Parking and the school run, what are your views?

[WideWebWitch]

Well, if mumsnet is anything like real life, this thread should degenerate into a slanging match but I hope not

At ds's school the majority of the (mostly middle class, I feel I should point out) parents on the PTA committee take the view that driving to school is a heinous crime and that daring to park outside the school (even legally!) is just as bad (although they seem to think it's OK if you're a teacher. Hmm). Apparently we should all walk or park miles away and then walk the remainder of the journey so our kids don't have traffic anywhere near them. In my view this is unrealistic since many parents have no choice - they have to drive to get their child/ren to school and get to work on time and simply don't have the time to park and walk. Or, like me, they have other very small children or babies with them. I walk sometimes but others it just isn't possible - if I have somewhere to go straight after school, for example. Also, we live in a city and I feel the kids should be taught road sense - they're far more likely to get run over in Sainsbury's car park since I think the parent drivers are very careful on the whole.

It seems to me that parents get a hard time for driving to school despite the fact that the majority of morning and pm traffic is NOT the school run, but commuters (I assume, but I think I'm right). So, my questions are:

• What do you think? Is there a big old row/driving drama going on where you live too? IME parking and driving the school run is a huge preoccupation of many parents I know.
• Anyone know where I can get some stats re traffic, the school run, accidents and where they happen etc etc? I'm torn between staying out of it at our school or wading in to the battle with both feet and joining the transport committee to argue for The Drivers. Eeek!

oooh, www, sorry, the umbrella remark was not about the able-bodied unencumbered, not people with buggies - you're excused!

Also, 30mins walk each way isn't what I consider nearly close enough to walk - more than 10-15 mins each way and driving becomes a more reasonable option.

Having said that..there must be places in cities where it actually takes longer to drive a given distance than to walk it, in the rushhour?

Sorry - ignore first not in first post there!

www, I don't think you should be defensive. Driving to avoid a 30 minute walk, four times a day in bad weather with a pram, is pretty justifiable imo. I think you'd be a saint if you did that every day.
You mentioned that the PTA committee think that driving to school is a heinous crime but are they representative of all the parents at your ds's school?

People collecting from nursery/reception are totally excused compulsory walking because the poor little dears are often exhausted. Also those with pre-schoolers, especially the dawdling/roaming kind. (Teachers are exempt, too, HB!)

Preventing parking right by the school gates is essential but policing it practically impossible, unless each school could have a designated warden (parent, probably) with official ticketing powers and a large bodyguard.

All I can add (dds not at school yet) is that the mums that drive their children to school in our village drive so fast and dangerously that I wouldn't dream of going for a walk at around 3pm. It does really annoy me - there is a kind of arrogance about it that I hate...

I was thinking yesterday that they should put pelican crossings outside EVERY school - so that the children walking have priority over the cars - and there should be those yellow zig zag lines on both sides of the road. When I walk my son to school I can't even see up and down the road to check it is safe to cross - providing a safe crossing area would be much better.

JanH

In the past (before my children attended) they did have a Traffic Warden type person at our school who did "ticket" everyone parking in the wrong places or dangerously etc.

I have already offered to be a free replacement if they decide to start it up again

However, as I've said from the start, I don't mind people driving to school at all (and yes if I had to walk 30 mins each way, then I would drive - particularly if I had to drag my 4yo DD2 with me ) - I just have a problem with people parking dangerously/inconsideratly etc.

The majority of the pupils are from catchment - which covers areas that are a maximum of 15 minutes from the school - and still lots drive their Mercedes/BMWs/4x4s this short distance.

(I was going to include MPVs but I have one myself )

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I agree that anything more than 20mins each way and the parents should drive without any guilty feelings or if their going on to work but come on all those with babys saying that they'll get wet - did your buggy or pram not come with a rain cover? If you're worried about getting wet buy a coat with a hood..... oh I could go on about this for ages...... but will leave it there I think.

Here's a REALLY hot potato - how about changing the legislation so that everyone has to send their children to their catchment area school (so far fewer long car journeys)?!

I must admit I'm of the car driving camp - I drive DS to his nursery which is a 15 minute walk away, but I can't drop him off before 8.30 so to get to work by 9.00 I have to drive straight on. He would actually love to cycle to work so I'm considering getting a bike.

On the rare days when I'm not at work we walk.

Slinky they're doing the same at ds1's school- traffic warden. Apparently it is really bad in the mornings and afternoons but I'm never there that time so I don't know!

Certainly a hot potato sheila abut toally unworkable for lots of reasons.

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Jenie, I do have a rain cover, true. What I also have is one pair of shoes which aren't waterproof and no spare money to buy any more at the moment. Ds doesn't have wellies either - ditto re the money to buy some. He does have decent shoes which I've just spent £30 on buying and don't particularly want ruined on a wet walk to school. We do walk when it's dry (more than 20 mins so maybe you don't mind?) So what do you suggest I do? (Janh, it's fine ) Sheila, we do go to catchment area state school. Ha ha Jimjams, maybe I'll make that arses comment at the next meeting - I couldn't BE any more unpopular so it won't make any difference!

stressy head- that's already in place here. I do worry about not getting ds2 into the same school (ds1 gos to a school in a different LEA let alon outside the catchment). It would be a logistical nightmare!

Stressyhead, your head's double standards would make me furious - think you should write to the Governors about it. (Seriously.)

we have a car park that is a 2 and a half minute walk from the school gates and STILL mothers and fathers choose to block the entrance.

Its pure idleness.

By the way - no one heard of umbrellas or wellingtons?

I am really suprised by sone of the responses here

As a complete aside (sparked by the umbrella comment) why oh why haven't pushchair manufacturers invented some sort of clip on umbrella for the person pushing?! It wouldn't be that hard to invent, would it?

oh and i agree with the SLinkstress - drive all you like I can see sometimes its quicker if you have to go straight to work but dont endanger our children's lives at the same time

Well, you can get a nice waterproof kagoule very cheaply, does away with the need for an umbrella completely.

You can also buy second-hand wellies very cheaply.

I think there is a big issue in rural areas that the local government & lea can't have it both ways. A lot of the smaller local schools were closed down in favour of larger primaries with larger catchment areas in towns. At the same time they want more people to walk their children to school?!

It doesn't take a genius to work out that the two initiatives are basically incompatible.

And let's not even get started on the government wanting every family to be a two parent working family and how difficult THAT makes taking the time to walk.

dinosaur - kagoules don't help when you wear glasses - I can't see a damn thing when walking into rain without a brolly! (I know I know ... I need windscreen wipers for my glasses...)

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