I live in a road with a school

[Truffle55]

Apologies in advance for the rant and slightly long message…

I live in a road with a primary school at the end. I’ve lived here for 25 years and I totally understand that parents need to get their kids to school - I too, need to do the same.

But…

Recently the behaviour of the parents dropping off and picking up their DC has been, frankly awful.

I have come home from picking my DC up from school to find someone parked on my drive! And now, someone thinks it’s “ok” to park across the T-junction into the road. This means I have to drive around them and into cars coming out of the road (from dropping off/picking up DC) to get onto my driveway (assuming no one is “borrowing” it).

I do understand people need to take their kids to school, I have to do it too! But really? Why are they so inconsiderate? When I pick my DC up from school I park away from the school… and we have an agreed process if I’m not there due to not being able to park SAFELY (I do get that DC is at secondary school and its easier to do this).

However, the parking by my house is getting out of control - the person who parks across the junction lets the children get into the car - roadside…. This is just dangerous!?

I’m at the point now that I just push through the cars because I feel “I live there, and I have right of way” - but that makes me uncomfortable.

And, let’s not talk about the addition is of an ice cream van!

Anyway, I’m considering contacting the school or even the police to see if they can do anything - sadly, I really feel, it is an accident waiting to happen 😕

@Denialisagirlsbestfriend how did you get the "business vehicles" bit allowed in your streets? This is the biggest issue with the one where I live (see my post above) - delivery vans and taxis etc aren't allowed down which is causing a right pain.

This is the same type of scheme being trialled near us, however taxis and delivery vans are allowed access. Maybe clarify with the council what vehicles can get access during these times?

Have you tried going out and yelling and screaming?

It’s so tempting! Lol … like a flailing banshee! 😉

I think people driving children to school are selfish and brainless when it comes to parking.
And probably selfish and brainless in many other ways too.

im hoping that word of mouth spreads about the crazy lady who lives at our house and my screeching puts people off

Start by writing to the school, including the Governors.

In tandem you need to make contact with your local Highway Authority, neighbourhood police and local councillors.

This sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

Re parking on your actual driveway that's trespassing surely? Round us I've noticed people have installed those dropdown bollards probably more for security as they've caravans on their driveways but might be worth considering.

Contact the school and ask what are they doing to encourage parents to use sustainable modes of transport to school. Cycling, car share, walking, scooting etc.
Whats their catchment area? Rural areas can be hard but many city’s are less than 2 miles from school.
ask if they school have to complete Travel plans? This can often get support from council and possible funding and apply for grants
Has the school got cycle parking etc?
do they have someone to come in and teach kids to ride their bikes?
do they teach road safety?
can they have a teacher outside at drop off and pick up times? Pick up is often worse I guess?
Report it to your local Cllr, you can find out who this is on council website, they usually have a bit of sway with things.
is there somewhere safe the parents can park elsewhere and walk to the school? Could the school then apply to close your street to other than residents and deliveries during pick up and drop off times?

I live on a road by a school and don't actually get these issues, lots of cars parking on the street but so far never had someone over driveways, crossings etc so it's not universal

The thing that bugs me the most are the less intelligent parents who arrive early, park up, and then leave their engine idling for 5-10 minutes until it's school gate opening time. No doubt these are the same idiots who moan about the price of fuel etc.

People driving their kids to school when they don't need to is a real pita

oh gosh! Yes!! I’ve experienced this too… 30 minutes or more - why!?

Oh don't get me started on this lol 😆! The world of parents having to park as close to school as possible, usually over diagonal lines, double yellow lines, it's unbelievable! There should be traffic patrol at every one! I used to take mine to breakfast club so wasn't an issue tp park in an appropriate spot but the days of normal drop off I couldn't believe it! We went earlier, parked a couple of streets away so could get some fresh air and chat. That means getting up earlier, getting ready earlier to be responsible and planning ahead then you see some driving at illegal speed, parking AT AND BLOCKING THE GATE! Same ones, in their pjs leaving it to last minute. Really is diabolical.

Exactly and good! X

You'd only have to do it once

@Denialisagirlsbestfriend thanks. Ours is technically still in the trial stage and having consultations and all that.
I am fine with the scheme mostly - it's just so frustrating that taxis aren't allowed down.
People that use taxis often do due to mobility issues. I had one the other day to get my daughter to a GP appointment.
It's ironic. They (the government) want less traffic and cars on the road but their schemes make it hard for people to actually get anywhere and live their lives.
I don't have a car because I can't drive - but I fantasize about having a car every single day while stuck in slow moving and overcrowded public transport.

YANBU but having lived next to a school for the best part of 40 years, I don't know what to suggest. The behaviour has become worse over the last decade or so.

I'm in the first street not in a school street scheme. My road was bedlam at school time. The residents have started parking on the road so we can access our drives and homes and the school have written to us requesting that we use our drive ways. Ermm... We've had years of our drives being blocked, they've done nothing about it and think that's an acceptable thing to ask?!

The school by me is celebrating 50 years this year. When I moved here, it was a small school of 200 (one form entry) for the local estate. At full capacity, it now has 850 pupils (four form entry) and no real catchment. Whilst, yes, the school was there first, it's a very different beast now.

My issue with the scheme by me is that they've made three cul-de-sacs that lead to the school, school streets. Whilst they were busy, these streets were relatively safe because there was no need to cross roads etc. They've made the streets surrounding it absolute mayhem. There's double parking and most days the roads get gridlocked, people will swing into the end of the roads and be met with a car coming down and everyone is stuck. It's only a matter of time before a child is seriously hurt.

As I say, my road have starting parking on the road instead of our drives which has helped with the safety aspect but it's still pushing the issue onto the next street.

Definitely speak to the school, they need to find a solution. They need to prioritise children who walk or cycle to school, and their safety

I'm a non driver and I have to say parents on the school run can be the most inconsiderate dangerous drivers. We have emails every single week from our headteacher about near misses of children nearly being knocked over by parents/driving in the exit of the car park to beat others to parking spaces/parking over and actually on residents driveways.
It's absolutely insane. Even at the traffic lights, it's a regular occurrence in the mornings that parents are running red lights on the crossing, children are actually crossing the road. 😲

Parking is terrible at the school in our village. The ridiculous thing is that if they would just walk another minute or two there is plenty of room to park! Can't believe people have the gall to park on others' drives!!

I agree with this (even as a driver) - it’s completely bonkers!

I live next to a primary school (been here for 10 yrs and have a child at said school for last 2) and the last year has been the worst by far.

My neighbours have doorbell footage of parents blocking their drives, getting verbally aggressive etc.

Then the class WhatsApp group keeps going on about the people who live in the street complaining and what do they expect when they chose a house by a school. I calmly ignored all of the neighbour bashing for about 3 days then happened to see the ringleader as I was locking my front door. She hasn’t looked me in the eye since.

It quickly stopped after a letter from the Headteacher stating that the parents should adhere to the same standards of respect for others and kindness that we teach the children.

The school in our village is on the main road, but it's fairly narrow. It's a busy bus route, with big double deckers going through every 15m. There are double yellow lines up one side of the road, but idiot parents park on them every day. Most of them pull up onto the narrow pavement and stop access for buggies and wheelchairs, but we still end up with a double-decker bus having to sit there and honk about once a fortnight because it can't get past.

It all came to a head just before half-term because a bloody ambulance couldn't get through. Blues and twos going, horn honking, it was stuck there a good three or four minutes before the dickhead driver got back and moved it.

The school have tried everything, but nothing seems to work for longer than a couple of weeks.