to think I should be able to park near the school?

[zagazig]

Got a call from the school. DD had vomited so they asked me to come and pick her up. Got there about 2.30pm and had to park several streets away because so many parents had already taken the prime parkin spaces. Many of them were in their cars already with some younger children in the bank. Also quite a few with their engines idling to keep the AC on as it is warm.

Are parents really parking up an hour before to get the best nearest spaces? I had to walk poor DD several streets away to get her to the car. I normally walk her to school and walk back but I took the car as I was coming from work and she was unwell.

Are parents really parking up an hour before to get the best nearest spaces?

Apparently so...

Yep. I live v close to a primary school. Parents parking near the school starts before 2pm.

I had no idea people did this. Why?! I'd rather park further away and have to walk than give up an hour sitting on my car!

Yes, this has happened at every school I’ve worked in. Bonkers.

I mean YANBU to find this annoying, but what are you suggesting as a solution?

If this happens again, it might be worth seeing if the school will let you park in their car park to collect her. My DD’s school has suggested this before, although I appreciate not all schools will allow it.

It is completely ridiculous, walk 5 more minutes and save an hour sitting in your car. It's always the same parents who get the closest spots, I don't know how they manage to get their so early,I'm always rushing from work. Luckily we live 5 mins walk from my daughters school, but the number of parents parking on yellow lines, blocking driveways etc is ridiculous. Can park safely for just a 2-3 min more walk.

I live a 5 minute walk from my kids school, several people around me leave 30-45 minutes before school ends to park nearby and drive their kids home, it must take about an hour to go, park, wait, get their kid, get out and get home.

It's actually ridiculous. I'm there and back within 15 minutes.

I was going to suggest this. I've certainly been able to do so in the past in similar circumstances, even if I've had to double park briefly.

I live about a mile from a local school. I have two particular parents pulling onto my drive everyday at about 2:30 to wait for the school to finish so they can then buzz down and pick up the kids. The looks I get from one of the women in particular if I need to get my car out would melt stone.

Yes, some parents do this and it's not new. They were doing it when my 20 year old started reception, and probably long before that.

Actually on your drive?! Unbelievably cheeky.

You can normally park in the hazard lines until 2.45, the odd parents who arrive earlier for normal pick up wouldn’t be able to so they would have been free.

I don’t need to do the school run now because dd is in high school. But when I did I was always there early. It’s because I finished work at 2pm. I couldn't go home first, because I wouldn’t have been able to make it before I had to turn around and head to school.

This happens outside our nearest secondary school. Parents parked up from 2pm onwards. I always wonder what jobs they do?!

They coukd walk it in that time, bonkers

Lots of lazy fatties would rather wait an hour in the car than walk an extra 5 mins.

Yep, at one school nearby they start parking at 2 pm for. 3.20 kick out

Yes, they do that around here. I have never understood it, even as a SAHM I don’t have time to be sitting in a car for an hour plus! It’s also stupid (and illegal) to just idle an engine that long.

That said I’d have been allowed to block the staff car park or in the school minibus spot for the two minutes it would take to collect DC from the office if they were sick - school also allow a couple of parents of children with mobility problems to do the same.

This happens at every school especially if there isn't much parking. Parents will arrive from 2pm- to be fair I think some are coming straight from work and it isn't worth going home first.

School should have let you use their car park (if they have one) if your DC was vomiting.

Yes at the children’s old school if you wanted to drive there you’d need to be there for 2:30pm or earlier unless you knew someone local with a drive. Bonkers.

Yep. On my driveway, not just blocking it.

Yep.

I live over the road from one. It starts from about 1:45.

It's utterly ridiculous.

I can't speak for all parents but I am often there early because I'm coming from work no time to get home first so eat my lunch in car as I wait. If the weather is nice might park up and go for a quick walk

Good lord. On your drive?

I would've threatened them with having their cars towed.