They are shutting the road to the school

[CheckMate2]

My DC school has just announced that the road to the school will be shut at drop off and pick up times to make it safer for social distancing.

This is a huge problem for me as I have 3 to drop off at different schools, they are asking us to park far away and walk.

I think it's down to the residents complaining about the parking but to close it completely seems so ott for the working parents and the parents who have to drive.

What do you think?

@MissMarplesGlove

the parents who have to drive

No-one HAS to drive a car. We have legs.

I also have a 6 mile drive to school, down 60 mph unlit windy roads with no pavements. And 3 small children.. nearest bus stop 3 miles away down said road and 1 or 2 buses a day - not sure 'we have legs' is a good argument ? Do people have NO idea about the countryside ??? But I do park in a car park in town and walk to school from there..

I also think that this kind of traffic reduction scheme is often vociferously opposed when introduced, but becomes popular once people realise how much nicer it is to have peace, quiet, safety and clean air.

@SnackSizeRaisin

Won't residents now affected complain as it only moves the problem to different streets?

The idea is that people just walk or cycle the whole distance, as the vast majority live within a 10-15 minute walk. Plus it becomes far safer and more pleasant to walk or cycle as let's face it, school run traffic is about the most dangerous and considerate to be found anywhere. Therefore there are fewer people parking than before. Plus it's likely to be more spread out than before.

It's inconvenient for some, like the op, but I think we really need to move away from the idea that travelling by private car is essential, and our lives need to change to allow for the extra time taken for this kind of thing. The pollution outside schools is bad for children and it's not healthy for them to be driven everywhere. That should take precedence over convenience for a minority of parents.

The problem parker I know of lives two doors down from me.

I live 5 minutes walk from the school and don't have to cross any roads to get there.

She's 'on the large side'. Nice lady. But genuinely lazy as fuck. (And yes I know her well enough to know its not a health issue).

@MissMarplesGlove

No-one HAS to drive a car. We have legs.

What?? You do realise that not everyone CAN walk to a school...surely you realise that or are you purposely being obtuse??!!

I would imagine they are fed up having to police irresponsible parents

I don't know why parents want to drop kids where it is dangerous, they need to give their heads a wobble.
We always walked.

@MissMarplesGlove

the parents who have to drive

No-one HAS to drive a car. We have legs.

I think the 9 yr old I see getting dropped a 30 second drive round the corner in a large works van can walk.

We live in a village 3 miles away and drive into the town as there is no school in the village.
According to you I should walk two children 3 miles along an unlit B road with no pavements. Or would you prefer I time travel back to the 60’s before the village school was closed 🙄

All the schools implimenting this near me have very small catchment areas. You'd think from the parents reaction they were being asked to perform miracles. Its fascinating which parents are the ones who complain loudest....

@TragedyHands

I don't know why parents want to drop kids where it is dangerous, they need to give their heads a wobble. We always walked.

Because if they are anything like the parents at our school who park inconsideratly they park where they want because it’s safer for their little darling to get out of the car without any consideration of the knock on that has on people who are walking.

This is why I love that my DC's school has a great car park!! Problems solved!! 🙌

I'd love to have a catchment school. Children where I live (a small Army camp) just get sent where there are spaces. I have the shortest school run on my street... 2 miles as the crow flies. Longest is 5 miles. That includes the 3/4 mile to the edge of town along an A road.

I do agree that the driving/parking of some parents outside my DCs school is dangerous. I think their particular road would be safer as one way, and a proper crossing point outside the school. It's a Victorian terrace street, with cars parked down both sides (mainly residents, the school has a car park). Closing it of completely would cause chaos though, the nearest alternative parking is the town centre.

@MissMarplesGlove

the parents who have to drive

No-one HAS to drive a car. We have legs.

Have you really thought your comment through before posting it ? 😂

I think it's great, however I am within walking distance, but why 3 schools?

It always amazes me on these threads how some people can't grasp that their circumstances aren't the same as everyone else's. Just because you can drop your kids off 5 mins early or walk them to school doesn't mean the OP can. Some posters are making helpful suggestions but some dont seem to be able to understand why what works for them wont work for OP.

If it means that the last one will be late every day due to not being able to drop the older ones off earlier then the school will just have to put up with that.

I can see why they’ve done it but they have to accept that their decisions have consequences.

@MissMarplesGlove

the parents who have to drive

No-one HAS to drive a car. We have legs.

Yep, I have kegs & I walk a LOT

BUT 52 miles a day is a bit much.

ImFree2doasiwant if you’re 4 miles from your nearest catchment school in England you should be entitled to a bus service.

Surely you just factor in 5 minutes earlier to drop the others off

Lots of schools doing this now in London. We live near 3 primary schools and the amount of knobs parking on pavements and over driveways and corners of roads has increased . My middle child was hit by a parent who mounted the pavement at 30mph in her massive range rover right outside the school gate because she couldn't be arsed to walk for 2 minutes. She then proceeded to shout at the kids walking on the pavement .....however this hasn't deterred the other dickhead parents that think the pavement is also a suitable parking area for their cars. So yes please close streets outside schools or at least make them no parking between 8.30-9.30am and again 2.45-3.45pm except for residents.

I wish they'd do this here.

Some parents give zero fucks about the ones trying to walk their kids to school and park all over the pavements so that we have to walk in the road nearly all the way down the lane. There are spaces further down the lane - like 1 minute walk further way, 20 car lengths - but no. I'm sure they'd manage to come up with a neeeeeeed to do what they do. In a hurry. Loads of kids. Whatever. To hell with everyone else though ay?

I would LOVE to see these fuckers blocked from using the road completely at 9 and 3 and all the residents would be fully in support of a road block too.

To be honest not knowing the background I can understand why they are doing it but then again councils should only allow children to attend their local catchment schools to reduce the need for parents to drive their kids everywhere

Loving this! If only...Catchment areas around where we live are so small (a few hundred metres) that anyone out of catchment gets allocated a much less popular school a few miles away.

Do they have a breakfast club you can make use off? They usually start from about 8am (some earlier). So then you could drop the 5 year old off first.