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!

Ks, one of the big companies up here does run a bus for their employees! I'm not sure if it's free or paid for.

WWW, my mum would never let us walk to school on our own. The best bit for me about going to grammar school was that she couldn't go in two directions at once!

Aloha. We had no ch and frost indoors seemed almost permanent in winter. Mind you, we were better off than my grandad. He, apparently, had to walk five miles over mountains without shoes and only a hot baked potato in his pocket for warmth.

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I used to get chilblains (Brown smelly ointment, anyone?)

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Luckymum - letters were put through doors of houses that would be affected asking them to advise the school of numbers of cars that are parking inconsiderately.

now we've moved we live closer to dd1 nursery school so most days we walk (or dd1 makes me walk) unless we are going out somehwre after dropping her off or picking her up.
i used to live opposite a school, most children live within walking distance as its a small catchment area, that side of town had 3primary schools, all within 10mins walk of each other. we could never get into our private car park at picking up and dropping off times. we had a barrier put up to stop parents using the car park for their own use as it only had about 6spaces anyway which was just about enough for the residents, but someone knocked the barrier over so they kept parking there. we actually locked some cars in once as we couldnt get in our space. that led to a slanging match. it was a nightmare.

I walk half an hour mainly uphill to get dd1 to school, then half an hour in another direction to get dd2 to nursery and then half an hour home to get back to my house, and then I have to do it all again at the end of the day. I hate it!
But when my mum gives me a lift it takes just the same amount of time, because of the parking and the traffic, its more stressful because we might be late (on foot if you leave on time you get there in time!) and if its raining i seem to get just as wet getting kids in carseats and back out again.
As long as the people in cars park where they are allowed and stop at the zebra crossings it doesnt bother me. Pity about the exhaust fumes though.

DS2's school has a name and shame policy, where they publish, the numberplates of any cars that have been reported to the school office for inconsiderate parking and/or dangerous manoevering in their cul-de-sac,in each school newsletter!!!! Not sure if it works (DH takes him to school) and not sure about the legalities/morals of it, but brave of them!!

The messages on this thread have confirmed what I've been thinking about this afternoon. It's all down to local geography, IMO. The layout of the roads, the layout of the school, the usual traffic flow, the parking restrictions, the availability of spaces in car parks, the number of parents needing to drive etc etc etc. People don't park illegally and thoughlessly if they can park legally and thoughfully. Most parent drivers, ime, don't upset the PTA on purpose

My son's present school does not have a big problem with inconsiderate parking for the reasons below. And with only 150 children in the school, there is no huge build up of cars at school pick up and drop off times.

However, both my sons previous schools did have problems with inconsiderate parents parking. Why? not enough space to park legally and safely nearby and pre-exisiting traffic problems.

I think it's not on for the PTA to heap blame on parents. Agree with suedonims points on this. If safety rules and the law are being breached, then the PTA has good reason to bring this to light. But no PTA is there to enforce moral judgements on all parents who drive. If there is a problem generally with parents driving and parking, the PTA - well all parents and teachers - should unite and look for solutions outside the school.

We have to get the kids to school using cars because we live 3 miles away, down a road with no pavement. I also work 3 miles in the opposite direction, and I have to be in work for pre school briefing at 8.30. What we do to try to limit the 'damage ' we do is to car share. A friend takes them into school and I pick up my kids and hers at the end of the day. That way at least the cars are full. In addition we are luck that there is a reasonable car parking place in front of the school that is off the public roads. So everyone is reasonably happy. People who sit there chatting get on my nerves a bit though

WWW - not that I put it across very clearly but my point was not that you had chosen to buy your ds a pair of expensive (well standard priced but properly fitted) shoes but that there was no real thought into how these shoes would stand up to general wear and tear of winter weather after having a similar conversation with a mother at the school gates not 2 days ago I'm left infuriated that this could be a reason not to walk, yes this too was her reason as to parking on a corner on double yellow lines.

My own ds (20 months) is getting his feet wet (on the day's I don't put on his wellies and get caught out) but his shoes don't get ruined (must be those £5 plastic ones from woolies )Only joking they are indeed expensive and properly fitted as we would all agree important but if they did go "hard" or anything else from being in the rain then I'd take them back as they would obviously not be fit for the purpose they were sold for ie wearing.

I'm now going to bow out of this thread as www is obviously upset and I agree not one of us should have to justify their choice of shoe purchase.

The general consensus of this thread does seem to be wanting it both ways - saying "we drive the kids to school because we have to go on to work" and then picking on commuters for driving to work.

Personally I think it should be self-limited as much as possible. Part of the reason we bought this house was because it was an easy walk to school. So I'm hoping DS will be walking as much as possible but depends on how we work things when he gets to that age. Mums and Toddlers is the same distance and I've only ever driven there twice - when DS had hospital appts immediately afterwards (now thats another parking topic - hospitals). Time will tell whether my commitment remains when is everyday and not once a week!

WE walk to school every morning as neither dh or I can drive. Yes it's a pain in bad weather and we're in Scotland so we get more than our fair share of rain, but it has to be done.

I'ts a 15 minute walk to school and we've been doing it since dd started nursery at the school when she was three, nearly 4 years ago now.

the road around the school does get congested sometimes but plenty of the cars are commuters heading to work so it's not all parents dropping off kids.

I'm not making excuses - I (or dh!) walk or pushchair ds to nursery every time - and to Tiny Gym and the Library as nursery is literally up the road and the rest not far away. But I still think it is such an overreaction to get het up about women taking their kids to school when not only do they comprise a mere 20% of traffic, but I doubt that they comprise even 2% of accident statistics and the level of drunk driving must be zero. I think the whole 'issue' is hugely overblown. Actually, I think driving is down to individual choice. I have no moral views on it, except to say it's not a good thing to mow down pedestrians or drive on the wrong side of the road etc (joke!)

Sorry, I didn't give my view. I don't have a problem with parents driving to the school as a lot of them don't live within walking distance and some even come in from surrounding villages, so they have to drive.

so long as they don't park inconsiderately, or dangerously, I have no problem with it. It can get congested around the school and I agree with what others have said about parking a couple of streets away and then walking to the school.

This is a bugbear of mine. I live miles away, so have to drive anyway, but I'm annoyed at the recent focus on school-run traffic. What about commuter-run traffic, work-run, dentist-run, shopping run, etc etc?
Why is it always mothers who are expected to walk (although many have jobs to go to and all have houses to run)?
How much excercise and whether or not one wants to get wet is none of anyone elses business.

My mum has got on this case because she loves pointing the finger - she even suggested we send DS to our second-best school simply because it has a school bus! (which takes an hour each way to travel 3 miles and he's 4 yrs old, ffs....)

If I lived in the village, I would walk because I like walking, but if I wanted to drive six feet then I would. It's none of anyone elses business.

Of course, parents should park and drive off carefully (as they do at our school), but that is the only extent of anyone elses interest, ffs.

So if I was at your school, www, I'd be arguing for the drivers with you!

Why don't they go the whole hog and make sure people visiting supermarkets in cars have a full trolleyful to last a month so they don't have to get the car out in between?

Well I can walk and do walk, but when I was pregnant with no 2 and couldn't walk I drove..
What annoys me only... is the three or four mums I know who live literally within spitting distance (yes even asthamtic spitting) and because of an unmade road, choose to drive around in their cars! I know if I worked and had time deadlines I would need to drive and if it pours with rain and snow I will drive (slowly and carefully thus)
We pay more tax on petrol than any other nation... Hmmmm surely this gives some vehicular rights
(PS I walk into town with my posh buggy too)

Or better still, why don't they issue 'wimmin' with stepford wives-style baskets that hold such a tiny amount of shopping that they are forced to walk to the corner shop 4 times a day. That'll get them fit and stop them from having any silly ideas about getting a life - after all, they've nothing better to do, have they?
That's the attitude we're up against, folks.

I've considered parking further away and walking for the excercise, but TBH, I'd feel an utter tit-end, as everyone knows I live 'out'. We just run round the garden together a few times when we get home instead. As if anyone gives a damn.

Droile, thanks for making me laugh! I thought the six feet and stepford wives comments were particular gems and I'm storing them up so I can laugh at them instead of having a hissy fit next time I discuss this with someone

I DO HAVE A VALID REASON!!!! DS has Cerebral Palsy and he can't walk far without pain. That said he has walked to school four times this week and walked home 3 times, so he has done well. I do use the car if he is feeling tired, but I hate parking up at the school so I use a disabled buggy and walk there. I did use the car everyday for a month or so, but I had just passed my test and now I am fed up with driving there and back. WWW it takes me 25 minutes to walk to school with DS, longer if its raining, but I do it because its good for his legs and he needs the exercise. DS likes to walk there and post letters on the way
But yes I have a valid reason for using the car but I do walk as well

Bozza, we bought this house BECAUSE it had a primary school 2 minutes walk at the end of the road, only to find that they wouldn't take our children! (They wouldn't give us a yes or no until we'd exchanged contracts & of course you exchange & complete on the same day). As we already had a school place in the borough the LEA wouldn't help. We weren't happy with the school they were at & ended up sending the youngest to one 22 miles away, because none of the schools in this town would take him!!!! Try walking 22 miles each way!

Mine are all now at secondary. DS1 has a 30 minute walk & DH takes the other 2 to a school in the opposite direction. Most of the pupils walk or catch a bus- the 4 school buses block the road completely! In the summer holidays the council painted yellow lines all along the main road, and all the surrounding roads, so that now parents are forced to double park & illegally park because there isn't anywhere else. There was never a problem before. DH has taken to picking up the kids at the industrial estate 10 minutes down the road from the school because it is impossible to get there.

The school is on a main road, with 2 primary, one special & another secondary all within spitting distance. The start & finish times are all staggered to try to ease the problem. DH biggest bugbear is the huge numbers of very elderly people who come out of their houses at the height of the worst congestion (it is also the main road into town off the motorway) & insist on trying to get their cars out into the traffic.

On a slight tangent, last year I was in a Community Pantomime, which had about 300 kids in it. The rehearsal venue was in a narrow residential street with parking spaces on one side only. After every rehearsal we would come out to find the road completely stuffed- cars everywhere. There would always be several parents who arrived at exactly the chuck-out time & would drive right down to the entrance, so that the cars already parked there couldn't get out. No-one could move. Every night I would watch these idiots & wonder why they thought they were so special that they could come right to the door & block everyone else in. Sorry to say usually mummies in 4WDs, or daddies in BMWs or Audis.

IME it always seems to be parents who are the most inconsiderate & thoughtless parkers. Seems that as long as their little darling is OK they don't give a stuff about anyone else's.

Oh yes, at our original primary they introduced a special drop-off area. Drive in, round, offload & go. The same bl**dy woman arrived 20 minutes before school every day & parked right in the middle! She would still be there 20 minutes after the bell chatting to her friends. I saw her recently, same car, parked on double yellows opposite our secondary school- 20 minutes before the bell!!!! (Get A Life!!)