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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parking for tutor

78 replies

ughseniorschool · 19/04/2019 10:49

Aibu? Need a sanity check. I have engaged a speciality tutor to work with my son for 3 sessions (not cheap ... >£200 for the 3 sessions). I have just received an email following on from 3 previous texts to discuss her parking arrangements. My husband and I don’t drive and do not have a car. Our street is residential in London and there are typically several spaces available during the day. She just emailed to tell me she is cancelling our session if I cannot provide a parking pass for her. She lives locally. Aibu to be annoyed or should I make parking provisions for her? It seems really diva-ish to me — but I don’t drive so maybe I am missing something?

OP posts:
Lovelydovey · 19/04/2019 11:23

Is it pay and display? I regularly get comments about not offering visitor permits but our council doesn’t offer them - residents permits or pay and display. I will make people aware of this though, have change if needed and would expect the cost of this to be factored into the hourly rate for the tutor.

nowahousewife · 19/04/2019 11:25

What sort of ‘parking pass’ does she want if it’s not a residents parking area? Never heard of such ch a pass and I live in a residents parking zone in London

Yabbers · 19/04/2019 11:26

Ditch her and find someone else. This is a ridiculous thing to do. What if you lived on a street with no parking?

wizzywig · 19/04/2019 11:26

Just pay for a taxi

endofthelinefinally · 19/04/2019 11:28

Does she think it is CPZ?
Maybe you are at cross purposes.

Betty777 · 19/04/2019 11:32

@ nowahousewife most of the streets I see in central London are mixed - often residents only on one side and paid parking on the other. or the street split between the two.

The only tend to do full residents only when there's no option.

I don't allow myself the luxury of driving my car to most places (except on Sundays) for this very reason

RedSkyLastNight · 19/04/2019 11:33

Well if it's not permit holder parking then you can't get her a permit. I think you have to tell her this and agree that if it proves difficult for her to park you will review your arrangement. If you 're sure there are generally plenty of spaces then there won't be a problem.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 19/04/2019 11:33

Personally I think if you're paying £200 for three sessions she should pay for her own parking costs (or come by public transport). Or find the closest road that doesn't have such restrictions. Would have thought those sort of extra but unseen costs should be built into her hourly rate TBQH.

catontherun · 19/04/2019 11:34

Perhaps you could take your ds to the tutor if you can't guarantee parking.

I think it's a non-driver lack of experience thing on your part. She is a tutor and time is money so wasted time spent looking for a space or only finding one 10 mins walk from your house is an expense to her in terms of lost working hours.

JenniferJareau · 19/04/2019 11:35

I'd find someone else. How she gets to your house and what is costs her are none of your concern. You agreed to the rates as she presented them. She should have factored in travel costs into her rates if she cannot afford things like parking passes.

Betty777 · 19/04/2019 11:38

I don't think it's fair to say it's a non-driver lack of experience. In Central London people don't generally assume they can drive and park with no hassle. Most people who have cars here are also well versed in public transport options. And Uber is cheap and readily available for emergencies
The only people who expect to be accomodated to some degree are tradesmen and moving guys, for obvious reasons

sonjadog · 19/04/2019 11:42

What sort of parking pass is she asking for, if there aren't parking restrictions on your street?

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 19/04/2019 11:43

My friend lives in a street like this and the resident's parking scheme was introduced. They had an app provided by the Council so we could use their code and pay for parking for the visit. Worth a shot?
I think your tutor has probably been delayed or caught out with this issue before and as you are already paying so much for her time, I'd want her to be able to pull up, park, and arrive unfrazzelled ready to fully focus on tutoring and not be worrying about how she could get to the next appointment on time or whether a warden is looking at her car. Also, its good that she is planning ahead and asking you what the situation is.. she wouldn't be a very good tutor if she didn't. It's a bit irksome as an unforeseen cost, but if you would do it for tradesmen and other visitors, I'd do it for her. Otherwise, having asked for your help in advance If she did get a ticket, she might charge you for it.

Durgasarrow · 19/04/2019 11:49

I agree that it is reasonable because time literally is money. If the tutor can't park, she can't get to the appointment, which I assume you want her to do if you are going to pay her for her services.

privatetutor123 · 19/04/2019 11:53

ughseniorschool Hi, private tutor here. Name changed as don't want my profession known on my regular account!

I always check for parking before I agree to tuition. The reason is that I often have very tight time constraints between each student. For example, I might teach one 1pm - 2pm, then another 2.30pm. If I am not able to guarantee parking then it would cut into my other tuition commitments. I would see if she does tuition from her home and you travel to her.

JessieMcJessie · 19/04/2019 11:57

If your street is not residents’ parking only then there is no such thing as a parking permit to give her. I think she has got confused. There is literally nothing you can do to guarantee a parking space for her.

Sounds like she thinks it’s residents only. Although if it were, NB that even with a permit you could not guarantee a space, just a permit that would stop her getting fined after she had parked.

JessieMcJessie · 19/04/2019 11:59

PS we live in London, in a street that is residents only, so i have direct experience of this. Can you say which borough OP?

sirfredfredgeorge · 19/04/2019 12:08

It's a cost of doing business (and for most things tutoring not at a special location requires no equipment) a bike, scooter or ebike will remove all parking problems and likely be quicker or at least more reliable time for any place where there's controlled parking.

So unless the tutor is so specialised that you can't get another, I'd accept the cancellation, too much hassle for the service being provided.

JessieMcJessie · 19/04/2019 12:11

But it’s not controlled parking!

ourkidmolly · 19/04/2019 12:11

She sounds like a dickhead to me. It's not a CPZ so wtf is she expecting? You and husband to lay out cones?

privatetutor123 · 19/04/2019 12:15

I could not bike ride or walk to my tutees homes. Removing the aspect of other tuition commitments that might clash through time constraints, I also have to transport:

  • Workbooks, which can often be very heavy at GCSE level!
  • Pencils, pens, paper, calculator etc.
  • Computer equipment if the student has SEN, such as dyslexia
  • Past exam papers

All of those things can be extremely heavy and there's no way I would consider any more than a 5 minute walk. Sorry OP but being annoyed and thinking the tutor should bike ride or walk is unreasonable! If there is no controlled parking then you should see if there are other arrangements that can be made. Either you can travel to her home, or if not possible, travel to a coffee shop or library. Both of which I have tutored from before.

JessieMcJessie · 19/04/2019 12:19

Even a permit for controlled parking in a residents’ only street doesn’t guarantee a space. This woman operates in London where it is rare to have a driveway or other private parking. She can’t genuinely limit her clients to only those who can guarantee a space?

eurochick · 19/04/2019 12:19

@privatetutor123 in these days of flexible working a lot of people take a similar amount of stuff to and from work every day on public transport. A sturdy rucksack or wheelie case is the answer.

Tilikum · 19/04/2019 12:20

JenniferJareau

I'd find someone else. How she gets to your house and what is costs her are none of your concern. You agreed to the rates as she presented them. She should have factored in travel costs into her rates if she cannot afford things like parking passes.

This ^

jay55 · 19/04/2019 12:20

It's normally straight forward, take proof of address to the library (or whatever in your area) and get a permit.

If you are really not in a residents parking zone let them know that you can't get them a permit as they don't need one.