to 'know' that this will make not a jot of difference ?

[OrmIrian]

3yr old boy was knocked down outside school this morning. He was on the pavement holding his mother's hand. Car reversed, mounted the pavement and hit him. It ran over his legs . When I got there the ambulance had just arrived.

The school is Victorian and the main entrance is in a cul-de-sac with very limited parking. But many of the parents still park there - on double yellows and chevrons. It's a complete nightmare in the mornings with cars going everwhere, blocking up the roads. I have to drive as I am on my way to work but I park several streets away where there is always space.

The school has written many times about this in the newsletter. The police have handed letters out to the parents via school. We have a WOW (Walk on Wednesdays scheme) to encourage children to walk at least once a week. The fact that so many do shows that most of them could walk every day.

AIBU to beleive that this poor little chap's accident won't stop this happening. Because too many people are too lazy and self-centred

ds's school is down a cul-de-sac too, we are frequently told not to drive/park down there. Couple of days ago a car drove down and turned into the church carpark narrowly missing a child (another parent apparently yanked him out of the way just in time) This makes me really cross. Yes some of us are pushed for time getting children to school, but if you can't do it without endangering someone elses child then pay for a childminder to WALK your child to school.....(Obviously there are exceptions...)

I think that is true for modern schools blueshoes. But it isn't for older schools. Our school was built without cars in mind. It's a residential area with little space for residents to park let alone school parents.

And if we want to discourage car use, I guess that making it easier to park isn't the best option.

agreed blackduck...
what i do think (and I am fully prepared to be eaten alive here) is that if you send your kids to local schools (regardless of ofsted etc etc) then nobody (in a town/city) would live too far to walk- I know it would take some time for this to actually happen but if everyone sent their kids locally then the levels of every school would even themselves out eventually surely and the absurd clamour for 'good schools' (regardless of how far from home they are) would eventually die down? or am i being really idealistic here?

You are 100% right sleepless. But also hopelessly idealistic . As it happens ours is definitely a neighbourhood school - most pupils come from the immediate area. But some parents have to drive as they have moved further out since their DC started at the school, and some parents go to work, some parents may have other reasons to drive, and some parents are lazy f*ckers. Tis the way of it.

Poor little boy, this always worries me when I take dcs to school as it is always so congested near the school.

Stretford, walking children to local schools is certainly the best solution but like you said before in your previous post, people have perfectly valid reasons for driving.

I have an aupair to walk my ds to nursery but I have to drive dd to school because the school and nursery are in 2 different directions. And my dd was NOT accepted into her local school because it was oversubscribed. CMs are not as easy to find in London, particularly those who are only required to do the school run.

we have awful problems with parking outside our school, and police are involved all the times, it's a little cul de sac with a little tiny roundabout that a lot of parents park on which they are not supposed to as its so close to the school.

Needless to say unconsiderate parents do try and park as close as they can and its chaos in the mornings.

Now I do drive to school a lot but I always park as far away as I can, I am one of those 'lazy fuckers' but a considerate lazy fucker,

That poor little boy and his mum,

We have a community policeman stationed by the school every morning and afternoon. He moves the drivers along, but even his presence doesn't stop people parking on the chevrons and double yellows. The road to the school is hardly wider than a cart track and school run times are a major hazard for everybody.

Unfortunately, parking is also prohibited and very limited in all the roads leading to the school road, so there's nothing to lose by parking at the school - might just as well do the extra bit really. Loads of kids do walk, so I have always assumed the parents who drive have a good reason for doing so and aren't just lazy feckers.

You're right, that poor lad's accident will shock some people for a week perhaps and then it'll be business as usual.

I do hope he'll recover well and quickly.

This isn't about the rights or wrongs of driving to school, it's about dangerous driving. Why can't people park further away and walk a few hundred yards?

See the same thing at ds's school and I really don't understand. So many parents are determined to go down a tiny cul de sac next to the school, and do sixteen point turns to get back out again just as lots of very small children are trying to cross the road. I do not know WHY they insist on going down there when they could park perfectly safely on the road leading up to it.

And I really don't get the lack of altruism - why are so many parents on the school run happy to drive in a way that puts children at risk?

Do they really not give a toss about anyone's child but their own? Do they not identify with other parents?

Our caretaker dons a hi-vis vest and stands out the front at drop off/pick up times telling the offenders to fuck off go and stop/park elsewhere.

Did anyone spot the irony about having three police cars in the road as well.

Yep titchy. They were almost blocking the entrance to the cul-de-sac. But I think they had more justification than most.

We are at a cul-de-sac school too and have managed to reach a pretty good situation after a few near misses last year. Community police officers are there quite often - once a month ish - and most effective of all seems to be peer pressure - parents will challenge anyone who parks in the cul-de-sac part. The public humiliation seems to stop 'the lazy ones'. So I would recommend a public humiliation challenge to any of the 'lazy ones' - it really is most effective.

I hope that little boy is ok and the lazy dangerous twat who did it gets prosecuted.

Poor little lad

Our school gets very congested with people trying to park as close as possible and in parts the road is very narrow as are the pavements so all of us walking are forever screaming at our dc's to stay away from the road.

I drive sometimes when I've worked a night shift and I park in a really quiet street about 7 mins walk away. It's no big deal I don't know why people insist on getting as close as possible.

As a slight aside we get problems with people reversing out of their driveways over the pavement without looking. Last week me and ds's had to run as someone got in his car slung it in reverse and moved without looking. It happens at least once a month.

I make the same manoeuvre out of our driveway and would never do it without looking. I don't understand what gets in to people.

edam sadly not. I think some people do not develop a consideration for others when they have DCs. Their self-interest just spreads a tiny bit further out to include their kids, and their kids alone.

And guess what kind of children they will turn out to be?

I've said it before, but I blame Thatcher

Scary, isn't it?

Maybe I'm more puzzled by bad driving and need to park as close as possible because I don't drive - we always walk - but am having lessons so am paying attention to all the mirror signal manoeuvre (sp?) stuff? Do people forget all about it once they pass their test?

(Actually I know the answer to that one, daft old biddy tried to pull out from the side of the road into me as I was driving past today - my instructor sounded the horn and said I'd done everything right. )

Let us know if the wee chap is ok.

Yes he's OK. Been in hospital most of the day but apparently no major injuries. Thank God! School sent a letter out again about not driving to school if it can be avoided

We have this at our school, it is only amatter of time till someone is killed.

Poor little boy and his poor mum.

Let us know how he is

x post, glad he is doing ok

And guess what. I was right This morning cars still parked all along the double yellows and on the chevrons right by the gates.