school parking

[Seahorse]

This issue makes me hugely, hugely angry. It's a very similar situation at my littlies' school although it has got better. This is what I and a couple of others did:

Took photos

Confronted offenders (politely) with 'do you know what these markings mean?' 'do you understand the 'line of sight' rule?' 'there is free parking on X,Y and Z local streets' etc

Rang the PCSO's and traffic wardens, persistently, making it less hassle for them to come out than to deal with us again

Got the head to put up posters (big vinyl ones that will last)

It hasn't cured it, you'll always get some selfish b's and sometimes it's been a bit scary. I'm not big on confrontation and some people have been very rude. However, the ones that have really wound me up are the ones who are so bloddy selfish and IGNORANT. If you don't understand the Highway Code and basic health & safety then IMO, you shouldn't have a driving licence in the first place!

Anyway, deep breaths! As others have said, if anyone wants to try and alleviate this outside their school, name, shame and agitate. It's hard going but at the end of the day it won't be YOU who has a death or serious injury on your conscience.

[Seahorse]

Oh and 'you should hold your child's hand' only works if you have no more than one or two children in your care, unless you're an octopus.

[Two_Sheds]

The road in my video clip (above) is constantly parked up: by hospital staff who won't pay to park in the hospital, and by school parents who are too lazy to park legally and walk a few yards.

Parallel to this congested road is another, virtually empty, road. It is, at the most, 12 yards away from the school road, and is accessed by lots of little alleyways.

On the other side of the school is a lovely cycle lane through a leafy park. So the children could safely cycle or walk to school. It's been created & maintained for them to do so (I was the busybody who badgered the council for years to put up "cycling" signs through the park).

Spidering out from that cycle lane are lots of little side roads, all with plenty of free parking space.

These parents simply don't have the wit or the intelligence to work out different ways to do things, and they object to being told "what to do" by other people.



And they won't care if they injure someone, because it's "never their fault". It's yours, for being on a bike, or for daring to walk on a pavement they wish to park on. It's the council's fault, for not providing free parking where they want it. It's the council's fault for making them attend a school more than 3 yards from their front door. It's never their fault.

[green thing]

Linzy I have major issues concerning parents, children and parking. Where i work the council allowed to be let to a children play centre

We have one near me on an industrial estate
Same thing but one unit is used as a drug rehabilitation center?
The biggest problem was parking for the other businesses on the estate
They got together and allocated parking to each unit introduced a permit system and employed a clamper
The play center now has its own enclosed parking area and the business get a percentage from the fines

Children are scattered brained taking them to school is like pushing jelly uphill with a stick!

Children should be able to walk on the pavement without fear of being run over
My oldest wants to go on his bike ...no chance...if we can't even walk to school safety

[weekendwellies]

Oh and 'you should hold your child's hand' only works if you have no more than one or two children in your care, unless you're an octopus.

says the woman who grabs random people's hands to cross the road

[alldigging]

Got a digital video camera?

Local TV might come out...

"As for the governers one of them threatened to have me arrested for harassments" - that makes me feel sick.


Where abouts are you in the NW?

[weekendwellies]

the pub car park next to the primary school mine went to was used by me and others to drop off and pick up. the pub complained one time that their car park was getting damaged by all the parents using it, but as it was the village pub and most parents were regular customers, going with the family for lunches, and as the kids got older, for evening meals. As it was only the one complaint it seems to have resolved itself in one way or another, not sure how, but I suspect a few words were exchanged.
I am very glad not to be doing the school run any more though, I can imagine how scary it must be now that even more parents use cars to take the kids. It was bad enough 10 years ago. My sister was a lolipop lady and nearly got run down on a couple of occassions. She had to go to court and give evidence.

[WillyNelson]

A bit of an unusually militant suggestion from me but...

If speaking to the school doesn't work, gather a group of like minded parents and picket the pavement/'parking' areas every morning for a week to prevent people parking there. Just stand in the way. Non-violent direct action often works well.

[Hazel at the Hill]

As for the governers one of them threatened to have me arrested for harassments

What - do you mean that one of the governers was parking illegally/irresponsibly and when you challenged him/her, made a threat to have you arrested? If so, they want reporting to the head (and the rest of the governers) as they need to be removed from office. Appalling.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Nope they want reporting to the police for intimidation.

Colin

[Hazel at the Hill]

Nope they want reporting to the police for intimidation.

That as well.

[Mikey]

What ever happened to walking our children to school?

I walk my daughter to school every day, I wouldn't allow her to go on her own as it simply isn't safe enough.

Parents have to shoulder a lot of blame, everything is such a rush, drop the kids off go to work, mad dash... if people actually allowed an extra 5-10 minutes every day a lot of them could walk or cycle instead. I know this isn't practical everywhere in the UK, but there are far too many cars dropping off at schools when it simply isn't necessary. If you live within 5-10 minutes walk you should walk, simples.

There's no point complaining if you fall into the drive to school category, when you could walk, you are the problem.

Personally I like it best when it rains, it allows my daughter and I to wear our wellies and mac's and splash in puddles.

[mothhawk]

A few tin tacks scattered along the edge of the pavement would probably work wonders....

[out in the cold]

A few tin tacks scattered along the edge of the pavement would probably work wonders....

Shame that you happened to have a hole in the bottom of the bag you were carrying them in, isn't it...?

[bearded bloke]

A few tin tacks scattered along the edge of the pavement would probably work wonders....

No,no,no what would happen if one of the kiddies were to fall over,you would never forgive yourself