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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:
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6
ChiefWiggumsBoy · 23/03/2023 20:51

Block them in and then when they knock, open the door with a glass of wine in hand.

1ittlegreen · 23/03/2023 20:52

Buy a wheel clamp, put up a sign and make some money!

thesnailandthewhale · 23/03/2023 20:53

Dacadactyl · 23/03/2023 14:08

I know you've said in first post you've spoken to the school but have you been in saying their warnings aren't enough? At DSs school, often teachers patrol outside and PCSOs too to look at parking and deter repeat offenders. Might be worth suggesting it.

Why on earth should teachers patrol to check parking? They are employed to teach children.

IglesiasPiggl · 23/03/2023 20:57

Probably a bit petty, but I would absolutely block them in, then wave from my front window when they knocked on the door to ask me to move!

Waterfallgirl · 23/03/2023 21:02

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?

Then they’ll be late and will have learned not to park on private property. @Tinypetunia

Hellybelly84 · 23/03/2023 21:04

Cocofuntime · 23/03/2023 20:15

On your drive is ridiculous, I’d never do that but I do park across drives to pick up kids, the pavement isn’t owned by you and police couldn’t care less before I hear all the ‘it’s illegal’ rubbish. Live near a school suffer the consequences

I hope the car you block in never needs to get out in an emergency. Like the case at most schools, if parents were happy to walk a tiny bit further, it usually wouldn’t be a problem.

There’s tons of parking 2-5 minutes walk from our school but parents would rather park dangerously or be inconsiderate than use their legs.

In general, more people should walk if they can. If you live within half an hours walk of the school and dont need to drive to go straight to work/come straight from work to collect, you have zero excuse not to walk your kids to school (other than a medical condition).

QuertyGirl · 23/03/2023 21:05

@adriftinadenofvipers

I'm not sorry- there's a whole load of stress and expense I just don't have.

Car culture is a big, fat con.

Nobody wants to be the boy telling the emperor he's got nothing on.

illbeinthegarden · 23/03/2023 21:06

I'd park across the school car park drive and when the teachers can't get in I'd shrug and say 'sorry I don't know what more I can do' 😂 I know it's not the schools fault but people using their facility are causing an issue.

BlueHeelers · 23/03/2023 21:07

@Cocofuntime i hope you get parked in. Such arrogance.

BlueHeelers · 23/03/2023 21:09

In general, more people should walk if they can. If you live within half an hours walk of the school and dont need to drive to go straight to work/come straight from work to collect, you have zero excuse not to walk your kids to school (other than a medical condition).

This. No wonder a third of people in this country are obese.

pollyglot · 23/03/2023 21:09

illbeinthegarden · Today 21:06I'd park across the school car park drive and when the teachers can't get in I'd shrug and say 'sorry I don't know what more I can do' 😂 I know it's not the schools fault but people using their facility are causing an issue.

I trust that this comment is simply because you've had a bad day, and not for real. Because it's totally batshit.

mellicauli · 23/03/2023 21:09

Set a sprinkler up on a timer so they have to get really wet getting in and out of their car?

OMG12 · 23/03/2023 21:12

Cocofuntime · 23/03/2023 20:20

The police actually couldn’t care less about such trivial matters & have told residents to call operation crackdown rather than bother them, unless the vehicle is abandoned for more than 30 days they don’t care thank god so I will continue to park where I like cheers

Show quote history

Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. What if that person had to get out in an emergency. You’re completely selfish, why can’t you just park further away and walk a bit.

An absolutely appalling example to set your kids. Are you normally so dismissive of peoples needs and think what you want trumps everyone else? You’re THAT parent with THOSE kids

jannier · 23/03/2023 21:12

It's an offence to block you in but not to block you out.....madness I know but I'd block them in and tell them on my ring doorbell that I'm just on the loo. .....for a very long visit.

Beepbeepenergy · 23/03/2023 21:12

Did u block anyone in then today ? I defo would I carnt even stand people that park outside school let alone on someone’s driveway

illbeinthegarden · 23/03/2023 21:13

Calm down Polly I've had a great day it's tongue in cheek which I'd hoped sound be picked up by the laughing emoji 🤷‍♀️🙄

RedToothBrush · 23/03/2023 21:19

LlynTegid · 23/03/2023 17:43

The last figures I saw were that a third of all cars on the morning school run go straight back home. I'd guess many are under a mile. Many are SUVs driven by people who would fail a driving test in one.

Even the two thirds have no justification for parking on private property without permission.

Hope the green bin OP does the trick.

The woman who nearly ran me over (on the pavement) in her SUV and then when I said her car was clearly too big for her to drive safely had the brass neck to say that of course her car mounted the pavement because it was a big car was pretty special...

It's ALWAYS the SUVs that park the worst around us. Always!

Hellybelly84 · 23/03/2023 21:21

BlueHeelers · 23/03/2023 21:09

In general, more people should walk if they can. If you live within half an hours walk of the school and dont need to drive to go straight to work/come straight from work to collect, you have zero excuse not to walk your kids to school (other than a medical condition).

This. No wonder a third of people in this country are obese.

It always amazes me when I see people dropping kids who I know live just up the road and are not working (SAHM’s). The price of petrol alone is enough to put you off driving more than necessary. I can understand in torrential rain no one wants the kids soaked before school, but other than that, really no excuse. We didnt have 2 cars growing up so my Mum walked us over a mile there and back every day. It was normal to us and I love walking now.

Macaroni46 · 23/03/2023 21:22

illbeinthegarden · 23/03/2023 21:06

I'd park across the school car park drive and when the teachers can't get in I'd shrug and say 'sorry I don't know what more I can do' 😂 I know it's not the schools fault but people using their facility are causing an issue.

Oh ffs what do you realistically think the school can do?

Devoutspoken · 23/03/2023 21:25

There are some proper lazy arse parents out there

Hellybelly84 · 23/03/2023 21:26

youshouldnthaveasked · 23/03/2023 20:01

I love the rain!

however I drive to collect my child due to time constraints between finishing work and school pick up, until we’ve learned how to teleport or apparate, I will still be needing to drive to school

Show quote history

You have a genuine reason but so many people dont.

Its easy to spot on the morning pick up…the ones racing off to their cars are going to work and the ones stood around for a 20 minute natter could have just walked it.

AnotherShirtRuined · 23/03/2023 21:36

Is it a genuine problem or just an annoyance? If parents pick up around 3 pm, surely they’ll be gone by the time your partner gets home around 3:30-4 pm? I agree that it is CF behaviour and as such would also annoy me, but is it really worth the stress of getting so worked up over? Sometimes parking threads go a little (if not a lot) overboard as lots of people seem to enjoy the secondhand drama. Or maybe I just don’t have the energy to get worked up myself right now due to having Covid…

Hellybelly84 · 23/03/2023 21:37

Jumbojade · 23/03/2023 17:38

So you think the poor mum, who lives 2 miles from the school, should just leave 1/2 an hour earlier (in the pouring rain), with her 5 year old and younger children, to walk there in time? Seriously….

Show quote history

We did every day single day of my primary years.

Even if that parent (you gave an example of) only drove on rainy days, it would make a massive difference to parking if all parents who can walk (who are are not going straight on to work/medical conditions etc) did. Why would you not want to encourage your kids to be fit and healthy?

sweatervest · 23/03/2023 21:41

that happened to a friend. she gave the reg. number to the school office and the school office put the reg. number in a school ping.

also the school should support and write a note in the newsletter/similar reminding the great knobfaces NOT to park across people's drive as it's lazy, twatty and an complete and utter pain in the arse.

lots of schools do do the reminder in the newsletter so it's worth going to the office and having a rant. there are probably loads of locals who get blocked in or out etc.

Hamster1111 · 23/03/2023 21:44

I drive to school everyday and it's a bloody nightmare. If I parked on someone's drive (I wouldn't!) I'd expect to be blocked in - I'd deserve it!! Blocking a drive is a total no no - parking on one? The bloody nerve of some people astounds me