Yesterday when another mum and I were walking along the footpath in front of our school with three under 5s walking along in front of us, a mum parked her 4 x 4 two foot onto the grass verge inches from them. I asked her if she thought it was a good idea to bump up on the kerb right next to the children. She replied that it was just fine, that we mustn't upset her daughter whom she was unloading from the car and that anyway she'd waited at the zebra crossing for us to cross. We said well that's what you have to do, doesn't mean you can endanger our childrens' lives. We argued a bit, she just wouldn't agree there was anything wrong with what she'd done, so I invited her to discuss it with the headteacher with me, obviously she declined. Five minutes later I saw her complaining loudly about us to another parent with whom I'd previously been on nodding terms. Next time I saw her she didn't return my smile.
I thought well I'll let it lie, but just now as I walked towards school to collect my son the 4 x 4 woman was standing at the gate with two others and accosted me saying, 'are you going to have a go at all the other people who've parked on the verge then, or is it just me?' (there were 3 cars btw). I reminded her that three small children had been right next to her car when she'd carelessly performed her manouevre, but she tossed her head and flounced off while I was still speaking. She walked up to the mums of my class (her kid isn't in the same class as mine) and stood right in front of me gossipping with 3 of the mums it's taken me over a year to get friendly with.
I'm wondering if she's going to bad mouth me all over the school, she's doing a great hard done by act and I feel quite upset about it. I don't know whether to ask the head to put out a letter regarding the issue of careless parking outside the school - a child was knocked down at the end of last term. But I don't want to descend into a petty squabble as I think sticking to the facts is always best. I just don't want to dread the school run every day.