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Education

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Original poster

Told off on school run

159 replies

J1xxx · 27/10/2016 19:34

I am a single dad with a full time job as a solicitor in the cc, and therefore don't have much time to waste in the mornings. Today I was dropping my two dd's off at primary school and was running late for work so I pulled up outside school and let them get out and go to the playground together (they are in years 4+5 so responsible enough to cross a road). Anyway later on when picking them up I was confronted by one of the teaching assistants who waits at the gates who said I had been driving dangerously! I was quite embarrassed and told her I was very busy and it was none of her business. Am I in the wrong?

OP posts:

MayhemandMadness01 · 27/10/2016 20:35

Parking opposite the zig zag lines is an offense as well as parking on them.

Lovecat · 27/10/2016 20:36

Get up earlier if you need to be in work at an earlier time.

Don't stop in the road to let your children out.

Don't park across from the zigzags.

Parents like you who think they're above the Highway Code are a nightmare. A dangerous nightmare. I say that as someone who works in a school office and has a grandstand view of parents slewing to a halt outside the gate, mounting the pavement, swearing at residents, all over the zigzags and double yellows, all because they can't be arsed to leave the house on time and they 'have jobs to get to, you know!' (like we don't, of course...).

Mumofttwins · 27/10/2016 20:36

She's the one that's making more of it. Think she wanted to point something out to you.

Fgs the children are more than capable to jump out of the car safely, for a holiday club at the school. It wouldn't exactly of been busy.

If she's so concerned, and it really is busy, then she should contact the council and get a crossing patrol person.

ItShouldHaveBeenJess · 27/10/2016 20:36

As this is , technically, a parking thread of sorts, I think we need a diagram, possibly including a quick sketch of the 'weird, smug look'

NNat · 27/10/2016 20:37

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

TheFlyingFauxPas · 27/10/2016 20:37

I agree year 4 and 5s know how to cross a road safely. We only live about 10 minutes from school gate. However, I would walk my ds to the gate every morning. Not because of any lack of road crossing abilities on his behalf but because of the twattish entitled irresponsible and downright life- threatening driving of a small amount of parents who thought the carefully thought out road policies didn't apply to them and they could fly past at 40, park on the zig zags, double yellows, pavements, in fact anywhere to endanger the lives of other little ones trying to get there safely. Doh! they must have been busy solicitors! Silly old me.

Original poster

J1xxx · 27/10/2016 20:39

"Parking opposite the zig zag lines is an offense as well as parking on them."
Well considering residents are parked where I stopped, I doubt it was for this reason!

OP posts:

nocampinghere · 27/10/2016 20:40

How can we tell if you were driving dangerously or not?

we were not there.
you have not given any explanation of your driving or parking?
did you stop in the middle of the road, engine running, kick the kids out and let them cross behind you as you drove off? that doesn't sound particularly safe for a 9 & 10 year old imo.

SpeakNoWords · 27/10/2016 20:44

How fast were you driving? Do you know?

It is fairly arrogant to brush off a comment like that without asking the TA what she thought was dangerous and why. If you were too busy to discuss it, you could have told her apologetically, so without the "none of your business" comment. It absolutely is her business. Children get knocked down by cars around schools regularly, because they are unpredictable and do things that drivers can't anticipate. Which is why driving at 20mph or less is important, as is not blocking views or similar.

Sparklingbrook · 27/10/2016 20:45

I have now realised there must be lots of busy solicitors on the school run around here. They must be the ones parked all over the grass verges (mentioned in the school newsletter as not to park on), in the bus bay marked 'coaches only' and in the cycle lanes. Mystery solved.

Original poster

J1xxx · 27/10/2016 20:46

I thought I had explained myself but I'll do it again. I was probably doing about 10mph before I stopped (the school is on a road with speed bumps) and I stopped across from the gates, slightly pulled in but probably sticking out a bit - couldn't fit my tank of a range in properly! And yeah then the kids got out and crossed from behind me, and I drove away. Not really dangerous

OP posts:

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 27/10/2016 20:46

Boffinmum is right. Some school staff do like to reprimand everyone on the premises in a power trippy sort of way.

I had an appointment with the headmistress and was barked at by the receptionist, and told to wait outside her office on the little plastic chairs. I felt about 6 years old.

Original poster

J1xxx · 27/10/2016 20:47

And there were no other parents around in cars (as I said I was late!)

OP posts:

midcenturymodern · 27/10/2016 20:49

Your car is so massive you can't park it, but it's safe for your kids to cross behind it?

You have crossed into the realms of implausibility

SpeakNoWords · 27/10/2016 20:49

So she specifically said "dangerous driving"? My first thought would have been to ask what she thought was dangerous, otherwise how would you know what she was talking to you about!

Original poster

J1xxx · 27/10/2016 20:51

midcenturymodern it is too big for me to have pulled in to fully be next to the kerb so I was sticking out, there was still room behind.

OP posts:

BoneyBackJefferson · 27/10/2016 20:51

J1xxx

Leave earlier.

PuppyMonkey · 27/10/2016 20:51

Does she perhaps mean that you were parked dangerously, sticking out? And that your kids crossing from behind you blocked their view of the road?

I'm not sure. But the important thing here is that a lot of people have had the opportunity to indignantly point out that it is not half term everywhere. Even though OP has stated that it IS half term where he is. So that's good.

Twogoats · 27/10/2016 20:51

What kind of car is it?

ShatnersBassoon · 27/10/2016 20:52

at 'tank of a range'

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 27/10/2016 20:52

I suggest you have a little think about your behaviour J1xx and have an essay on her desk in the morning outlining a parent's responsibilty to drive safely in a school drop off situation.

Original poster

J1xxx · 27/10/2016 20:53

twogoats Range Rover

OP posts:

HarryPottersMagicWand · 27/10/2016 20:53

I thought TAs get half term off. Weird.

Also being a solicitor doesn't make you any more of a responsible parent than a bin man you know.

Smacks of how important you are being a busy solicitor. Maybe the TA has picked up on your attitude and you were badly parked and driving madly because you were rushing to get to your important job.

JoJoSM2 · 27/10/2016 20:54

Don't know what her point was... you can't have been driving too fast as you had to stop to drop the girls off... And at that age, crossing the road is absolutely fine. The TA is just being annoying.

HarryPottersMagicWand · 27/10/2016 20:54

Maybe a smaller car would be better if you cant park it. Do you do a lot of off roading?

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