Ooh! I have a question what merits a genuine parking diagram! The larks!

[SarahAndQuack]

Yes, I may be too excited about this. It's actually not full of righteous indignation, but I'd still appreciate thoughts.

So, the context: I live in a small village, next door to the village school. Never had an issue. The school car park is tiny, so it's only for staff, and parents park on the street. Obviously, if I happen to be coming or going at drop off/pick up time, I know better than to expect to park outside my house and that is totally fine. I have a dropped kerb allowing access to a parking space by the side of my house. There is no shortage of on-street parking outside of school drop off/pick up times, but I do tend to have visitors park there, and I value having that access.

I don't get het up about people blocking the dropped kerb; a few parents have asked/apologised and I've always said don't worry, it's just a few minutes. This is especially true now as there are two sets of parents whose children have difficulties and need the car close so it's easiest to get them safely in; I don't have an issue with them parking over the dropped kerb. They are only there for a few minutes.

But, here's the thing. Recently, school have started putting traffic cones up outside the space running from the far end of the playground to the dropped kerb. I've heard from a parent on the PTA that this is because someone (not from the school, apparently?) complained about the school buses parking on the yellow zig-zag lines outside the school. The buses have always parked here, right by the gates, so children can get on and off with minimum fuss. TBH, I thought that was part of the purpose of those lines, but I am probably wrong! Now, the bus has to find a space, so school are reserving it with cones. They've been doing it for several days, and I'm finding each day the cones are closer and closer, and the last couple of days, if I'd wanted to cross the dropped kerb, I'd have had to move them. The cones stay out all the time, and I'm actually a bit annoyed.

I do love my DD's school and I am sure they're not being dicks for the sake of it, but I also don't want to end up in a situation where my gate constantly has traffic cones sitting in front of it!

AIBU? And indeed, WWYD?

Couldn't they put the cones at the school field end?

Contact the school and explain the issue.

10/10 for the diagram 😬

Can you call the school and ask them not to put cones in front of your drive?

It's illegal for them to block the entrance to your property OP. Technically it says 'no parking' but avoiding blockage is the spirit of the law.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/waiting-and-parking-238-to-252 (Rule 243).

I'd send them this and ask them to stop.

I don't see anything about zigzag lines w.r.t buses. It just says not to park there. A quick Google search says that sometimes they're for loading/unloading
https://www.emesa-m30.com/yellow-zigzag-line/
https://www.driving.co.uk/car-clinic/advice/illegal-park-zig-zag-lines-outside-schools/

Anyway, parking the bus isn't your problem. It could always park on the other side of the street with lollipop people doing their jobs and walking people across!

"Please don't block my driveway with cones" : why is it more complicated than that?

Because it's a small village; I love the school; DD goes there. It is in the OP!

If they'd done it out of their own initiative, I'd feel fine saying I'd rather they didn't, but I do see that it must be complicated if the complaint has come from someone who doesn't have to do with the school.

Thank you for the score!

I talk to the teachers most days and we have a friendly, chatty relationship - which actually makes it harder! Especially since what I want to say isn't really 'don't block my driveway' but rather 'um ... don't block my driveway, but also, how long am I going to sit staring at traffic cones from my garden?'

I know I don't own the road outside my garden, hence the AIBU bit.

Because it's a small village; I love the school; DD goes there. It is in the OP!
And what, you'll be shunned and the WI will refuse to sell you jam at the fete because you said please don't block my drive with cones?

Oh, that made me laugh! Thank you.

No, just it feels ungracious, given they are lovely people whom I know, and as I understand it, they have been put in a difficult position. I don't know who complained about the school buses parking outside the gates, but it seems so silly - it's the most logical place for them to park.

Well I have to say @SarahAndQuack you not only not only let us all down, but you have let yourself down.

This is not what we expect of a good ole fashioned parking thread.

We need drama.
We need full.on passive aggressive arguments with the school mums.
We need strongly worded letters to the school.

And.....to top it all off, you give us a lovely, well drawn diagram, that we all understand.

Come on @SarahAndQuack , sort yourself out.

I do apologise. It's just not right.

I guess I could put a passive-aggressive note in the local FB group asking who had the nerve to complain about the parking? (Quite tempted).

Sadly I viewed the diagram before reading. I saw the triangles and thought why is someone putting cones out. Then to be disappointed by tales of understanding and politeness. Sheeshh what is mumsnet coming to?!

@SarahAndQuack bring baked goods to the school staff and casually mention your small problem.

This. Ring the school and ask to speak to Admin or whoever. Personally, I'd go and see them and explain.

This has to be the most disappointing school parking thread I have ever read. Not even one entitled mother parking her 4x4 in such a way that Jaxxon doesn’t need to walk more than ten steps to his classroom. Not one.

It’s a good diagram OP, but the parking story doesn’t really work for me , so I can only score you a 5.

Lovely diagram! I'd go into the school in a very friendly manner and speak to them about the cones, approach it in a 'let's all have a look at this together and see what's the best thing to do for everyone' approach. If they're as lovely as you say then I'm sure you can all figure it out.

In the diagram the cones look like they stop just at your dropped kerb. If they migrate a bit over it, just shuffle them back up again. Every time. I'm guessing it's so nobody tries to squeeze into the bit between the end of the zig zags and your dropped kerb as if the diagram is correct it's not wide enough for a car.
If anybody queries it or you see anybody from the school while doing it then say 'i'm just moving the cones a bit so they're not blocking my drive' with a big smile.

It is perfectly ok to say “by the way, the cones for the bus parking are sometimes in front of my dropped kerb, could whoever puts them out keep my drive clear, please?’. That’s not rude or confrontational or even unfriendly.

Unfortunately I don’t see how you have a say on the cones on the road. It’s not your road, they would have to have them there all day to be sure of keeping it clear, and they might have had permission from the council. And it might have been someone official who complained about parking on the zig zags, or informed the school / bus company that it’s not OK. Which it isn’t! If an ordinary car blocks the vision for kids to cross the road and drivers to see them running out, so does a bus!

plus A bus on the zig zags would block vision of cars coming in and out of the staff car park.

Parking the bus the other side of the car park entrance means kids have to cross in front of traffic in and out.

Cones are unsightly but it doesn’t seem unreasonable for them to be there.

Somebody complained - and they came up with this dud solution, which is affecting you. Now it is your turn to complain - perhaps go in preloaded with an alternative solution. Being a doormat will get you nowhere, except muddy.

Diagram on the front back of an envelope.

How deliciously retro.

What Jinks!

I thought you were bothered about the placement of the cones encroaching on your dropped kerb.

On reading your update, it it more that you don’t like seeing the cones outside your garden?

If it’s the former, just mention it to the school, no one need take offence to “could you make sure the cones aren’t blocking the kerb? I wouldn’t want to clip one as I pull out.”

If it’s the appearance, sorry, OP , you just have to suck that one up.

Zigzags are no parking or stopping; they keep the area clear for unobstructed sight for people crossing the road. It’s the norm in front of school gates. Whoever complained was technically right, the buses should not be parking there, annoying as it is.

School buses always park on the yellow zig zags at our school. I honestly thought their purpose was to reserve those spaces for the school buses to ensure the dc can get on safely and so they don’t need to cross a road.

OP, are you always this incapable? Just ask them not to block your drive. It’s irrelevant that it’s a small village and that you have a good relationship with the teachers. That should help when you ask them not to do it.

I would approach the school caretaker as the most likely person to be placing the cones.
It seems to me there are two issues: cones obstructing your drop down kerb and that they are there 24/7. Neither is reasonable.

I’d explain to the caretaker that you deliberately leave your drop down kerb for the two families who need to be nearer the school. You could also point out that the cones need only be used for the length of time required, that maybe the lollipop person could put them out and take them in. The first proposal indicates your kindness and consideration. The second fits in with established procedures at drop off/pick up.

Well I don't think anyone can just choose to permanently cone off sections of the public highway can they? To clarify, the school are leaving them out 24/7 rather than just for pick up and drop off times?

So that's also effectively stopping any visitors you may have or anyone else from parking there when the buses don't need to?

Just have a word with the school. Be firm and not apologetic. You have never complained about the families who block your drive because you can see the need, but comes across your driveway is not on.

10/10 for diagram.
1/10 for drama