AIBU to think that if you can’t drive and park sensibly on the school run, you should be put in the stocks?

[53rdWay]

Okay maybe not put in the stocks. I’d settle for a little light tarring and feathering.

We live near school and walk there and back. I understand not everyone can do this for whatever reason, fine. (I am sure more can than do though.) But FFS I am so tired of the terrible driving we have to dodge on the way!

Every morning there are cars parked blocking pavements, cars in the bus bay holding up the bus drop-offs, cars pulled over on the yellow zig-zags, cars driving on and off pavements while children are walking, cars dashing in to the teachers’ car park to sneakily drop off there without indicating, cars zooming out of side-roads without looking. Then every afternoon it’s the same in reverse.

This all starts about half an hour before dropoff and pickup times as well because people arrive so early. I’ve had to bang on someone’s car window before to wake her up because she was blocking the entire pavement, on a one-pavement road, and had settled down for a nap. Recently there was a fire alarm twenty minutes before pickup, and the fire engine couldn’t get in because of all the people already parked there. Very stern email to all parents from the head about that and... it has made zero difference.

The school asking parents time and time again to be more considerate doesn’t work. The council won’t send out parking wardens so that won’t work. AIBU to think medieval public shaming might be the only way forward?

they want to get*

Happens outside DDs school all the time, the school is on a tiny little lane which actually has signs up before you turn down it which says "Residents and School Staff Only", the school make exceptions if your child can't walk so needs to be closer to school but otherwise you're not supposed to even turn down the road. The head has taken to standing at the bottom of the road to stop people turning into it unless they have a reason, there's always someone who tries to sneak past her though. The annoying thing is on the opposite side of the road to the tiny school lane is a huge 50 space carpark which school has access to for free with staggered drop offs there is more than enough space, the amount of people who refuse to use it is insane.

Yanbu.
It's a pity the cars on yellow lines and zig zags can't be clamped immediately.

Name and shame em. Newsletter with the persistent offenders. The driving I have seen round our very urban, cramped school makes my heart stop. Its utter chaos but in the main, there is enough public transport for quite a few families to use it ut they drive.
Next door drive their kids and 3 others from the street but 4 buses can be caught from the end of the street that go past the school . These are secondary school kids too which is totally unnecessary.
And when it rains?
Gridlock

Sexist bollocks.

Threads like this are always a good excuse to bash mums, with a big pile-on from non-parent trolls and self-loathing women with internalised misogyny. The odd parents do cause an issue with parking or the way they drive, but I have to say that locally the school run passes off pretty smoothly considering the number of cars in and out.

SUVs are not always the worst cars for either driving, fuel economy or impact on the environment and they come in all shapes and sizes. A lot of them are not unduly massive and are just good family cars.

Let me know when 3 year old similarly sized electric cars with the same performance and reliability as regular cars are available for £15k on a 4 year PCP deal, and I'm sure many people will bite the dealer's hand off for them.

The council sends out wardens here every day. Random schools picked and tickets issued

I'm honestly surprised that more councils don't do this - surely all those guaranteed fines would be an attraction for them?

The odd parents do cause an issue with parking or the way they drive, but I have to say that locally the school run passes off pretty smoothly considering the number of cars in and out.

Every single day people park on the zigzags or across the dropped kerb at our school. I don't know if it's mainly mums and dads (and the person who really pissed me off the other day by blocking the crossing was a bloke) but there are many school PARENTS in my village who are selfish arses.

We walk to school every single day. It’s 2.5 miles. I have a 7 and 5yr old. Recently moved to a new school. Our old school no one could park near it. It was a public car park 10 mins walk away. It was perfect. New school has a much smaller village. Yet the roads are atrocious!!!! I’ve been sat here since 2pm. For a space (occasionally I have to use a wheelchair and crutches). Even when I’m in my chair. We try to walk. However I am incredibly fit. Despite being so sick. If I can do it. Anyone can.

Our old school was 12 miles away. So we had to drive. My children adore the walk and we’ve got all the wet weather gear. So we walk in most circumstances. It literally is if I’m so sick I can barely move. Women right now. Car engine in. Lights on. Been there for 20 mins......why run the engine? Such a waste of petrol for one!

I feel so much for the people who live round here. It’s a nightmare. We have massive yellow zigzags. Which here do actually get ticketed and towed!!! Our achool is on top of it. However people still get here super early. Just to park close.

We get this around our area. The council regularly send out traffic wardens and it's blissful for the 10 days afterwards.

Ultimately, the only way to stop crap parking is to ban it. Give residents permits, set up a park and stride alternative and get more frequent inspections in.

I remember seeing a car drop-off arrangement on Big Little Lies and wondering if we could replicate that here.

I think it's exactly the same as bad driving or parking , or unnecessary driving, at any other time or for any other reason. I also think it's probably about as common.

I don't agree with the school run bring single out for criticism as though it's "lesser" than other journeys.

I do hate it when people drive really badly right up the the gates or park illegally outside the school. Some of the offenders are parents and some not.

I walk to school with my kids as much as possible but not judging those who drive per se.

We have a carpark but it is about 300metres away so parents won't park there. They also have to cut across grass so complain they get muddy (they could walk around but this is probably a 7 minute walk so obviously not an option 🙄).

Great news shearwater. What is your school’s secret? And do live across from a school so as to experience what people are posting about?

Yes, the comments that it is mummies is completely false and sexist. In my area, it is as much males as females. And both sexes are as abusive when asked to stop parking there.

In my case, the people on the roads (three roads, not just one) around the school entrances DO have an issue and have tried different methods to resolve it. So any suggestions from you would be very very welcome.

he odd parents do cause an issue with parking or the way they drive, but I have to say that locally the school run passes off pretty smoothly considering the number of cars in and out.

You obviously haven't been on roads near us at school pick up time. I've been sat in traffic for TWO HOURS, while parents (not just mums) have been parked on grass verges, laybys and pavements until the entire road was gridlocked. It was only cleared when the police arrived and made them move in an organized fashion. This is not untypical.

Our primary school is on the edge of a park, on the other side of that park is a really big public car park. The school ask anybody who needs to drive to park there and then walk the two minutes (max) across the park on a footpath to the school gates. There is always space in the car park at drop off and pick up time, and yet every day there traffic wars right outside the school, people parking where they shouldn’t, traffic coming to a halt because there isn’t space for cars going each way etc. So selfish.

DCs school had a new head teacher last year. Since her arrival there has been a massive improvement in the dodgy parking nearby. Yr 6 stood outside at collection times and handed out leaflets to badly parked people. It was brilliant. Someone got completely shamed by a group of them for parking over someone's drive and blocking pavement in one go.

btw, I used to walk to primary school. Unescorted, and crossing several main roads. It was 2 miles each way. The alternative was 2 buses, but walking meant I could save the bus fare. I don't understand why kids can't walk now.

I don't agree with the school run bring single out for criticism as though it's "lesser" than other journeys.

It isn’t ‘lesser’ than other journeys. But it is a journey being done at the same time as large numbers of children are walking along pavements, crossing roads, crossing the entrances to car parks and bus bays which should be off limits to parents, etc.

It’s not like this is news to the people picking up their own children, so why on Earth any of them think it’s fine to reverse rapidly onto a pavement because “I’m only dropping off” is beyond me.

I am really encouraged to hear that there are schools who’ve managed to make some headway in dealing with this.

It's the school buses that cause most problems round here. They turn up early, park (and double park) both sides of the road leaving barely enough room for 1 car to get through. Add this to the usual shitty parking by parents and it's a complete nightmare.

I agree OP.
GET OFF THE YELLOW ZIGZAG LINES annoying mum at my kid's school. Just because you have 4 kids (with no additional needs) doesn't mean you can park there. Plenty of other mums with 4 kids park further away and walk.

It's basically then sticking 2 fingers up and saying, "I don't care if your kids get run over, mine are fine and we don't even have to walk very far".

In the case of our school, as we pointed out to the parish council for years before they took action, the problem was that tons of commuters were parking all day in the village free car park (opposite the school) instead of paying at the station. Once they sorted the car park out the school run has been much smoother as people can usually find spaces for the short time they need to be there.

Funny that they never found that the private school - where parents drive much further to attend, and park in the waiting spaces at the train station, and where a child was killed tragically by a car - was a problem.

There is of course more traffic at school run time but it is bad for, what 15 minutes? Just avoid the area if you don't need to be there at that time. And the worst traffic is actually around 8am when loads of commuters are using the village as a cut through.

Our headteacher not only stands at the gate, but teachers also wait around surrounding roads. The school is at a T junction, on a road with those islands every few 100yrds where you give way, have priority, give way etc (with cars parked all the way along, so those with priority can't get by the cars parked on their side). The other road is a narrow avenue with cars parked either side of the street and no gaps for cars to pass. Chuck in a school coach who can't turn out of the avenue and can't pass the islands due to cars parked up to it and it's carnage.

A parent at our school lives in the closest possible house. Literally less than 100 yards from her front door to the classroom door. She still often drives.

Also blame central and local government policy. Instead of building new schools kids can walk to they make existing school into very large schools meaning people have further to go and there is more traffic.

Plus some people have to drive as outside Greater London there is often no public transport that will get you to school then work on time, as many parents are going straight off to work after dropping their kids off., and you certainly won't get there on time with shank's pony.

Also many people can't work locally as there are no (suitable) jobs, or can't afford to live near where they work.

Even if you have to drive there is still no need to be an arsehole.

You can still park legally and safely even if that means having to walk a bit further