Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School Parking - Is this fair?

148 replies

Powerless · 08/10/2018 16:17

Just a quick one!

My 3yr old DD goes to a Pre-School within the grounds of an Infant & Primary School. I am disabled and have been told it's ok to use the Disabled Bay to park when picking DD up. Great!

She finishes at 3:20pm

Problem is, they close the gates at 3pm until 3:40pm, during which a coach reverses in (which they open the gates for, obvs) and this unfortunately, blocks us in!

The blocking in until 3:40 I'm not overly worried about. Plenty of play equipment for madam and it's no big deal. But having to be there by 2:55-ish before gates closed, then sit for 25 mins in my car before Nursery finishes is really getting to me.

Yes it's only 25 mins and yes there are worse problems in the world. However she's there 4 days a week so it's 1 hour & 40 minutes per week of wasted time. It also means that from setting off to getting home, it's an hour. Just for pick up. When we live less than a mile away.

I had a word with Reception today and the lady just told me it was tough luck! That if I want to use Disabled parking then that's what has to happen!

Do I complain further? Or just suck it up?

Please be nice, I'm not insisting on special treatment, I'm not insisting I'm right, I'm just asking your opinion on it....? Thanks

OP posts:
AvoidingDM · 10/10/2018 00:04

However I don’t think parking in front of the gate after the bus has entered is a good idea. Gates need to be left clear for emergency vehicles.

It's not like the Op would be leaving the car unattended. If emergency vehicle needs in whoever opens the gates for the anticipated emergency vehicles arrival can ask Op to move.

AvoidingDM · 10/10/2018 00:07

Op I think I'd have a word with the school head and see if they have a bit more brain power than the office staff to come up with a better solution. Current answer isn't really working esp come winter when you'll be cold and tempted to idle to heat the car up.

Idling isn't good for environment etc etc

victoriaspongecake · 10/10/2018 00:29

Realistically you need a second option for parking anyway as what if another blue badge holder was prked in that blue badge space?

BoomBoomsCousin · 10/10/2018 05:00

It's not like the Op would be leaving the car unattended. If emergency vehicle needs in whoever opens the gates for the anticipated emergency vehicles arrival can ask Op to move.

She will need to leave the vehicle in order to collect her DC. The school doesn't bring DC out to her.

FortniteIsTheNewCrack · 10/10/2018 07:50

This thread is just an example of the challenges people with disabilities face, and unfortunately for some of them there just isn't a solution and it just makes our lives a little more shit and difficult. Stuff I didn't even think about before I became disabled! It just makes life really tiring.

If there isn't a staff member free (and with school budgets there may not be) to bring DC to the car, the safety of the DC in the school around cars, will be paramount. As it should be, to be fair, despite it being a big hindrance to OP.

Sometimes there just isn't an easy solution. I visited a listed building recently, there was a part I couldn't access and it would have been physically impossible for them to install a ramp/lift. It sucked as I really really wanted to get up there but this is the reality of life.

The only thing that makes it easier, IMO, is the understanding and empathy (not pity) of other people. In my case, the staff were lovely and sympathised with how frustrating it was, they offered to look after my bag/wheelchair if I could get up there on sticks.

In your case OP, would there be a kind parent who could bring your DC out with theirs and meet you at your car if they park near, or walk home past your car on the road?

hallygore · 10/10/2018 09:48

I would speak to the head teacher or even get the class teacher to speak to them on your behalf. Secretaries aren't the best at seeing things from parents points of view.

FruitofAutumn · 10/10/2018 14:30

The school have made areasonable adjustment to accommodate your disability by allowing you to park close tho the school
The school closes the gates to minimise vehicle movements whilst the children are turning out of school.This is for the safety of the children.Compromising the safety of departin children is not a reasonabke adjustment

Are you really too selfish and entitled to think your minor inconvenience trumps the safety of all the children?

Thatstheendofmytether · 10/10/2018 14:35

I go up to school about 20 mins early when driving because I won't get a space otherwise. Most of the time I have other kids with me so spend that time entertain them or we get out to play in the playground if it's not raining. On the odd day I'm alone I sit on mumsnet, i sometimes take a coffee or I read the paper. It's great! I know it's probably a right pain when you are trapped in right enough.

Original poster
Powerless · 10/10/2018 16:23

@FruitofAutumn WHEN / WHERE have I said my inconvenience trumps safety of children?!?!?!

PLEASE read what I have said - properly HmmHmmHmm

OP posts:
FortniteIsTheNewCrack · 10/10/2018 16:32

FruitofAutumn, did you really need to be so fucking rude? Hmm

FizzyKnickers · 10/10/2018 16:38

I would not be ok with this. I had 2 school runs to do 3 miles apart at 3pm and 3:10pm. 3pm child has a blue badge. I’d have been late every day in this situ, I would complain. It’s ridiculous!

Thatstheendofmytether · 10/10/2018 16:41

To all the people saying go and ask again or speak to the head, what solution is it you think they will come up with? There really isn't going to be much they can do about it. The gates are closed for a reason. I doubt they will change this for one person.

FruitofAutumn · 10/10/2018 17:00

FruitofAutumn, did you really need to be so fucking rude?

oh the irony!!

FruitofAutumn · 10/10/2018 17:05

WHEN / WHERE have I said my inconvenience trumps safety of children?!?!?!

So why did YOU think they locked the gates at coming-out time?

ProfessorMoody · 10/10/2018 17:10

Are you really too selfish and entitled to think your minor inconvenience trumps the safety of all the children

What the actual fuck???

Shes disabled not entitled.

As a wheelchair using teacher, the school absolutely ARE NOT making reasonable adjustments and by law, have to.

OP, please don't listen to the ableist comments on here. I do some work with disability charities and am happy to contact the school on your behalf if you'd like.

Original poster
Powerless · 10/10/2018 17:34

@FruitofAutumn I know very well WHY they lock the sodding gates 🙄 How dare you speak to me like that? Go troll elsewhere pls

OP posts:
Redglitter · 10/10/2018 17:49

Are you really too selfish and entitled to think your minor inconvenience trumps the safety of all the children

She doesn't actually further back in the thread the OP had actually agreed her 25 mins 'enforced downtime' in the car wasn't a bad idea. At no.point has the OP thought she had more rights than the children

Finfintytint · 10/10/2018 18:05

Fruit of autumn, I used to know someone like you and they were a cunt.

ProfessorMoody · 10/10/2018 18:15

Fucking brilliant Grin

GloomyMonday · 10/10/2018 18:35

"As a wheelchair using teacher, the school absolutely ARE NOT making reasonable adjustments and by law, have to."

I am genuinely interested in this. Our school has a tiny car park, space for four cars. We don't allow parents to park on it at all 9-4. There are no exceptions and we have been asked and challenged several times.

Our understanding, from the LEA and others, was that there was no legal entitlement to parking even for disabled parents, that the school is not responsible for the journey to school, that it is not discrimination because parking is not available for any parent so is not a service we provide (obviously different for staff).

Some pp on here sound so knowledgeable and confident that I'm doubting this now. Does anyone have a link to confirm that schools must legally offer daily drop off parking to disabled parents? Or maybe the pp who works for a charity working in the field could link to something?

ProfessorMoody · 10/10/2018 18:51

The school don't have to provide parking if there isn't available parking for the other parents. What they do have to do is make reasonable adjustments so that the children of disabled parents can attend school.

So if a disabled person can't park close enough to the school, the school need to make adjustments in that they could provide a disabled parking space (but they don't have to), they could allocate a member of staff to bring the child out to the car, they could allow the parent to collect the child 15 minutes later than pick up time to make sure there was room to park closer, or some schools/LAs provide a taxi service for the child, so the parent doesn't have to collect at all.

GloomyMonday · 10/10/2018 20:17

Do you have a link moody id like to be able to take something into school if we're doing it wrong?

MrsOprah · 10/10/2018 21:43

I would collect her early and leave before getting blocked in

chocolateworshipper · 10/10/2018 22:02

Gloomy Public authorities (which includes schools) have more duties under the Equality Act than private organisations. Public authorities must comply with the "public sector equality duty" which is a statutory code of practice (i.e. protected in law). This is in addition to their duty not to discriminate. This link may help www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/servicescode_0.pdf

By the way - what your school needs to do in the way of reasonable adjustments may be completely different from the OP's school. One of the main principles is the need to ensure that people with disabilities have a service which is as close as possible to the service that people without disabilities have. So, if collecting children from your school is a logistical nightmare for EVERYONE, including the able-bodied, you can probably argue that you don't need to provide much else for people with disabilities (I'm not suggesting it is the case at your school - just trying to illustrate the point).

angelikacpickles · 10/10/2018 22:06

Can't whoever opens the gate for the coach open it for you too?

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.