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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Lost my cool with school run mum

464 replies

Vanilladanish · 15/09/2023 10:18

I’m at my absolute wits end. Recently bought a house near the kids primary school and like most primary schools the parking at school run time is a nightmare. There is one mum that constantly parks over my drive blocking me in or out. I work as an on call palliative care nurse and twice now have been late to call outs to provide pain relief and other things to patients at the end of life. I’ve tried to talk to her nicely and she just drives away. A few weeks ago my husband was trying to pull in the drive after work and she was blocking again. There was a queue of traffic behind him and he had to pull over and ask her to move so he could get off the road. She said she would when she was ready. Sometimes she’s there and there are spaces all the way up and down the road but she still blocks my drive.
today she blocked me again - I’ve just finished a night shift and I saw red. I asked her to stop parking and tried to explain I needed to get in and out quickly for work. She just shouted over me so I told her I would slash her tyres next time. I know I was unreasonable to say that and I am really ashamed of myself but I’m absolutely at my wits end. What do I do?!

OP posts:
Hawkins0009 · 15/09/2023 13:38

@Vanilladanish
could you park across the drive to prevent anyone else parking there

Lucyintheskywithadiamond · 15/09/2023 13:38

Is there a way for you block her in when she parks there. Like, you parking so close at one end and someone else does the same at the other so she cannot manoeuvre out and leave her there for hours?

Cucucucu · 15/09/2023 13:39

If booking her in is an option I would start by doing that , leave her , just leave her hours on end . You can also make and shame online and contact the school or off course go down the nit completely lawful way … but don’t advertise it here 😬

Gerrataere · 15/09/2023 13:41

Get a pack of A4 paper and a thick marker. Write out a load of ‘SELFISH ARSEHOLE STOP BLOCKING MY DRIVE’ and put them on her/whoever’s windscreen every time they do it. Hopefully the shame of it will discourage others along the way.

RisingSunn · 15/09/2023 13:42

I don’t blame you. I remember years ago living in a small cul-de sac with the local primary at the end of it. Instead of the parents parking on the main road and walking in. They would actually drive right up to the gates. Blocking drive ways.

One morning (after not being let out for over 20 minutes) i was fuming. I parked my car crossways blocking the school entrance so no one could leave and went back inside my house.

I left it 20 minutes and the headteacher was out. I explained we were at our wits end. He apologised profusely and said letters would be sent out again.

Sometimes you just reach breaking point!

Fizbosshoes · 15/09/2023 13:43

I think I would feign innocence and post a pic of the car (not with full registration on view) on the school/local social media

"Does anyone know who owns this silver Audi Q5 with registration ending ABC. They regularly park in front of my drive near cherry tree primary school, at school run times. I am a palliative care nurse and any delay in getting to patients has distressing consequence."

Hopefully someone will recognise or tag the CF but you haven't specifically identified them or caused any damage.

RunningFromInsanity · 15/09/2023 13:44

Block her in? Wait with your two cars parked either side of the driveway, when she parks over your drive, move both your cars to cm away from her front and back.

TeenLifeMum · 15/09/2023 13:46

Print out signs
“selfish arsehole blocking emergency nurse access” and use really sticky tape to put on her window right on the drivers side. She’ll soon get bored. Nothing that does permanent damage but just annoying for her. I once wrapped someone’s car in an industrial roll of cling film. That was hilarious and satisfying (he’d been bullying my mum in her workplace and it was her last day - he had no clue there was a link).

kitsuneghost · 15/09/2023 13:46

Apologies if anyone has asked but this is not a new thing so why the heck did you buy a house near a school

Not excusing shit parking but if I needed access to my drive at school hours I would not be buying a house next to a school

I voted YABU for this.

Toomuvhonot · 15/09/2023 13:48

Yanbu!!!

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 15/09/2023 13:51

Fizbosshoes · 15/09/2023 13:43

I think I would feign innocence and post a pic of the car (not with full registration on view) on the school/local social media

"Does anyone know who owns this silver Audi Q5 with registration ending ABC. They regularly park in front of my drive near cherry tree primary school, at school run times. I am a palliative care nurse and any delay in getting to patients has distressing consequence."

Hopefully someone will recognise or tag the CF but you haven't specifically identified them or caused any damage.

I’d do this.

social shame is the only way people like her will ever stop.

Killingmytime · 15/09/2023 13:51

I would plaster her reg and car all over sm, on all the local pages.
state her your a palliative nurse and how this entitled twat is refusing yo not park over your drive.
name and shame her

Killingmytime · 15/09/2023 13:54

kitsuneghost · 15/09/2023 13:46

Apologies if anyone has asked but this is not a new thing so why the heck did you buy a house near a school

Not excusing shit parking but if I needed access to my drive at school hours I would not be buying a house next to a school

I voted YABU for this.

It doesn't where you buy a house no-one has the right to park OVER your drive!

next time she blocks you in, have her towed.
or call non emergency and say you are blocked in and she refuses to move ( whilst she is in-ear shot and that is regularly doing it so you cannot get to your patients.
i bet that gets her moving.

Blankscreen · 15/09/2023 13:58

I would be tempted to follow her home and then block her car in on her drive.

Similarly if you can squeeze her in when she parks across your drive the. Just leave her there for hours.

I would also just sit on the horn when she does it so she is very embarrassed as everyone will be looking to see what the commotion is.

SGANDRUE · 15/09/2023 14:08

Dizzydahlias · 15/09/2023 10:22

Is blocking your own drive an option?

Brilliant idea!

LlynTegid · 15/09/2023 14:09

I wouldn't bother with the school. They have enough as it is dealing with the parent.

Roxypanda · 15/09/2023 14:10

Hi. You definitely are fully in your rights to slash her tires but if I was you can you report her to the police because it is an offence to block your drive especially because of the job you do, mean while could you put your wheelie bin there to stop her or even before she comes if your at home block your drive so she can't park also leave a message saying you will report her if she doesn't stop

mezlou84 · 15/09/2023 14:12

Blocking you in is an offence as she's stopping you from reaching the road with your vehicle there's a term for it but I've forgotten. It's also a traffic offence to be on a dropped kerb. Ring 101 when she's blocking your car in again or on the dropped kerb. Blocked in is better as its worse offense. Take pics and recordings only trouble is if anything happens to her car she will blame you now for threatening criminal damage. Don't engage just as soon as you see her park there ring police on 101

SGANDRUE · 15/09/2023 14:12

I would suggest traffic Cones outside or taking a pic and sending it to traffic warden or similar as its what my neighbour used to do to anyone in our cul de sac whom she considered to be parking badly, although it was fine for her own visitors to do so, but that's another story.

AbbeyGailsParty · 15/09/2023 14:13

Report to the police on 101. I was surprised how helpful they were.
Take a photo of her car every time. I’d print a few copies and staple them to my fence with a big sign ‘ This woman blocks my drive’.
Do you have a local Facebook group? Put her car make and registration on that.

Brats4kid · 15/09/2023 14:14

It's a civil matter, not a legal matter. Police won't be able to do much tbh. I would keep onto the school and keep parking where she is parking. I knownita annoying but she'll get the message.

northernbeee · 15/09/2023 14:15

I would make some stickers up - big ones - that say PALLIATIVE CARE ON CALL NURSE, DO NOT BLOCK THIS DRIVE - and stick them on her windscreen every time she parks there - i mean a sticky sticker. She will soon get the hint.

Zanatdy · 15/09/2023 14:16

Take some photos, email to the school and join all the towns social meeting groups and complain about this lady. Tell the people in your town that you’re sorry if you’re late getting to see their dying relative as some selfish person is blocking you in every day. I’ve been doing the school run for 25yrs now and I’ve never blocked someone’s drive, that’s a big no. I’d be waiting for her every single day telling her this

squareyedannie · 15/09/2023 14:18

Your burst of anger sounds entirely justified. You have far more patience than I and probably a lot of other people!

OrderOfTheKookaburra · 15/09/2023 14:19

ThinWomansBrain · 15/09/2023 13:30

re the oxtail soup - I was thinking something irritating enough to make her think twice, but not as drastic as slashing they tyres.

Assuming there's no sun roof, "Parking Twat" across the window screen in lipstick?

Something really annoying is the old fashioned confetti put into the car vent at the top of the bonnet. The bastarding stuff will go everywhere inside the car when the air conditioner or heater is turned on.

Not sure you can buy it anymore but you can pilfer the paper holes from holepunchers and use that.