VENT: School run mum/dad's

dizziblonde

Once worked at a school where we were having parking problems and the head went out a few days to see what exactly was going on and how much of the problem was down to the parents (we also had some uni students sneaking in and using the parental spaces - quite a new build school so we had some drop-off spaces allocated for this kind of purpose - for the day to get freebie parking).

He was a bit bemused to see parents rolling up as early as 1.30pm in order to secure a prime parking spot for pick-up time at 3.10pm! They weren't going elsewhere, were definitely only there for school pick-up - not nursery class going in/out at different times or anything like that - just were so determined to dibs the space nearest the school doors they'd sit in their car for two hours to ensure they did so.

meer53

dizziblonde wrote: »

Once worked at a school where we were having parking problems and the head went out a few days to see what exactly was going on and how much of the problem was down to the parents (we also had some uni students sneaking in and using the parental spaces - quite a new build school so we had some drop-off spaces allocated for this kind of purpose - for the day to get freebie parking).

He was a bit bemused to see parents rolling up as early as 1.30pm in order to secure a prime parking spot for pick-up time at 3.10pm! They weren't going elsewhere, were definitely only there for school pick-up - not nursery class going in/out at different times or anything like that - just were so determined to dibs the space nearest the school doors they'd sit in their car for two hours to ensure they did so.

Thats a bit extreme :eek:

But to be honest, if someone wants to park somewhere, whether it's outside a school or not, whose business is it really ?

Sometimes, my time waiting for my daughter in my car, listening to music or reading a newspaper, is a bit of wind down time for me before the teatime palaver begins !

nellytheelephant

I live by a school and sadly the majority of parents are really selfish with their parking

Luckily we have 3 cars so when they've blocked the drive(!) we just pincer them in with the other 2 cars, then they don't do it again hehe.

Kite2010

One of the mums at work picks their kids up from school, even though it takes longer to drive home rather than walk home due to walking short-cuts.

Madness it is.

vikingaero

We have the odd mum who drives 150 yards from her house to drop off at school. Then she moans when there are no spaces when she gets there.

Some school catchment areas can be bigger than you think. If you've finished work at 2pm or 2.30pm, do you drive home, spend 10 minutes at home watching the clock, and drive back to pick the kids up (assuming it's too far to walk) or do you do the eco/sensible thing and just wait outside the bleedin school annoying people driving past? I'm for annoying.

We sometimes turn up early if one of The Vikingettes has a doctors or dentist appointment soon after school. Deal with it.

chewynut

I live just round the corner from my old primary school. The school is on a hill. Not a big hill that you'd get out of breath walking up or anything. 14 years ago when I was there, all of the cars could fit on this hill. It caused problems at the busy junction at the bottom of the hill for only for twenty minutes or so when the kids were going in or out.

14 years down the line and the number of cars has now quadrupled. The line starts at the housing estate a mile past the hill and stretches all the way over the junction, past my house and down a really busy road. It's gridlocked for an hour each morning and afternoon.

The school hasn't quadrupled in size so why is there four times more cars?

vikingaero

chewynut wrote: »

The school hasn't quadrupled in size so why is there four times more cars?

Has the school expanded their intake. You only need one additional intake class per year to make 210 extra pupils.

Pupils can live further afield and still be within the catchment area, especially with new infill housing.

chewynut

vikingaero wrote: »

Has the school expanded their intake. You only need one additional intake class per year to make 210 extra pupils.

Pupils can live further afield and still be within the catchment area, especially with new infill housing.

I'd be surprised if they managed to quadruple it because I was in the last year that only had one class. There were two classes for each year that followed me and the buildings were crammed full even then. I don't think they could've fit many more children in. Certainly not enough to quadruple the number of cars.

Like others have said, some parents are driving down from the estate at the top of the [STRIKE]gentle incline[/STRIKE] hill.

pulliptears

peachyprice wrote: »

And how do you know how many of those very same parents are not dropping their children off on their way to work?

What would you suggest, they walk their children to school, walk home again to get their car, drive back past the school they've just walked to and from, then be late for work every day.

No thanks, I'll continue to drive my children to school as long as I drive to work and be forever thankful I don't live near you and OP who know nothoing about my life and family. (BTW my children are all perfectly fit, healthy and weight what they should)

And OP, how do you know they haven't had to drop older/younger children off at others schools that have an earlier start time? Some schools here start at 08.15.

:T:T:T:T

Personally I drive my 15 year old child to school because she has health problems. You wouldn't necessarily realise she had issues but they are severe enough that she is not able to walk herself to school.

There are many reasons people drive their children to school and its bloody rude to just assume 'laziness' is the only one.

As for arriving early, when DD was in Primary it was several miles away and in a rural area so driving was the only option. The carpark was tiny so you really did have to be there early or struggle. I'd get there around 2.40 for a 3.30pm pick up and spend the 40 minutes I had doing my Uni work in the car. It was ideal really, no distractions and a bit of peace to work!

aliasojo

dizziblonde wrote: »

He was a bit bemused to see parents rolling up as early as 1.30pm in order to secure a prime parking spot for pick-up time at 3.10pm!

We're rural, we don't live in the same town as the school and there's no transport so I have no choice but to drive daughter to school.

Daughter's school has an allocated area where parents must drop off and pick up. Problem is, the area is very small and if you don't get there early, you can't park.

I think pick up/drop off issues should be more thought of when new schools are built.