School Run Advice

[Pinkapie]

Each morning I've got 3 school drop offs, my two eldest at secondary and 2 youngest at two different primary schools (dc3 needed to move schools). Anyway after dropping dc3 off at a cut through to her school I was met by a really aggressive lady, I was turning the turning circle and about to pull off when she pulled forward in front of me to get to her drive and shout 'what the f am I doing?' and then shout I should 'f off and she would 'kill me' all in front of dc4 age 7!
I just drove off without saying anything as I did t want to scare dc4 but honestly I feel like this is completely unacceptable, advice please on what I can do ...

Nothing. You don't do anything.
Do not engage if you see her again. If DC asks about the incident just say sometimes people get upset and act inappropriately or shout. She might have been upset about something or in a panic to get in for some reason and having a car in what she perceived to be her way just tipped her over the edge. Im not justifying her behaviour but you don't know what's going on with people. It would probably be annoying having people constantly doing drop offs in front of her house.
But you don't have to do anything at all. If you are legally entitled to drive there and turn just do that.

Don't see what having 3 drop offs has to do with it.

Id be interested to hear her version.

If there’s a turning circle is it a small cul de sac? Guessing she’s fed up of being unable to access her property if people are using it as a cut though drop off point

Totally get where you are coming from but at the end of day she's bought a house near a school, I can't dictate who drives past my house..I just feel that it's completely in appropriate with a child in the car

Its literally just that my child was in the car, I don't think that this is ok

You can't do anything about it, it is her word against yours. You may be parking badly, she may be having a bad day. You let it go and make sure that you are parking considerately in the future. Your lifestyle choice to have 3 school drop offs isn't anyone else's problem.

It's not ok, but given it isn't illegal to swear at people, even children, in the street, and even if it were, you couldn't prove she had done it you can't do anything about it. What you can do is ensure that you are never pulled up in front of her, or anyone else's, drive while dropping your child at school because that is illegal and you can not do it.

Not saying it is just explains my stressful morning

Why are you parking in a turning circle?

Ok well I didn't do that and I haven't done that so that's fine, threatening to kill someone in front of their child is vile

Ah sorry I was turning in the circle AFTER dropping off my dc3 further down the road

I often find people without primary school age children who live near primary schools fascinating. In that situation, I would be desperate to move the instant my children went to secondary. But these warriors refuse to do so and instead devote themselves to territorial turf wars with people trying to access the state education system.

Shouldn't they just go for a jog or hit a punch bag or something?

Yep unfortunately some people are vile, but unless they are illegally vile and you can prove it, there's not a lot you can do sadly!

First of all, her reaction is clearly unreasonable.

However... are you sure its a public road not a private access road? The biggest problems caused by a nearby school is parents parking (aka abandoning cars wherever they fancy) on access roads, residents parking, grass verges etc.

I know, absolutely bizarre! Where we used to live was near town and so lots of people who worked in the centre parked on it never would I dream of shouting abuse. We know this before we bought the house and so should they.
Honestly, I just think that threatening to kill someone is horrendous I front of their child.

No it's a road that we all pay our car tax to up keep, otherwise I would understand your point.

Totally get where you are coming from but at the end of day she's bought a house near a school, I can't dictate who drives past my house..I just feel that it's completely in appropriate with a child in the car
Indeed, how dare she expect some consideration from parents because it's her fault parents park and drive like shit.

I can assume your another one of those entitled parents who think they own the roads around the schools because dropping their darlings on time and making sure they walk as little as possible is much important than neighbours being able to get out of their drive safely.

And if you need advice so tour children dont get traumatised, just roll up your windows and turn the radio up. Easy!

Is there any way you can get the younger 2 into the same school

Don’t raise it and if your child asks just say she was angry and you are safe.

i find mums on the school run fascinating. You think that the rules of the road don’t apply to you and that you can park wherever you want and turn wherever you want, causing huge disruption to everyone around you for the sake of your child not walking to school.

also car tax just goes into the pot. It doesn’t give you the right to drive like an arse hole.

Kids should walk or cycle to school, problem solved. No primary school distance will warrant a drive.

Agree, I live near a secondary school and the parking is very annoying at school drop off time but I wouldn't dream of swearing and threatening to kill someone over it. Ridiculous overreaction from her to what is a mildly irritating thing.

I can only assume your morning is quite stressful with four children and three different schools to get to. Her behaviour sounds bizarre and unnecessary and I imagine quite distressing.

She may well also have been stressed - she's maybe experienced people blocking her drive and had somewhere to get to.

There's a secondary school near my house and the head teacher has made a real point to parents of not parking in the immediate vicinity of the school to avoid inconveniencing local residents. But it just means all the parents crowd my street, parking badly and occasionally blocking access. It is really annoying. But I've never threatened to kill any of them.

I'm always puzzled by how massively unpleasant other road users can be around schools during drop off and pick up times. My DD goes to a school in a busy suburb on a road which is a route into a big city. You can park on the road so you drive down, see a space indicate and pull in. All very normal. But so many drivers beep and swear at you for daring to pull in. I do get that there are lots of shitty school run parents that park on double yellows and bus stops in their massive range rovers but thats a small minority so shouldn't be taken out on the rest of us.

I have always been puzzled by how Brits are so different on foot compared to in a car. If you even just nearly bump into someone on the street they apologise profusely, even when it's not their fault. Once they are behind the wheel they turn into these rage filled maniacs with zero manners (not referring to you OP). Can these really be the same people? Does the car offer some kind of protection from confrontation and that's why all the rage comes out then?

You forget about it entirely. It was a few seconds of road rage which you rightly ignored and drove away from.