have been some really good suggestions.....either move your whole morning 10 or 15 minutes earlier and drop your older DC off at 8.15 or 8.20 (she'll be safe from men in vans once she's at school), or if there's a breakfast club, drop your younger ones off and then on to secondary.

Or you could spend the time you are using driving around looking for spaces, or waiting with hazards on to park a bit further away and walk?

I get it, I really do, as I'm not super organised in the morning, but I can't expect other people to make adjustments to their behaviour to account for my own personal chaos. You'll just have to get your act together.

I live opposite a school. People parking across my drive make me so mad and I have always said I would rather people actually pull on to my drive and use it to park rather than blocking it, so I can quite understand why the new yellow lines have appeared.

Could borrowing a driveway be an option for you OP? Do you know anyone who lives opposite the school who wouldn't mind you using their driveway for a few minutes a day? You could even pay them a small amount.

Perhaps you could slip a note through a few doors asking. I know I wouldn't mind a bit if someone asked nicely and explained the situation.

OP can you please answer the question you have been avoiding - Is the on-street parking a designated drop off zone or is it unrestricted parking?

You have repeatedly stated that it is for the sole purpose of dropping kids into school but have then also said it is unrestricted and people have a right to stay as long as they want. (but you believe that morally they are wrong for doing so.)

They can’t both be true.

When PPs (myself included) have pointed out to you that it is NOT for the sole purpose of school drop off you have ignored those comments.

Actually OP I get it. Why would people linger around chatting while they are well aware others are waiting for a space to do the same thing they needed to do? They can get there earlier that you, they should leave earlier an gab somewhere else. I don't believe most of the people on her saying yabu wouldn't be pissed off in your situation. Unfortunately selfish people will always be selfish. I'm sure the school and the residents around the school don't appreciate people standing around chattingtaking up all the spaces on the street.

So is the point of this thread that everyone at both schools is supposed to leave a parking space for the Op and her children to save her time and driving up and down to look for the closest possible space, because that what would appear to be the only acceptable solution to the OP.

I think there are parking issues at most schools across the country. I live close to mine but drive as I'm on the way to work, we park easily on the other side of the main road the school is off and walk from there, only takes an extra few mins.
If as you say you literally cannot possible park anywhere else, then your ONLY other option is to let your 12 year old be the 12 year old she is. My secondary school was about 7 miles away and I had to get 2 buses there all on my own.

Solution 1; daughter walks herself to school, you arrive at primary super early and nab a spot.

Solution 2; you drop daughter off much earlier and she waits outside the school where I'm sure she will be perfectly fine, and give her a brolly if its raining.

Solution 3; continue what you are currently doing but stop expecting others to change their school run because they inconvenience you.