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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

218 replies

zagazig · 02/05/2025 15:19

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.

OP posts:
Original poster
zagazig · 03/05/2025 18:59

ForPlumReader · 03/05/2025 18:46

We've got a school car free zone where parents aren't meant to drive (or park) on the streets adjacent to the school between set times. Even then they continue to do it. Obviously the convenience to them and their little darling is so much more important than the safety of any other children, so selfish.

They miraculously manage to walk a little further if the traffic warden is around.

Edited

I have noticed this too! The presence of parking wardens means people park much further away.

OP posts:
Livelovebehappy · 03/05/2025 19:14

I think when you’re the parent of a school child, your self entitlement dial goes to maximum. I live near a school, and honestly the behaviour I see on a daily basis is just madness. Parking on yellow lines, zig-zags, pavements, across drives, reversing down drives, driving like idiots - the list goes on. They have to park as close to the school entrance as possible to ensure their overweight unfit children can get home to their devices as quickly as possible.

Isittimeformynapyet · 03/05/2025 19:22

Wahsingday · 02/05/2025 17:22

They are always sat in the cars so usually if i indicate in and often toot the horn because they are engrossed in their phones and haven’t seen me the reluctantly move…

I want to sell my house so don’t really fancy bollards or anything that indicates that I have a CF infestation.

Show quote history

If you lived near me I would be happy to come round when they are there to call them out on their outrageous behaviour, and I bet I'm not the only one. You could stay indoors and a bunch of mumsnetters would tell them what massive CFs they are. We could take pictures.

Sure, it would be intimidation, but perfectly justified, I feel.

Sennelier1 · 03/05/2025 19:31

I've had that sort of calls too, but their school had a policy of letting the parent pull up in their driveway close to the entrance. There was a simple sickbay, just a room with two beds really, and that's where they let the child wait with a friend for company untill a parent arrived. Mind, in the school my daughter attended before, they once let her wait in a freezing and draughty hall, not even a chair to sit on, trembling with a high fever. I guess it depends on the level of empathy of the headmaster.

ForPlumReader · 03/05/2025 19:46

Livelovebehappy · 03/05/2025 19:14

I think when you’re the parent of a school child, your self entitlement dial goes to maximum. I live near a school, and honestly the behaviour I see on a daily basis is just madness. Parking on yellow lines, zig-zags, pavements, across drives, reversing down drives, driving like idiots - the list goes on. They have to park as close to the school entrance as possible to ensure their overweight unfit children can get home to their devices as quickly as possible.

That's a bit unfair. Many of us are not like that!!!

Tiredbuthappy1sh · 03/05/2025 19:48

zagazig · 02/05/2025 15:19

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.

Yes they do !! I live next door to a school. Some parents/ collector's. Park from 1pm. Bearing in mind, school finishes at 3:15 !

Arran2024 · 03/05/2025 19:53

ForPlumReader · 03/05/2025 18:46

We've got a school car free zone where parents aren't meant to drive (or park) on the streets adjacent to the school between set times. Even then they continue to do it. Obviously the convenience to them and their little darling is so much more important than the safety of any other children, so selfish.

They miraculously manage to walk a little further if the traffic warden is around.

Edited

We have cameras which capture cars entering the streets at the banned hours. If you drive in you WILL get a ticket.

Girlof6 · 03/05/2025 19:57

At my kids school you do have to get there a good 20 mins before to park close, but if picking up a poorly child we can drive into the school grounds. Parking at schools is always a pain in the ass…

Wrexhamite · 03/05/2025 20:03

Yes, you are imo. Some people get there early, that’s their prerogative and you are not entitled to park outside the gates.
But, the other parents should have respect for people living in the streets around schools and stop blocking drives and junctions just because they want to be that extra car length closer.

celticprincess · 03/05/2025 20:08

Happens at my DC’ secondary school. They have a driveway that leads to a roundabout with no parking signs which leads to a car park which is one way. Coming out back over the roundabout there are waiting spaces (pull on type ones). School finishes at 3:20. By 2:30 people are already sitting in the pull in spots. They are the best spots as they’re on your way out. If you miss those then you’re waiting in a one way line in the car park itself. But the one way line also goes right back to the entrance to the school which is via a slip road off a dual carriage way. If you’re late then you start queuing on the dual carriageway. They irritating thing is the parents who drop off and pick up on the roundabout which has double my yellow lines around it, crossed with this so short double yellow lines and big signs saying no parking. Then there are the parents that decide to not bother with all that and park on the slip road out of the school which rejoins the dual carriage way which also has double yellows crossed with short double yellows. Oh and there’s a bus stop just after the slip too, and many park in the bus stop. and the amount of accidents as you come out of the school onto a dual so assume you only need to look right but then plough (slowly) into illegally parked cars.

My kids walk mostly but one has disabilities and struggles so I will pick up but I make them wait until 3:40/45 so that I can get in and round the roundabout to the pull in which has usually emptied of the first parents by then. I avoid the car park as it’s is jammed.

ForPlumReader · 03/05/2025 20:11

Arran2024 · 03/05/2025 19:53

We have cameras which capture cars entering the streets at the banned hours. If you drive in you WILL get a ticket.

Show quote history

Oh, I love that idea! Perhaps I should suggest that to our local councillor. Thanks!!!

Nickisli1 · 03/05/2025 20:14

Definitely not at my DDs school - the spaces start to fill up around 10 mins before. Though most people walk

sumayyah · 03/05/2025 20:30

I live near a school, parents start parking from 1pm for a 3.25pm finish
If I'm not home by 2pm I've no hope of getting parked up
I don't u derstand why they turn up so early just to make sure little timmy doesn't need to walk far 🙄

dandeliondandy · 03/05/2025 20:34

Wahsingday · 02/05/2025 15:59

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.

Bloody Hell! What an entitled cow! I would be getting a bollard/gate/chain to stop that right away. How dare they treat you like that on your own property!

SnuffleTruffleHound · 03/05/2025 20:36

Can't be bothered reading 8 pages of replies but I'm sure they're the same as mine!
i live behind an infant school.
if I arrive home later than 2.15 i am unlikely to park on my street. School finishes at 3.15pm. . if I get home nearer 2.45 I just drive around until after 3,20pm otherwise I will have to park over half a mile away (no joke!)

Fleur405 · 03/05/2025 20:41

Who on earth are these people who have time to sit in their car outside school for an hour every day. That’s 20 hours a month!! Crazy.

MissHarlott · 03/05/2025 20:48

Wahsingday · 02/05/2025 16:12

Yep. On my driveway, not just blocking it.

Show quote history

Have you thought of parking your own car at the end of the drive to stop this selfish behaviour. Or get a retractable bollard installed.... Wait until they are on the drive, erect it and then sod off to the shops for a couple of hours.

Arran2024 · 03/05/2025 20:56

ForPlumReader · 03/05/2025 20:11

Oh, I love that idea! Perhaps I should suggest that to our local councillor. Thanks!!!

Show quote history

You have to fill in a form to get special dispensation if you live on the road to be able to drive down it during the specified hours.

Jacarandill · 03/05/2025 21:17

NotEnoughRoom · 03/05/2025 18:55

Sorry OP, our school would have let a parent into the car park to pick up a poorly child, but that may not have been possible at your dc school.

however, I was one of those parents who used to park up an hour early. On my one day off work I’d usually be out with a friend for lunch, then rarely had time to go home and back again, so used to head to school and park up with a coffee. I kept a mini-library in the car as it was the only time I got an uninterrupted hours peace to read a book. (I’d always park considerately and switch the engine off.)

Remember those days quite fondly actually!

Was there a reason you couldn’t walk to school?

Jacarandill · 03/05/2025 21:19

Girlof6 · 03/05/2025 19:57

At my kids school you do have to get there a good 20 mins before to park close, but if picking up a poorly child we can drive into the school grounds. Parking at schools is always a pain in the ass…

Why don’t you walk?

Original poster
zagazig · 03/05/2025 21:20

Fleur405 · 03/05/2025 20:41

Who on earth are these people who have time to sit in their car outside school for an hour every day. That’s 20 hours a month!! Crazy.

The best parking space is worth a lot of sacrifice clearly!

OP posts:
SquashPenguin · 03/05/2025 21:23

I can’t get close to my house after 2pm because of the number of idiots sat in their cars idling. You’d be forgiven for thinking none of the students can walk. It’s ridiculous.

EdithStourton · 03/05/2025 21:29

Wahsingday · 02/05/2025 15:59

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.

Caltrops...

jasminocereusbritannicus · 03/05/2025 21:32

Yes. This happens outside the school I work on! Madness! Or they start queuing at the gates on the grounds half an hour before school finishes!!!🙄

Coffeesnob11 · 03/05/2025 21:41

We are 2.5 miles from the primary school and for 2.3 mikes there are no pavements and sections of national speed limit. There are no pavements on the school road at all and so few children in the actual tiny village that most of us drive but as it's a small school we use the village green car park and don't sit idling. It starts to fill up g on 3.15 ish.
The secondary school the kids move onto is huge and almost 7 miles away (only choice of 1) and there are not enough bus places to get all the children so many parents still have to drive.
If either had a public bus or a safe cycle/walk route we would take those but not being in town doesn't work like that.