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row in parking lot with head teacher! (longish)

467 replies

sansouci · 01/10/2005 18:33

There is next to no parking by dd's school. Everyone complains but for the moment, nothing has actually been done about it, except for the police coming round & taking photos of pick-up & drop-off times. The yummy-mummies make it even worse with SUVs but anyway.

Yesterday when I went to pick up dd from school, I had to double park. I left my warning lights flashing to show that I was coming back soon. Unfortunately, dd didn't come to the car easily & then I got chatting with another mummy, as you do, forgetting completely about my precarious parking place.

On returning to the car, a group of angry women were clustered in front of the school & of course I apologised profusely to the one or two I had blocked.

One woman made a rather bitchy comment as I was charging by & when I saw her heading for her car a few minutes later, I asked her what she felt could be done about the parking. It's not my problem, she replied shortly. We got into an argument, which escalated, as things do on a Friday afternoon. She said, I'm a teacher at this school! to which I retorted, My daughter is a student at this school & if you're part of the staff, you should care about the parking problem! I wasn't rude, but I was very angry with her & she was angry with me.

I eventually roared off, furious and shaking, cursing the woman aloud. Do you know that silly woman? I asked DD. Yes, she said, she's the head teacher. Oh SH*T, I thought, Now I've done it.

How can I face her again? She'll be dd's teacher one day. I think I was right to be cross but I was at fault & certainly on the defensive. What do you think I can do?

OP posts:
roisin · 01/10/2005 20:04

I must admit I'm rather astonished that you don't recognise the Headteacher. Why not? Is it a very big school? Or has your dd just started?

Gillian76 · 01/10/2005 20:10

I can't believe you're paying fees and have never met the head teacher!

I agree you should apologise for parking as you did. For everyone's sake. Then bring up the issue of parking if you feel strongly about it.

bev1e · 01/10/2005 20:13

What time the head is leaving is completely irrelevant to the issue - the issue is the fact that sansouci was illegally double parked!

I wouldn't apologise to her either in writing or face-to-face. If she doesn't think the parking is her problem then she's not going to be interested in your apology. I wouldn't worry about it - just make sure she doesn't spot you doing it again.

Caligula · 01/10/2005 20:14

TBH I don't really understand why you think the school should provide you with convenient parking. Is that part of their remit?

sis · 01/10/2005 20:24

Sansouci, of course you don't have to apologise, I assumed you wanted to apologise because you said in your original post that you were at fault.

Pinotmum · 01/10/2005 20:41

I don't think parking is her concern. If you couldn't get a space near the school you should have parked further away and walked back imo.

spidermama · 01/10/2005 20:44

Apologise. Quickly. Before the rot sets in.

sansouci · 01/10/2005 21:12

The school should provide parking because our children are tiny. From age 3 to 10. Last winter my dd was 4 and my ds was 18 months & not yet walking. The road was very icy at one point & for at least a week I carried ds in one arm & held dd's hand while trying to keep my balance on the ice. I didn't complain. I suppose that's what made me so angry yesterday.

You're right. I will apologise. I was wrong, for whatever reason. I shouldn't have argued, shouldn't have lost my temper & allowed her to see me angry. If I approach the situation 1st thing Monday, I'll have the upper hand besides.

OP posts:
Bozza · 01/10/2005 21:19

I don't really get what you had to complain about. IMO if you double park like that and then forget about it and get chatting you ought to expect bitchy comments. Not only is it a pain for the people you have blocked in, it makes it more dangerous for those children on foot. And the way our school is arranged even the one time I went in the car (to get DS to take to hospital appt) I had to get the pushchair out for 16 month old DD because you have to walk right round the school to get to where reception are let out.

moondog · 01/10/2005 21:22

Og get off your arse and walk ss!.
Jesus,the things some people perceive to be a problem.
And grovel,grovel,grovel.

charliecat · 01/10/2005 21:22

If theres no parking next to the school you should have found a street where you can park. And walk the rest. Like the rest of the school drivers do?

hunkermunker · 01/10/2005 21:26

I think the bit of your original post I have most trouble with is "I had to double park"

No, you didn't.

Nor did you get chatting by accident - you knew you were double parked and you thought you were more important than anyone else in the road.

I am amazed you don't know what the head looks like. Is she new?

misdee · 01/10/2005 21:30

i have walked through wind and snow, rain and sun to get my kids to school. its a mile each way. and i did that with dd1 in nursery and dd2 in a buggy. more recntly i did it with a newborn, 2.5yr old and 5yr old. parking becomes a problem at schools when people think they prioity over others. i am gald i have 20mins to get dd2 to pre-school after dropping dd1 off, means i canrelax in the car for a few moments whilst everyone else disappears in a hurry.

edam · 01/10/2005 21:32

Give sansouci a break, she had her very embarrassing come-uppance and has admitted she was wrong.

sansouci · 01/10/2005 21:33

Back off. I've said mea culpa and I mean it.

OP posts:
bev1e · 01/10/2005 21:34

Gosh what a righteous lot you are!

sansouci · 01/10/2005 21:34

Where do you all get off with this "holier than thou" attitude? Prigs.

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 01/10/2005 21:36

Is there anything the school can physically do re parking? I know lots of schools are in residential roads and there's just no room if everyone drives to school.

Can you walk? (I ask this genuinely, not to be inflammatory).

moondog · 01/10/2005 21:36

Well,why bloody invite comments then???

What is it that you want???

hunkermunker · 01/10/2005 21:36

WHAT?! I'm a prig because I would never double park?! FFS!

misdee · 01/10/2005 21:37

i cant walk anymore, i have s driving liscence lol

sansouci · 01/10/2005 21:39

Unemotional, non-judgemental points of view, moondog. To help me to be unemotional and find a way of sorting this mess out!

OP posts:
sansouci · 01/10/2005 21:40

The school is 5 miles from home.

OP posts:
moondog · 01/10/2005 21:40

Fine
Apologise
Don't do it again

That do ya?????

misdee · 01/10/2005 21:40

blocking a rd/access at my dd1 school could have dire consequences, what if peters batteries ran out? sorry.

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