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?!

Follow her home and block her drive

You can buy those spike strips, but them down and just move to one side when you need to move your car. Hopefully she won’t see them and burst her tyres.

I knew someone who would put their bins across their drive at school drop off and pick-up to stop people parking there. Take photos, go to the school in person (arrange meeting with the head) ask them to be available at pick up so they can approach her in person. If it still happens, keep a note of dates, times etc ask the school to get PCSO involved. Unfortunately common sense and decency goes out the window on the school run

Completely reasonable to react to her selfish lazy ways. I'd ask the school to be getting a pcso to visit and ticket illegally parked cars.

And maybe in the short term park across your own drive as it starts to get busy

If someone cannot park in a proper place, reasonable to question their eyesight, or if they are on drink or drugs. Which is either a matter for police involvement, or you could argue a safeguarding issue for their children.

If you were to involve the school (don't think you should), then the latter, which probably obliges the school to act.

Rather than slash her tyres. Put some nails juuuust Infront of them so when she drives off POP

Although you should not have too… I’d block my own drive with my car specifically at the times she is due there!! It’ll stop you getting trapped especially when you need to leave urgently.

The other thing I’d do is speak to the school. Tell them the parents represent the school and this behaviour sheds a bad light - the school will be mortified if they’re getting some of the blame and should write out to parents (although parents will probably take little notice unfortunately)

and yes I’m spiteful…. If I wasn’t doing any of the above, I’d drop my box of nails…. Accidentally of course but you risk damage to your own tyres and other innocent road users?

This

This is good advice. Take it.

Do not get into any conversation with her. She goaded you into making a dangerous threat. Don’t allow her to do so again.

Could you block her in. Park in a way where she can't get out ? and go in your house and don't answer your door, but record it in case she damages your car

I hope you’re joking as that would be criminal and op has already made a threat. Also, it might get caught on cctv.

it seems very personal that theress spaces but shes still delbratelyparking there

unfortunately blocking someone out isnt illegal but everytime she blockes you in take a picture and tell the school-then put up on local facebook groups

my dsis used to have this they just said sorry wont be long but it never stopped

I totally understand you wanting to do something @Vanilladanish and I get similarly pissed off when our drive is blocked (fortunately not a regular occurrence), but slashing her tyres would mean she'd be stuck there for longer..

Ffs! Get a wheel lock and lock her wheel. Overnight at least.
Don't discuss anything with her.
Say nothing more.

This.

Complain to the school and council. Our primary school has a traffic warden outside in the mornings and afternoons

Follow her home, then if she has a drive park over it. Then leave your car there for times she needs to do the school run!

Tbf I think you have been quite restrained. We live in a cul-de-sac and the turning bay is at the end of our drive. People insist on parking in it which blocks the entrance to half our driveway. Whilst it doesn’t totally stop us getting out it makes it bloody difficult. Nowhere near as bad as your issue but the inconsideration and entitlement makes me furious to the point that one day I think I might reverse into one of the parked cars on purpose in a rage.

What a dick.
On a bad day I'd probably just slash her tyres to be honest but obviously not actually feasible.

Depends on the set up of your drive I guess but could you get some bollards put up if it's not a public footpath she's on?

Otherwise. Name and shame. Repeatedly. Post on local Facebook, all school social media and constantly badger the head to do something about parking control.

I used to live somewhere with this problem. One day when I was about 8 months pregnant I'd been blocked off my driveway (AGAIN). I was beyond desperate for the toilet,I couldn't even get out of the car to ask them to move. I just leant on my horn. 3 minutes of all the kids and parents gawping, she finally moved off without her child in the car yet. Childish but effective.

Dealt with this problems a few years ago when I lived in London and can advise that a couple of tins of squirty cream did the job for me one morning - sat on my front step with a cup of tea as my own school run nemesis returned to find her car gateau'd. Following morning she turned up to find me camped out in beachwear with a couple of friends and beach loungers at the front of the house blocking the parking space. After a few more mornings of blocking her access eventually she gave up and parked elsewhere - although she could have filled a swear box.

People are bonkers with parking
School on my road has a free carpark next door to the school, on the same side. So park and walk the few steps along the pavement, no crossing the road or anything

Do people use it? Nope
They park on the opposite side of the road, on a bend, on a junction dragging children across the road which is busy with school traffic

The car park is just before the junction and bend so if people all used it, there actually wouldn't be a pinch point which is what happens instead

Mums picking kids up are a nightmare. I live near a school and mums tell me that I can't park there a pco came I told them it's private land not council land and she didn't understand what I was saying so the parking wars go on

It would be unfortunate if you spilled a box of nails and screws at the top of your drive just before pick up…

She sounds a nightmare.
Report her to the police and the school and keep documentation. Really sorry you are being out through this. Some people are complete dicks.

You slash her tyres, that’s what you do