A parking one!

[sanpelle]

I have business meetings in a building near a 10-18-ish age range dance school. There is only a staff car park so all parents park on double yellows and blocking the pavement for at least 20 mins waiting to pick up. It's on a main road smack bang in the middle of our town centre so very dangerous at peak traffic times as they park on a corner at a crossroads. Often several massive cars at a time. There is a ticketed car park literally across the road that costs no more than £1 for an hour. AIBU to think that said parents shouldn't get away with breaking parking laws that others would get fined for? My OH said maybe it's so that the children don't have to cross the main road but there are traffic lights with a crossing next to the dance school. Can you wait on double yellows to pick up children from school and nursery? No, so why are the parents of the children who do dance so special

Yanbu I hate the laziness today and people need to practically park at the door. I’m sure if you can’t afford the £1 (although assuming this is one dance class a week) then they could park outside town and walk a bit.
The primary school by me is horrendous yet there is able parking in the free car park across the road and around the streets. Most people have drives so no need to steal parking spots. However parents feel the need to park right next to the gate, which blocks the road. They then sit in their car until the children go in or stand and gossip long after the bell goes.

Inconsiderate lazy bellends. It winds me up.

I've been doing the school-run this week with 5 kids - we walk the 1.5miles - around the halfway we literally walk past someone as she gets into her massive SUV and then passes us through the access-only rat-run and parks on the zig-zags, and then on my way back have seen the same person pulling up as she returns.

It literally takes her as long to drive than it takes me to walk, deprives her child of the (admittedly small amount of) exercise, uses petrol, and violates two traffic laws in the process.

Pure bone-idleness.

Loading and unloading is allowed on double yellows. Its a legal grey area unfortunately.

I don't think "loading and unloading" includes people though.

@KeepitHidden - not so - double yellows indicate no waiting at any time. Single yellow indicated a parking restriction, but you may stop to load or unload.

If you are feeling suitably evil about it, quietly tip the local traffic warden off. They can come for a regular stroll past at the appropriate time of day.

@WillChellam - yes I know I'm replying to myself - now I'm not so sure - even the highway code is shrouded in uncertainty on this one. It may be that dropping passangers or picking them up is allowed, but waiting certainly isn't.

Either way, these parents are total tits.

There are few things more entitled and selfish than many school run parents.

I don't mind a 1 min drop off it's when they're parked there for 30 minutes at a time it starts to take the proverbial. They don't keep their lights on at night either which could be fatal as lots of people speed up that road. If they can do that then realistically the whole town should start parking on double yellows and refuse a ticket if the parents of the dance students don't get one. I break my bank having to pay for parking in town so this gets to me a bit more than it should

@WillChellam - single yellow is normally time restricted, double yellow not quite the same. It's not clear and years of court cases haven't been able to define what loading/unloading is actually defined as! So, all a bit opaque...