Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to block in school mums parking on my driveway?

895 replies

Applepiesmum · 23/03/2023 10:49

i live down the road from a school and during the school rush parents park everywhere it normally worse in the afternoon at 3pm

I work from home and usually park in the visitor pay outside my house so my partner can park on the driveway he gets home 3.30-4pm

however recently people have been parking on my driveway last week I caught someone pulling in knocked on their window and they argued with me saying they need to pick up their child eventually they did move but moved to where they were just half way blocking my drive way and halfway blocking my neighbor so no one could access it!

I didn’t bother confront them again but in future I’m just thinking to block them in… is that too petty

I have reported it to the school but all they’ve said is they’ve already asked parents not to block residents in so I’m not sure what else to do.

(if I did block anyone in it would only be for 30 minutes to cause a bit of stress and a lesson learned)

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Jebatronic · 23/03/2023 13:14

Bucket of grim greasy water and tattered sponge and a sign saying £10 hand car wash - if they pull in …..

ACynicalDad · 23/03/2023 13:15

Store a few nails on your driveway just behind their wheels (passenger side) don't actually pop their tyres, let them do it themselves.

DrMarciaFieldstone · 23/03/2023 13:15

Can you petition the local council for permit parking? That’s solved the issue in our town.

aSofaNearYou · 23/03/2023 13:16

This is insanity, I can imagine being a CF and blocking someone's drive but I can't imagine having the audacity to actually park ON their drive!

Plumbear2 · 23/03/2023 13:17

User1438423 · 23/03/2023 13:10

I am in favour of people blocking selfish parkers in yes.

I walk my son a mile and a half to school, or we get the bus. What I notice is there is an abundance of parking spaces just a 5 minute walk away from school, including a huge free car park less than half a mile away, but right outside the school it is mayhem, people parking over driveways, people parking completely on the middle of pavements, making it so unsafe that I can't walk with my son through the residential roads, in bus lanes, on corners etc we take a longer footpath instead. It really blows my mind that people refuse to do any walking whatsoever.

But another thing I have noticed is the residents cars parked on the road and pavements, leaving many, many empty driveways during this chaotic time. I really think it is incredible selfish when people do this. You say your husband is due home 03:30-04:00, I'm sure the visitors space would be free for him after the school pick up mayhem, or shortly after. You are contributing to the problem.

Maybe residents do this to ensure they can actually leave instead of waiting for people who block their drive.

idonttalkaboutthat · 23/03/2023 13:20

The visitors space isn't there for random parents at a local school though. They don't have a right to park there.

Visitors spaces are public spaces!

LlynTegid · 23/03/2023 13:20

Block them in. Make it clear that there is no second chance, if there is a next time do it for several hours.

If they call the police and they come, ask the police to check the parent is not drunk or has poor eyesight.

Parker231 · 23/03/2023 13:22

Tinypetunia · 23/03/2023 10:51

Blocking someone in could lead to a very aggressive situation, so I wouldn't. You say 30 minutes just to cause inconvenience, but what if the parent has an appointment somewhere and they can't get to it?
Can you put a bollard or similar to stop the parking?

If the parent (or anyone) park’s blocking your drive, it would serve them right if they couldn’t get home or missed an appointment. I would block them and then go out for a long walk!

QueenOfDuisburg · 23/03/2023 13:22

Do it, 'go out' and take your time coming back!

I don't even drive to our school but the CFs I see every day parking over other people's driveways and on the zigzag lines (and driving along the pavement next to young children instead of waiting for cars to pass, but I guess that's a different matter) really wind me up. So entitled and lazy!

kitsuneghost · 23/03/2023 13:27

QuertyGirl · 23/03/2023 11:20

Honestly, able-bodied people need to stop using cars for the school run.

Quite often they drop off on their way to work
Also not everyone goes to their local school any more. Some can be 10-20 miles away.

Round our way traffic is busier when more kids walk as the pedestrian lights causes backlog (before anyone says I don't have an issue with this - it's just how it is)

I do think we need to drive less though. Maybe a surcharge for driving less than 2 miles?
Only people who have a non-walkable/cyclable/public transportable commute should get a car?
Send local kids to the local school and no picking and choosing?

Not sure of the answer because everyone would be the exception whatever you changes you proposed.

Timetochangetheoil · 23/03/2023 13:28

Trez1510 · 23/03/2023 12:57

@Timetochangetheoil

Can you imagine the meltdown on here if school hours were staggered? Of course, the owners of twins would be happy but the rest would be beyond enraged!! You'd just have parents parking up for even longer to ensure they could collect their princess, as well as their prince, from as close to the gates as physically possible.

I have no skin in this game, no schoolkids, other than attempting to traverse local streets surrounding two local primary schools. It's a nightmare, double parking, parking on pavements, parking on the yellow lines etc. etc. etc. Unable to see the lollipop people due to planet-killing SUVs the height of a large van parked on the zig-zags.

I really don't get why these parents can't park a 5/10min walk from the school, spreading the parking burden over a wider area, and get their kids a bit of exercise at the same time. They are lazy fuckers imo, and anyone claiming their timetable is so tight as to be unable to fit in (max) 2x 10min walks is obviously not organising themselves properly.

Howling at posters saying 'Oh, we travel 22 miles, we just couldn't walk!!' Don't be obtuse, no-one is suggesting that. However, a 10min walk is entirely feasible and beneficial.

I agree with you. And I have seen some parents sit in their cars for 40 minutes and also keep the engine running which infuriates me! I am not condoning behaviour like this. It just seems to get worse, not sure what the answer is as it’s an issue felt all over the community, residents and parents alike.

Whichnumbers · 23/03/2023 13:31

Quite often they drop off on their way to work

yet many people start work before 9am and use wrap round care, not actually going to the school gates themselves on the school congestion 30 minutes

Mummyoflittledragon · 23/03/2023 13:32

BessieSurtees · 23/03/2023 11:14

Oh the irony.

I wonder if anyone has started a thread about their CF neighbour who parks in the visitor bay so she can keep her drive free for her DH.

Do you park in the visitor bay all day and night @Applepiesmum are you not a CF yourself then?

Agreed. People should use their drive properly, not perma reserve a space designated for use for all.

Doesthepopeshitinthewoods · 23/03/2023 13:32

I’d have a fantastic time making these entitled twats’ lives as hard as possible.

The behaviour of some people is staggering.

mrshenny · 23/03/2023 13:33

So firstly I can't believe they are parking on your drive the absolute cheek!! However I live on a school street, thankfully it's on a slope so the CF parents are too lazy to park so far down near me. So I just get the decent parents who don't mind walking "a bit further" and so park respectfully. But I do find that the rush is over pretty quickly. If school closes at 3pm then surely the rush is long gone by like 3:20? Ours is 3:20 school closes. It's a no man's land by 3:40 latest!

So if you partner doesn't get home until 3:30/4 I don't quite understand the need to 'reserve him a space'. Do parents just like to hang around for ever after school closure? I would personally either do two things. I'd park on your own driveway, which would allow for others to park for school then move on before your husband gets home easily. Or if for some odd reason parents are hanging around for hours then either park over your own drive or put up a parking post on the end of your drive or a gate of some kind. Parking on someone else's drive is so bloody rude!! Out side of the school on my street cars block driveways all the time it infuriates the homeowners, I can only imagine the posts on the local Facebook group if parents were parking on drives too!! Shock

QuertyGirl · 23/03/2023 13:33

Whichnumbers · 23/03/2023 13:31

Quite often they drop off on their way to work

yet many people start work before 9am and use wrap round care, not actually going to the school gates themselves on the school congestion 30 minutes

I drop off on the way to work- on a bike.

People need to either use wrap around care or make sure home/school/work are in a reasonable distance.

Crumpleton · 23/03/2023 13:34

This is so annoying
Does your partner arrive home while there's a car in your drive?
If so he should just pull in behind.

Even better if you've a shop local as he may have forgotten to get the milk, bread, newspaper you asked him to grab and popped over to get it, didn't realise it was a CF parked as you mentioned a friend was visiting this afternoon and thought it was them.
Unfortunately he got chatting to a neighbour while there.

Failing that he's in the shower and shouldn't be long.

"Sorry no spare car key and even if there was I'm not insured to drive DP's car so won't be"

Vivi0 · 23/03/2023 13:35

I don’t understand why you don’t just park on your driveway. The school run parking madness is an issue that all schools and those who live in the school vicinity experience. Surely if you live near a school, or choose to live near a school, this is something you just need to live with.

It doesn’t matter whether parents on the school run have a “right” to park in a visitor space or not, they are going to park somewhere, and you taking up a visitor space when you have an empty driveway are just compounding the problem.

Timetochangetheoil · 23/03/2023 13:37

Applepiesmum · 23/03/2023 12:33

You say hog a visitor bay but it’s a visitor bay outside my house…. For my visitors to use there’s quite a few for the other houses too where everyone parks their additional cars.

these aren’t public parking spaces

Show quote history

Is it residential permit parking? Or signed as private? Just wondering if it is enforceable by your local authority? Or if the neighbours would all chip in to have private enforcement introduced. A few parking charges issued and word would quickly spread to others not to park there…If it’s not clearly signed, or designated as visitor parking for your property, it may be that the local council took in to consideration the proximity of the school when marking out these ‘visitor,’ bays and intended them to be used for both visitors to the properties (more likely on weekends) and those visiting the school on weekdays?

Tdcp · 23/03/2023 13:37

QuertyGirl · 23/03/2023 13:33

I drop off on the way to work- on a bike.

People need to either use wrap around care or make sure home/school/work are in a reasonable distance.

Show quote history

People get work where they can, I work 10 miles from where I live, I live where I do because rents are extortionate and I couldn't get anywhere better than where I live now for £150 more a month. DD goes to school locally enough but it's 2 miles away up very steep hills as we live down in a valley. Not everyone has the same circumstances as yourself and you shouldn't expect people to live their lives as such.

LookItsMeAgain · 23/03/2023 13:38

Nanny0gg · 23/03/2023 11:50

Fewer.

And if there's little or no public transport at the times you need, you need a car

Show quote history

I was coming on to see if anyone picked up on this and you did, you absolute gem!

FEWER!!!!

Thank you @Nanny0gg

Itsneverwhatitseems · 23/03/2023 13:40

fitzwilliamdarcy · 23/03/2023 13:04

I feel like really the schools need to try and take control of the issue. Not sure how. More funding for morning clubs maybe? Or staggered start times for different years? Again I am aware a lot of the striking action happened due to underfunding so parking for parents is probably bottom of a very big pile.

I think schools have enough to do trying to educate the kids without having to educate the parents as well. It’s not actually the school’s job to ensure that parents have the right amount of work/life balance so that they’re not tempted to park dangerously. That’s the parents’ job to sort out.

Staggered start times for families with kids in different years is a nightmare.

Possibly before and after school nursery / care provision within the school. I think there was talk of this in Govn recently.
If it happens, ( big if) then parents would have time to walk their kids to school and still get to work on time.
There is a National policy for breakfast clubs but this is to deal with children going to school without breakfast so is only available to schools in designated deprived areas.
Perhaps a rethink to allow parents to get to work on time would work.
Of course it would cost
Of course some parents would still drive anyway

QuertyGirl · 23/03/2023 13:40

@Tdcp

Yet you expect everyone else to put up with consequences of the way you have ordered your life?

Ie, traffic, pollution, accidents and less space for kids to walk or cycle or play out.

LadyHaHaHeeHaw · 23/03/2023 13:41

@Applepiesmum is parking in her own visitors space to leave the drive clear for Mr Applepie
The space is for her/her visitors use only
Regardless,she has the right the same as anyone else to park her car anywhere she pleases as long as its legal
Nobody should be using her drive without her permission
I'd speak to them,then block them if they continued and take any consequences

Timetochangetheoil · 23/03/2023 13:44

MRex · 23/03/2023 12:36

Call parking enforcement to come and ticket them, they have targets and are happy to come.

It depends if the road is actually an enforceable location; if the visitor bay is not actually for permit holders only, or if the cars aren’t parked on yellow lines etc, there is nothing for the enforcement officer to actually issue a charge for. And if it’s a private road they can’t do anything either.