Lost my cool with school run mum

[Vanilladanish]

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?!

Definitely this! ⬆️ Don't just take it. She's being a rude CF. 😡

Let the air out of one tyre. Rinse. Repeat. Guaranteed she’ll get the message and you haven’t done any criminal damage. Entitled B.

Contact the school and council with pictures, the timings and note you were prevented to leave for work making you late to provide pain relief to a patient. I would send a joint email.

Put details (check if legally you can post a picture) on the local Facebook site, e.g. Red Ford Fiesta driven by woman on school run, repeatedly blocking my drive on Xx Road. It is imperative I can leave at short notice, as I work as a palliative care nurse. This vehicle blocking my drive has made me late to x number of call outs, including to provide urgent pain relief.

We've all had an email today about parking. 1 person in particular has been doing exactly this op. No idea who (I walk to school so Def not me 🤣) but it was put in. A assume this was home owners first step before getting police/council involved. My point being, if you mention it to the school they should send a message out to all parents. X

I'm surprised you remained so calm all this time.

Used to live near a school. Parents would drive in the most mindbogglingly dangerous ways - to children!!! - to get their own brood as close to the gates as possible. Not to mention the damage to lawns, etc.

People like that will only ever stop if they’re actually inconvenienced. Ploys to their empathy or compassion won’t work as they don’t care. Do whatever you can do that causes her as much bother as possible without you breaking the law.

She sounds like one of those awful people who’d obstruct an ambulance. They walk amongst us. 💀

Someone did this to me fairly recently and blocked my car in my own drive so I couldn’t get out to pick my kids up from school on time. Let’s just say I hope her car insurance excess wasn’t too much because my keys just fell out my hands and all down the side of her car.

Formal routes don’t work with people like that; they don’t care. You need to hit them where it hurts most (in the pocket) and enjoy the sense of satisfaction. I still feel great about the whole thing now

Complain to the school and PSCOs.

Failing that public shame is the way forward.

Take photo. Put a notice outside your house.

If you can find out the name of the child and their class even better.

"Let’s just say I hope her car insurance excess wasn’t too much because my keys just fell out my hands and all down the side of her car."

Gosh no, I hope it didn't damage her car, falling like that 😀

Good dor you, OP. Teach the silly bitch a lesson! 👊😆

Buy a valve core removal tool off eBay - it’ll let you quickly take the valve off her tyre.

Granted they’ll be stuck for a bit while they fit the spare wheel, but they won’t park there again!

Someone blocked me in on the driveway— I couldn’t get out and removal van arriving with my new tenants furniture couldn’t get in. I called 101, explained, gave them car reg. They got a phone number for the owner and told them to move their car immediately or they’d get it towed. It was moved in minutes.
Police officer said they can do more about getting you out of your drive than it being blocked and you can’t get in 🤷‍♀️

@cassiatwenty Unfortunately there was quite a lot of damage to her paintwork poor woman. It was an expensive lesson to learn I’m afraid!

I live near a school and had this in the past. Someone was blocking my drive (again) when I returned home. I sat in the road signalling and waited for her to move. Caused a big build up of annoyed parents in cars behind me so school staff came out to deal with it and she never did it again!

I was a school governor for quite a few years, and at our school any complaints from local residents was taken really seriously. (We were a primary school - don't know if that makes a difference!)

The local residents were so pissed off with parents not parking with consideration that the school resorted to sending out staff/governors at drop-off and pick-up to monitor the parking and to make sure parents weren't blocking anyone in. Our parents also used to park with all four wheels on the pavement, making it impossible to pass, they used to park on the zig-zag lines, and on the corners. It made it bloody dangerous for people on foot as well as annoying for the local residents!

Anyway, our school took it very seriously. I'd say it's worth a shot complaining to them directly. I think they'd be extra sympathetic given your occupation, and the reason why you need to get out pronto.

**Incidentally, we're just about to move into a house opposite a school and we're having similar problems with being blocked in!! I'm about to email the school with photos - but we think it's the school staff blocking us in!

Was she there this afternoon? 🤔

I’d get you and your hubby to block her in either end of her car, if she asks for you to move, just say yeah we will in our own time x

Lots of pictures talk to the school and go to the police. Lots of police are married to nurses they can be quite sympathetic as a result

1. Take photos
2. Tell the school

A few nails left in the road near the kerb, should hopefully give her a flat tire. Otherwise can you contact your council. Ours you can notify them when you see bad parking and they send a traffic warden.

I had the police called on me and they attended when i was 19 and a bin lorry couldnt get down the rd cos id not parked enough of my car on the pavement. So they do.

I would definitely be letting her tyres down repeatedly until she stopped. Though obviously there’s potential for retaliation.

Also potential for the police to be on your doorstep.

What is the point of letting her tyres down anyway? It means she can't move the car!

I’m a bitch so I’d take a photo of her and her car parked across your drive with full number plate on display . I’d then send a Facebook message to the schools group and all of your local town’s groups including sales groups etc.
It would say : I’m a palliative care nurse and at least two patients were denied pain relief in time at the end of their lives due to this woman parking across my driveway . If she’s your friend or family member and you wouldn’t want this to happen to you or someone you love, have a quiet and non threatening word. I’ve tried and somehow she still thinks reducing her steps by a few minutes twice a day is more important than people not dying in agony. Thanks for your help.

The embarrassment factor alone will get her to stop.