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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Entitled parents (parking)

87 replies

SexyBoris · 09/12/2021 15:57

My dentist has a small car park. Unfortunately it’s across a main road from a secondary school. I had an emergency appointment at 2:50pm (infected wisdom tooth) on Tuesday. Storm Barra was doing its worst …. The car park was full - vast majority of the cars had people sat in them with the engines running. I had to drive around and park near the local shops and walk around with the cold rain and wind battering my already agonising mouth.
Anyway, I got there just in time. They let me in and as I was sat waiting I saw the receptionist panicking running to the door saying “mrs Thompson is walking up, get her inside! She’s in her 90s!”. Elderly woman comes in struggling to breathe, said they couldn’t get parked and had had to walk from the shops. Receptionist said “that’s the bloody parents from XXX school using our car park!!”

WIBU to email the school and tell them that the parents selfish and inconsiderate parking is not on and they should do something about it??

OP posts:

DPotter · 09/12/2021 17:36

People just simply don't think. Had my flu booster on Wednesday at GP health centre. In the invitation to book an appointment it clearly said - don't drive - there won't be enough spaces in the car park. I walked and it was chaos with everyone else seemly driving in and being surprised there were no spaces left in the car park. people simply don't think.

I sometimes think it would be better if businesses / public services didn't provide car parks at all then people would have to think about how they got there, rather than just jumping in their cars and expecting to be able to park right by the front entrance.

squashyhat · 09/12/2021 17:40

I had my covid booster this afternoon. Booked ahead and specified a location with parking. I don't know the area and I'm not a parent so when I drive up at 3pm two schools within 100 yards are turning out. The car park was absolute bedlam. I ended up using a space requested to be kept free for doctors, for which no doubt I'll be shot down, but there was literally nowhere else. As it was I got in and out before my alloted appointment time - to find the car park miraculously 1/3 empty.

diddl · 09/12/2021 17:44

Was it the storm affecting things do you think Op?

Was the school turning out early & maybe parents that wouldn't usually pick up by car were doing?

GoodPrincessWenceslas · 09/12/2021 17:48

On the other hand, I can see why the school parents are parking there. People need to pick kids up from school and it adds time to the commute if the child has to walk 2 or 3 streets to get to the car. Nobody wants to add even 5 or 10 mins onto their commute. Not only that, given that there are many big cars, it could actually be very dangerous to walk those couple of streets, and the child could end up drenched, which is a pain.

Oh, poor loves, imagine the horror and dreadful dangers of walking along the pavements of two or three streets. Really, the dentists and their patients should be sobbing with gratitude that they have the opportunity to prevent this dreadful situation.

Xenia · 09/12/2021 17:49

The school near our house are very good at naming and shaming with number plates parents who come on to our private estate. Even so one of our committee did a day of making mothers turn round - 18 of them at school drop off time - 16 turned around when instructed but 2 only did so after being very abusive indeed. Luckily at present the end of our private road is totally dropped off to car traffic and every day I see that I am inwardly glad all those law breaking parents are now topped from their daily trespass.

Parker231 · 09/12/2021 17:50

I like the idea of a barrier with a very expensive charge for non patients.

Children can walk home - bad weather isn’t an issue. They shouldn’t be parking at the dentists under any circumstances.

ILoveAllRainbowsx · 09/12/2021 17:50

The dentist should use a parking enforcement company and get them round at home time to ticket the parents. Once word gets round, they should stop parking there.

I'm sure the dentist will end up losing patients if they can't park.

GrapefruitsAreGreat · 09/12/2021 17:53

My GP surgery is in a building with other health services and has a small car park with a system where you need to register your registration number at reception - otherwise you will get a ticket.
Maybe your dentist should do something like that?

It's round the corner from a school in an area with terrible parking so otherwise I imagine would have problems.

Although I imagine most people will be walking or getting a bus there.

Ariela · 09/12/2021 18:01

Dentists should put a sign up : Parking £25. Free when attending an appointment. And patrol the car park on day 1.

stingofthebutterfly · 09/12/2021 18:26

Schools often send out messages telling parents not to park stupidly. Doesn't make a jot of difference. At our school, the parents are always on the double yellows, despite there being plenty of parking a minute's walk away. Selfish, lazy bastards.

BoredZelda · 09/12/2021 19:57

It’s for the dentist to manage, not the school.

BoredZelda · 09/12/2021 19:59

Kids aren't made of sugar, they won't dissolve.

Neither are adults who have to walk for a bit. Not sure why we think it’s fine for kids to walk home in a storm, that was given a red warning, when adults would avoid it if they could.

3scape · 09/12/2021 20:12

Who are all of these parents dropping their children off at secondary school? Honestly I don't know any parents that do that. The children i know with disabilities have local authority transport. I can understand if you've got nothing to do and the weather is bad. But EVERY DAY? Is the plan to carry that on at uni? When they work?

3scape · 09/12/2021 20:14

And to just do that 'in my day' i definitely has to walk during that huge storm in the 80s. The road was blocked by trees so the buses weren't running and I couldnt use my bike, so I had to walk.

Hoppinggreen · 09/12/2021 20:15

@AdmiralCain

I live near a posh private secondary school, I am sick to the back of my teeth of all the F'in 4x4s all the posh sods taking darling Jemima and Tarquin to their Cello lessons, when they block the roads I just sit in my car and beep the horn until they move and possibly use choice language . They probably consider me a Yokel but I don't care, everyone's concerned about global warming but not these posh sods getting their precious cargo to school in their gas guzzlers. It get's my goat when all the mums on here chirp in 'But you simply must get a landrover'

It’s true Parents with children at State school always park with the utmost consideration

ruabon1977 · 09/12/2021 20:20

Don't bother emailing the school. If there are any parking restrictions contact the council, as traffic wardens can be very zealous.

Most people do not need to travel by car to pick up children, around a third are just travelling to/from home and could walk.

itsgettingwierd · 09/12/2021 20:30

What would be better is the dental surgery sending an email.

Then getting a private company in and you have to pay to park unless your visiting the dental surgery or make it private parking for the surgery only and those not visiting agree to pay the £70 charge or whatever.

BoredZelda · 09/12/2021 22:30

And to just do that 'in my day' i definitely has to walk during that huge storm in the 80s. The road was blocked by trees so the buses weren't running and I couldnt use my bike, so I had to walk.

We also travelled in cars without seatbelts as kids in the 80s. Doesn’t mean it was a good thing to do.

sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea · 10/12/2021 01:26

@BoredZelda

Kids aren't made of sugar, they won't dissolve.

Neither are adults who have to walk for a bit. Not sure why we think it’s fine for kids to walk home in a storm, that was given a red warning, when adults would avoid it if they could.

How do you think I got to school to pick my DC up for the walk home?

repottingthescabious · 10/12/2021 01:47

Buy the dentist receptionist a musket for Christmas - the school parents won't park there again not on Cavity Jane's watch.

ThinWomansBrain · 10/12/2021 01:59

the road outside my flat is now closed completely for several hours a day due to entitled twattish parents. It's really bloody inconvenient for residents.

repottingthescabious · 10/12/2021 02:05

or a sign that says you can't leave until you have had the compulsory tooth extraction every time you park here

Lou98 · 10/12/2021 02:09

YANBU about the parking. I used to live in a flat near to the local primary school and there was a small private car park out the front with designated spaces for each of the flats - it was always full of parents around pick up time!

I don't see what the school can do though - it would be for the dentist to talk to them but even then all they can do is ask parents not to, they can't physically stop them

buddythemum · 10/12/2021 02:28

School can't do anything. It's now very normal that parents living round the corner drive to school. The ones who live closest are the cars filling up the spaces on the road because they can be there first especially in winter.
An Abulance tried to pass the school last week and for ages it was stuck, every school is horrendous. Every parent becomes entitled and parks on driveways, blocks cars to the point emergency vehicles can't pass. It's the same everywhere but the reason I dont live on a school street.

AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken · 10/12/2021 02:34

An email was sent by my daughter’s school last week because someone had parked over someone’s drive and the resident had been unable to leave for work.
Well, the drives on the street where the school is were still all blocked this week.
I don’t understand how people can be so selfish!
The dentist needs to put a gate up with a buzzer for reception to let people into the car park. Expensive but the only way it’ll stop them.

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