Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Legal matters

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have any legal concerns we suggest you consult a solicitor.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

school emailed round my car reg telling whole world i parked illegally

301 replies

verycrossandembarrassed · 10/11/2015 12:47

is this okay for the school Headmistress to do this to me? they say i parked illegally this morning, took a photo of my car and have now emailed every single parent at my DS's school with all the information. nothing has been proved! i know i've probably annoyed a neighbour but is this fair how the Headmistress has acted? Surely I must have some rights too? It's just sooo embarrassing as I count lots of the mummies as my good friends. I don't think she should have been able to do this and would like to know my legal rights and complain about this treatment. Really awful for my DS too.

OP posts:
fastdaytears · 10/11/2015 17:25

She only came here to ask a slightly mental legal question and asking her anything else is trolling

Shutthatdoor · 10/11/2015 17:29

It is a thread on a public forum. You asked for opinions people have given them.

Just because you don't like it isn't trolling.

As for 'possible annoyance'. I don't think there is much possible about it otherwise it wouldn't have happened.

You were given advice on the thread y a lawyer who said the HT had done nothing wrong.

lifesalongsong · 10/11/2015 17:29

People aren't trolling you, they are disagreeing with you. It's not the same thing at all.

If you'd asked for a legal opinion in your first post and given the full facts, maybe even shared the photo so people would know exactly what you did they you might have got different replies.

I very much doubt that the HT told the whole world (I haven't had my email yet) and if you post hear regularly you must know that calling people mummies is never going to end well.

I'd suggest you suck it up this time and just don't do it again

Lillipuddlian · 10/11/2015 17:32

I don't know... seems like a bullying tactic to me. I work a lot with confidentiality and privacy... you may have the right not to have your electronic identity broadcast to other parents. Otherwise, if it is school property, they can do what they like with photos.

HSMMaCM · 10/11/2015 17:32

Of course the school can say it's illegal. I could say it was illegal if I wanted to. If it's illegal, it's illegal is t it ?

Castrovalva · 10/11/2015 17:34

I spent some time a many years ago working alongside a team in an official and 'legally empowered' role moving cars on from outside a school. Because it had big safety implications if they parked illegally.

Some nugget would pull up, Theyd walk over in uniform and say 'sorry, but you are parked illegally, please can you move on and park elsewhere '

Do you want to guess what every single one of them said....?

'But I'll only be a few minutes. There's nowhere else....'

They ALL say it.
( then they get sweary usually, and move on to threats and personal insults)

And of course there was somewhere else, just not close. Lazy arseholes.

No one, but no one has any sympathy with selfish and inconsiderate parking. Sorry.

AliceInUnderpants · 10/11/2015 17:38

Is the "absolutely unbelievable" and "appalling language" because I told you to stop parking like a cunt?

amarmai · 10/11/2015 17:38

I'm guessing you've gone down a few notches with the sisterhood of self entitled mummies ? Also maybe mn was the wrong forum to look for support when putting cc at risk and parking inconsiderately. Isn't there a SEMS forum somewhere out there?

NoSquirrels · 10/11/2015 17:48

Thanks to those who thought maybe the Head could have handled this differently. As to the rest, please go and make a more positive contribution to the world.

Thanks for those who agreed with me (1%)
The rest of you (99%) wasted your time and mine.

Grin
Fuckitfay · 10/11/2015 17:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sallyhasleftthebuilding · 10/11/2015 17:53

Did the other mummies support you?

superbfairywren · 10/11/2015 17:53

I wish the head of the school by us would name and shame, we constantly complain about it! I live next door to a school and my parents live just down from one and I really started to believe that most people with school aged children were lazy and inconsiderate as the parking we see daily is appalling. You have all made my day, Im glad I'm not the only one who doesn't understand why these people can't park a bit up the road where its safe and walk to the school!

Today I came out of my back gate with the pushchair and my dog and was faced with a range rover parked right up to my back gate. Because its bin day tomorrow I couldn't go left for bins and had to wait for the women to get her child in the car before I could get past. She had parked in front of our garages where there are signs that say about being considerate to residents and not parling infront of garages or driveways! I said 'excuse me, you can't park here' she ignored me and got in the car, so I shouted back at her how inconsiderate she was and what a great impression she was setting for her child. I'm also pretty sure she lives a 2minute walk down the road. I hate people!

SoupDragon · 10/11/2015 18:06

So, we are expected to comment on the legalities of the head accusing you of parking illegally without you telling us how you were parked so we can say whether the head was right to accuse you of parking illegally...? Have I got that right?

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 10/11/2015 18:19

People have mentioned on here that it is illegal to block someone in on their drive. I think I said that it's not illegal if you aren't blocking someone in (this is my understanding from comments on parking threads on MN).

I assume that, if the OP had parked across someone's drive, but was not blocking anyone in, she would have said so, loud and clear, so it is not unreasonable to assume that she was blocking the homeowner in, and doesn't want to say so.

I would hope that the HT has made sure she knows what parking behaviour is illegal before she sent out the email with the picture of the OP's car, accusing her of parking illegally. she wouldn't want to accuse someone of behaving illegally if their behaviour is not illegal, because that would be libel.

NorthernLurker · 10/11/2015 18:20

You need to grow up a bit OP.

Parking near in a school in a way which is dangerous and/or illegal and/or simply inconsiderate puts kids lives at risk. I'm sure that never occurred to you that YOUR behaviour was doing that, just as it never occurs to many parents. That's why the HT emailed round your reg and she was right to do it. Fundamentally she needs to keep the kids safe and your behaviour contributes to a situation where that is at risk. Your behaviour on this thread only serves to reinforce my impression that you needed this wake up call.

Pipbin · 10/11/2015 18:20

Is the "absolutely unbelievable" and "appalling language" because I told you to stop parking like a cunt?

Pipbin · 10/11/2015 18:21

Meant to add a 'pffft' after that quote.

Dolly80 · 10/11/2015 18:41

SDT my understanding of drop kerb driveways is similar to yours, you can prevent access but not prevent exit.

That doesn't justify doing it, highly inconsiderate and selfish. However, I'm not sure if either is illegal. I think local councils/police decide what, if any action, to take. For example, whether tickets will be issued by traffic wardens, or police request the person parked moves on.

SilverBirchWithout · 10/11/2015 18:54

I think what the OP wanted to somehow prove was that the HT was not permitted to state it was illegal parking without "evidence". However the HT did have evidence a photograph of the car parked illegally (we assume across a dropped curb blocking a resident in).

So the HT was correct in circulating the email and photo pointing out that this was illegal parking, just in case some of the precious mummies were (like the OP) unaware that parking like this was illegal. Maybe it lacked tact, but I guess the action was taken after a number of memos from the school asking for parents to show consideration to neighbours when parking near the school, and this causing the school a lot of grief from its neighbours.

I suspect the OP is an entitled person who is not used to being told-off.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 10/11/2015 18:54

According to CheeseandPicledOnion on a parking thread in Legal Matters asking whether it is illegal to block someone's drive:

"Do you have a dropped kerb? If so I believe it's illegal and covered by the The Traffic Management Act 2004 which made it illegal to park next to a dropped kerb."

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 10/11/2015 18:56

CheeseandPickledOnion - sorry.

gingerdad · 10/11/2015 18:58

Well done Head Teacher. Please keep up the good work.

Dolly80 · 10/11/2015 19:00

I saw this on another thread too:

Councils can only enforce dropped kerbs in london or elsewhere in Special Enforcement Areas .

In other parts of the country it is a police matter.

I know that in my own area you have to register for them to enforce it, otherwise the wardens will ticket you for parking across your own drive (for example if you had relatives /friends round who you didn't mind parking across)

Anyway, none of this changes that's it's inconsiderate.

BackforGood · 10/11/2015 19:24

It's odd. Every single person that parks over my driveway always tries to tell me "I was only going to be a minute".
Even if this were anywhere near the truth - and it clearly isn't - it doesn't matter, if it co-incides with the minute I am on the road trying to get into my driveway.

ProfGrammaticus · 10/11/2015 19:28

Serves you right
Serves you right
Serves you right,
Serves you right
Serves you right
Serves you ri-ight