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

[verycrossandembarrassed]

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.

The fact is that you were parked across someone's drive. This is what the school has publicised. Think you're just going to have to accept that you are in the wrong.

Post the full facts and a diagram if you want, but given you've admitted being unhelpful and annoying, I can't see the MN jury acquitting you!

You aren't doing yourself any favours here.

You could have waited for a space to become free (at your inconvenience) or parked further away, rather than inconvenience someone else. The school has a responsibility to be good neighbour so I'm not surprised they've done this. If they've not named you I would think there's nothing you can do about it.

Well they're not actually trying to lynch you, are they, so I think vigilante justice is a bit of an exaggeration. It's just a "name and shame" thing.

Someone where I live started a FB page called "parking twats" or something to name and shame illegal parkers. It's quite popular.

Surely if you admit you parked illegally across someone's driveway and the Head told other parents you'd parked illegally across someone's driveway, those are the facts?

Anyone who wants to can take a photo of your car parked in a public place and send it to anyone they like.

You've admitted doing what they suggested you were doing (parking inconsiderately) so they haven't misrepresented your actions in any way.

What exactly do you think the problem is here?

That they've embarrassed you? You've embarrassed yourself. You'll embarrass yourself more if you now try to make a fuss about it.

Don't do it again and it'll all blow over.

This is totally a reverse. Nobody speaks like that in RL. Mummies? Ffs.

Op ywnbu to take a photo and email everyone when someone parks like a twat in a public place. Yabvvvu to start a reverse thread about it.

Have you considered apologising? Or just complaining about your treatment?

It sounds as if you parked across a drop-down which is illegal. So the neighbour is right to complain. If they haven't named you, then the only people who will recognise your car will have already seen it today.

I doubt it was the only thing you could do, if you don't park there all the time - running late is not an excuse.

If the school has stated the facts, and from what you've said you don't seem to be disputing that, then there is no offence committed surely?

If they had said an untruth then you could think about libel but they have merely shared a fact by the sound of it.

Brilliant ! Our headteacher did this and I think it's a great idea . Why the hell would you block someone's drive ( if that's what you did ) I'd be furious and quite rightly would email the school. The house owner probably took the head to task so she is passing it onto you ! You have learned your lesson , don't do it again!

Unless the school published the photo without actually looking at it (which I greatly doubt), verycross, then they HAVE considered the facts. What is shown in the photo is factual.

What you want them to consider is your reasons for thinking it was OK for you to park thoughtlessly and inconsiderately.

What does the photo show - you parked across someone's drive, blocking their car in? Because that is illegal. If it shows you parked across their empty drive, then that is not illegal, but it is still rude and inconsiderate.

Did they actually say it was you or was it just a picture of your car?

Did it say 'look how Very has parked what a twat' or did it say 'here is an example of crappy parking'.

Either way you parked illegally and were made an example of. Tough shit.

I wish our local headteachers would do this. I live near a site with three schools on it. The dangerous, and illegal, parking by parents is a constant nightmare.
Local residents know better than to try to get in or out of our own homes at certain times of the day, but just occasionally we have no choice.
Thing is OP that whoever complained has probably had this happen to them many times, not just your once.
No sympathy here I'm afraid.

Consideration of the facts?!
The fact that you are too lazy to park a few roads away and walk?
The fact that you are so entitled you think normal laws of the roads don't apply to you?
The fact that the photo is self explanatory evidence of you breaking the law, but the HT doesn't have any formal legal training therefore isn't authoritative enough for you to listen to?

Let me guess, you put your hazard lights on and were only there 'a few minutes', so it didn't even count? And even though you do this every day, you can't actually see anyone being inconvenienced, so it doesn't count?

Are you also going to fess up to middle lane overtaking lane only, ignorant fucks hogging too whilst you are at it OP?

If it was illegal parking then yes they can do that, why not. It's permitted to take photos of whatever you want in public and publishing defamatory statements is acceptable if they are true.

If it's untrue, they have defamed you If true, you've merely embarrassed yourself. More power to the Head, I say.

You parked across someone's drive. A photo was taken and published. You were caught. What other facts are there to consider? You may have never done it before or may never do it again, however the person you inconvenienced probably has to deal with it all the time.
fwiw I have seen this happen a lot, so no, I doubt you have any legal redress.

Nothing has been proved except that your car was parked in the place it was when the photo was taken. They haven't named you have they? If they printed "Mrs Anne Smith illegally parked her car here and is really selfish" that would be unreasonable (substitute your name for Mrs Anne Smith - I hope I haven't randomly chosen your actual name there) and an inappropriate allegation (it could have been dumped there by a joy rider, or parked by your au pair(if you have one) or DP (if you have one)). However, all they have done is circulate a photo. Unless it is photoshopped to show your car somewhere it wasn't, it is a fair and reasonable thing to do.

The embarrassment you feel is the point. You won't do it again now. If the photo hadn't been circulated you probably would have done it again. Hopefully also the fact it was circulated will make hundreds of other parents at the school think a bit more about how they park.

So you were parked illegally, the school shamed you for it publicly and your reaction is to want to know your 'rights' so you can make a complaint?

I stand to be corrected, but yes, I think she does. I think she has a responsibility to promote (in the very least) and encourage the safety and well being of pupils on their way to school. She also has a moral responsibility (again at the very least) to manage the school as part of the wider community.

She probably has quite an extensive remit as far as "parking issues" are concerned. I know for instance that double parking and or parking on the chevrons outside school can restrict access for emergency services, it blocks the view of people coming out of the drop off zone.

So whilst it may not have been "illegal" it must have been a cause for concern and yes, I think she absolutely has a right to send a photograph around the (limited) public which constitutes your school.

And to be quite frank - taking issue with the way the head has dealt with it, rather than perhaps going in to see her to explain it was a one off I remain to be convinced and apologising profusely, then going to see the neighbour with a bouquet of flowers, seems rather odd.

And when you say "I couldn't see what else I could do" - there are a million and one suggestions - get out of bed earlier / park further away and walk in / you wait until a space becomes free and then park even if that means your child will be late / you share lifts so there aren't as many cars. You never, ever block a neighbours drive. What if they had a hospital appointment? Needed to get their own children to school??

I won't do it again.
Job done then.

Perhaps the OP would have preferred it if the school had slapped one of these on her car?